WALK 65 MINUTES ON THE BEACH -- WEIGHT STILL 237
It's been an excellent first day at Chalet Beauvais-Boileau, as our cottage on Baie de Plaissance, is called. The chalet is nestled in sand dunes a stone's throw from the water's edge on a beach that stretches maybe 10 kilometres in this part of Iles de la Madeleine.
On the left, we can see Ile de Grande-Entree, the island that's at the northern end of the archipelago 65 kilometres away. We're close to the southern end. On the right, we can see Ile d'Entree, the only major island of the archipelago that is not connected by sand dune or bridge.
There are about a dozen islands in all with six connected to one another by long, thin sand dunes in the shape of a crescent moon or fish hook. We're 205 kilometres from Gaspe, 105 kilometres from Prince Edward Island, and maybe 150 kilometres from Newfoundland, in other words, smack dab in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
About 14,000 souls call Les Iles home, all but 500 are francophones, so we have our French phrase book and French Oxford always at hand.
As we're in the middle of a large sea, there's always a breeze. At this time of the year, average temps top out at 12C degrees.
The hunt for red lobster and gooey cheese has started with gusto.
In a brief tour by rental car, we found the one famous cheesemaker, an artisanal baker, and one of several bountiful fish mongers, thus, were able to sup in true Madelinot style: The first course, incredibly tasty Pied-de-Vent cheese with a fresh baguette, the second course, heavenly scallops with the sweet taste that only fresh-from-the-sea seafood has, and the third course, sweet, tender, mouth-watering, finger-licking, good-to-the-last-claw lobster.
12:40:20 PM 
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