WALK 40 MINUTES AT LA GRAVE -- WEIGHT 238
Paul McCartney be damned, we are moving beyond seafood and indulging in loup-marin, that is, seal.
We tried a terrine made with seal and it was hearty and delicious. What we are eating is grey seal which is plentiful around Les Iles. The annual anti-hunting campaign that Paul was involved in this year is focused on the harp seal, an Arctic species that migrates to the waters of Newfoundland and Les Iles de la Madelaine after they freeze into floes in December and January.
The decline in the fur trade has ended commercial harvesting of seal from Les Iles. Hunting now takes place on an individual basis only.
The concern locally these days is that the growing number of seals is diminishing fish stocks--aging rock stars notwithstanding.
http://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com/magdalen-islands/decouvrirLArchipel_faune_ang.cfm
We also gave pork a try as a new cottage industry has started on Les Iles to develop deli meats, specifically, prosciutto-type sausages which we sampled as an appetizer prior to a great meal at Bistro du bout du monde, the cafe at the bottom of the world, in our case, at the southern end of Les Iles.
http://www.bistroduboutdumonde.com
Yesterday's great eating has been reflected in a weight increase of one pound for the each of us. Partially to blame is the boulangerie that has opened for the season just around the corner. The baguettes are delightfully rustic and the focaccia made with olives and smoked herring is simply delicious, especially with unsalted Lactantia butter.
http://www.june-anderson.com/boulangerie
One last note, for the historically minded, the first white man to stop here was Jacques Cartier in 1534, In his log, he noted that for farming, the soil here was excellent: "20 acres of this soil is worth than all Newfoundland."
Another note: Les Iles are still very white. We have spotted one black man and one woman who may have been Asian.
Long before the first Europeans arrived, Micmac Indians were coming here to fish and hunt for seal and walrus. They called the archipelago "Menagoesenog," a word that means "islands brushed by waves."
8:28:59 AM 
|
