WALK 20 MINUTES FOR LAST TIME ON OUR BEACH --WEIGHT 237
We have received fan mail thanking us for the updates but some have wondered if all we're doing here on Iles de la Madeleine is eating, eating and eating.
Not true!
We have been hiking just about every day, which explains why our combined weight gain hovers between two and three pounds. There is so much variety in the terrain here that one day you can walk a deserted beach, on the next tramp across green pastures overlooking the sea, and on the third day hike up a big hill and almost see Cape Breton. You can also explore marshland with abundant bird life, hike through forests, or just follow the bike path the full length of the main island.
http://www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com/magdalen-islands/activites_activitesDeNatureEtDePleinAir_ang.cfm#randonneesPedestres
We're also getting culture. The other day we took in Mes Iles, Mon Pays, a wonderful theatrical depiction of Madelinot history from the time of the Micmacs to the present. The production involves about 50 actors, all of them locals who have volunteered their time to tell the story of Les Iles to visitors. For the non-francophones, translation into English, German and Spanish is available via earphones.
http://www.mesilesmonpays.com/
We've also gone exploring. A one-hour ferry ride took us to Ile d'Entree or Entry Island, the only island of the Magdalens not connected by sand dune or bridge. About 100 souls call Entry Island, almost all of them descendants of Irish and Scottish settlers, thus, English is the first language there.
http://mellowkitty.blogspot.com/2006/05/view-of-entry-island-iles-de-la.html
The highest point in the Magdelens is Big Hill, 174 metres above sea level. We huffed and puffed our way to the top--only find the summit guarded by three large cows.
About two-thirds of the island is a public pasture for about 50 cattle and a few horses.
It was on Entry Island that we found our fixer-upper, a small house that hasn't been lived in for 15 years. The owner offered it to us free for three years and a couple of weeks every year thereafter, if we fixed it up. It sits on 18 acres of vibrant green pasture with view of the sea and the main island that is spellbinding.
Yes, we have fallen in love with Les Iles, half of us more than the other half, and have been looking at houses and land. In fact, we have an appointment with a real estate agent in the morning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Îles-de-la-Madeleine,_Quebec
http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/image_gx.asp?cpx=-61.704838352201925&cpy=47.50092739834481&res=100&provider_id=340&t=pan&dat=
10:05:59 PM 
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