Saint-Jean In Coaticook -- day two

 Low-flying bluejays and the rhythmic drumming of wood peckers in the trees high above our tent wake us from our comfortable sleep, and into a world a tad bit warmer than yesterday. Turns out, I left the back window open, and so the cool air coming into the tent might explain why we started off a little chilly.

Breakfast consisted of locally-produced carrot cake goat's milk yogurt with granola, as our cooler is not super-effective at keeping food cold for more than 24 hours...must find a suitable replacement before we get a bought of food poisoning or something. Also, a big coffee was in order to start the day. A really big coffee.

While researching this weekend, so many weeks ago, Mario discovered the Aquaticook circuit, a grouping of water activities available around the Coaticook area. Small parking areas lead to basic drop-in points for canoes, kayaks and the like, all along the meandering river, allowing people like with our own vessel to access the waterway and cruise along, free of charge and without hassle. It is very much the opposite of the run-around we experienced when wanting to dip our paddles into the water at Lac Lyster!

Our launch point is hidden under an old covered bridge, where we paddle our way upstream? Downstream? We're not sure - the current is so slight that just the blowing of the wind is enough to change our direction, and that of the leaves on the water. In fact, if we stop paddling, our kayak stands completely still!

We take the slow-moving water as a good thing, working on our steering which is still not great. For some reason, we still manage to veer off to one side when attempting to paddle straight, almost turning in circles. Halfway through the trip, Mario discovers the wonders of steering with the rudder, and from that point on, we are really cruising! (Seriously though, if anyone has any tips on paddling a tandem kayak in a straight line sans rudder, I am all ears)

Coaticook river winds its way between farm fields all the way to Waterville, another launching point as well as the end of this leg of the river - there's a dam to prevent further exploration. We beach our kayak in the shade and eat potato salad right out of the pot with 2 spoons. We also take the opportunity to release a bee we saved not once, but twice, from certain drowning, and likely an even more gruesome death by bird. This is only the second insect we saved today, this first being a rather large beetle that thought windshield surfing would be cool, until the car hit 70 km/h. Antennae whipping in the wind, the little bugger held on tight until we found a safe place to pull over and deposit him in the grass.

Back to the river, the return paddle was just as smooth, even though we were apparently paddling upstream, and punctuated with small discoveries along the way: a floating bird's nest fallen from a tree, small pipers gliding right above the surface of the river, the deliciousness of rhubarb cake eaten under the shade of a giant willow tree. Tired and toasted from the sun, we pulled the kayak from the river and packed everything back up in the car, another 10 km trip under our belts. 

All this exercise meant only one thing - we deserved ice cream. In the heavy heat of the afternoon, we joined so many other hot, tired visitors on the picnic tables outside the Laiterie Coaticook, and savoured our cold, sweet and well-deserved treat. This time around, it was a raspberry-passion fruit sorbet for Mario, and "crème Mangue-O" for me, possibly a limited edition seasonal flavour.

We rush back to the campground to shower and change, then head up Mont Seguin. Yes, there is the sunset, and 5 à 7 snacks at the summit, but today is Saturday, so there is also the smooth sounds of URU Karaoke to keep us company while we marvel at the views.

The rest of the evening was super-chill. We roasted our dinner right on the campfire - marinated pork, mixed vegetables and new potatoes, all deliciously infused with the smokiness of campfire cooking. We devoured all 3 packets with the new Microbrasserie Coaticook Blanche beer. With our s'mores, we poured a glass of the rich and creamy dark Abysse beer, with it' notes of chocolate and caramel pairing perfectly with dessert. And as we retired to the tent for the night, much earlier than any night at home, the sky above lit up over the lake with festive Saint-Jean fireworks, but with the trees so tall, we saw nothing, and yet heard everything, including the cheers from the gathered crowds of campers. And with that, we drifted off into another comfortable sleep.