Going to Gaspé

The last time I was in Gaspé, I was 11 years old.  It was winter, and everything was covered in a thick layer of snow.

I wrote a while ago about my memories of Gaspé.

And now, with the death of my Great Grandmother at age 99 this past winter, we're going to Gaspé for her funeral.

From this tourist site, Le rocher Percé, by Jean-Pierre Huard.

 

We wanted to stay in her old house, which is now passing on to my great uncle, but sadly, he is, to be frank, an ass, and came up with an excuse for us not being allowed to stay in the old house.  I feel a bit of sadness at that, since there are many childhood memories from that old farmhouse (my sister and I loved the layout of that house, so different from modern ones, and we loved playing in it!).  But my mother, who has so, so many more memories attached to it feels the loss of it more accutely. 

What I want to do is hike on the land there, even if we can't go into the house.  It's on a lot with acres upon acres of forest, stretching right up to the top of a mountain!  There are deer and moose, and bear and wolves on that land.

We've been searching for hotels, trying to find ones that open early enough (it seems many of them open for the season a few days after we're due to arrive...), and just trying to figure all of the logistics out... 

There's been a rather melancholy and stressed feeling in our house the last couple of days.  We leave in a week from today.  And I have this horrible feeling that this is the last time for a very long time that I'm going to be in Gaspé.  I hope this feeling isn't accurate.  Even though it's been so many years, I love that place, that land, deeply.  I want to stay longer than just a few days when we head up there, even though we could only really extend things a couple more days anyway, since we have commitments back home.

I just keep thinking of the place, though.  The sights, smells, sounds...

 

  

These photos were taken by my mother when she went to Gaspé with my grandmother in 2007.  I wish I had any photos I've taken there, but at age 11, I wasn't into photography at all!  The only images I have are the blurry ones in my head...

Despite the reason we're heading up there, I'm really looking foward to this trip.  I hope we can stay as long as possible.  I'll have my camera with me, and I'm greatly looking forward to having tons of photos of this beautiful place.  

Now if we can only find a place to stay, and get through the funeral and memorial service, as well as whatever family drama often comes along with such things... *Sighs*

Peace,

Idzie