Le Bic, Pic and the Prince of Miguasha



"Oh look at those birds. Are they ducks? ""No, they are vultures," said our guide, gazing at the large birds gathering on the shoreline. "Did somebody die?" I ask. Such was our introduction to Bic National Park in Quebec. (That's the nation of Quebec folks and not Canada by the way.) It's the smallest and possibly the cutest park in Quebec (vultures aside). After a quick walk down to the beach we could see a Harbour seal mother and her pups lying on the rocks in the early morning light.

View from Pic Champlain lookout.
Bic National Park in Bas-Saint-Laurent may be named after Le Pic or the peak - the name Pic became Bic over the years. Nothing to do with ballpoint pens but a lot to do with some beautiful coastal countryside. A hike of about an hour through the forest took us to the Pic Champlain lookout (altitude 346 metres) from where we could see Bic island and its smaller neighbours including Le Chocolat, which got its name from the brown colour of its trees following a fire and the fact it resembles the shape of a French truffle.

Just a few steps from the yurt
My opinion is you've seen one yurt you've seen them all. We visited one here which was in such a stunning location, above, you could immediately imagine yourself watching the sun set over the water as you cooked up your supper on your propane stove.
Yurt with a view in Bic National Park
 At Miguasha National Park near Carleton-sur-Mer in the Gaspé there is a fascinating story to be heard. It is famous for its fossils which are 380 million years old. This was known as the Devonian Period or the Age of the Fishes - before any birds, animals or even dinosaurs existed.

The Prince of Mighasha
The fossils here are the best examples from this time anywhere in the world but one fossil stands out. It is known as the Prince of Miguasha and it showed signs that some fish would eventually evolve into walking animals which would leave the water and live on the land. Inside the fish's fins were early signs of bones similar to a human foot and it developed lungs to breath in addition to its gills.


It is hard to tear yourself away from the park and its fishy tales but another beautiful sunset beckoned. Tomorrow hiking in Gaspésie National Park.
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