The Shrimpiest Story / Une histoire de crevettes (Intro)

(la version française est incluse plus bas)

I was born in Matane in the province of Quebec. For some of you, the name will ring a bell as this city has been associated with shrimps for many decades now. I’ve seen the famous Matane shrimps appear on menus from as far as Europe but also in Florida, Las Vegas, etc.

For a while, Matane even had its own shrimp festival. It was a week-long celebration revolving around this little pink crustacean where beer and music flowed together and where shrimps were sold everywhere in town in a small plastic container usually accompanied with chili sauce (not my preferred choice!).

I have long since left Matane, which also decided to drop the festival entirely. But I recently had the chance to resurface those memories when I received a few emails from my sister who still lives there. She was sharing her boyfriend’s voyage and work on a shrimp boat last Spring with photos and a whole lot of information I never knew or even tried to imagine about nordic shrimp boats. It’s a fascinating piece from a very different life we’re used to, so after she agreed, I decided to share this here as well.

Working on it… stay tuned!

Spring in Matane / Le printemps à Matane

Je suis né à Matane dans la province de Québec. Pour certains d’entre vous, le nom sera sans doute familier puisque la ville a longtemps été associée avec les crevettes. J’ai même pu apercevoir les fameuse crevettes de Matane sur les menus d’Europe, de la Floride, de Las Vegas, etc.

Pendant un temps, Matane a même eu son festival de la crevette. Les célébrations d’environ une semaine avaient comme thème le petit crustacée rose et la bière et la musique y coulaient à flots. Les crevettes étaient vendues un peu partout dans un contenant de plastique et servies habituellement avec un cure-dent et de la sauce chili (pas ma sauce préférée pour des crevettes!)

J’ai quitté Matane depuis longtemps et la ville a depuis décidé d’abandonner le festival. Mais j’ai récemment eu la chance de me remémorer cette époque quand j’ai reçu une série de courriels de ma soeur qui y vit encore. Elle y décrivait le voyage et le travail de son conjoint sur un crevettier le printemps dernier, avec photos à l’appui et des informations que je n’aurais jamais pu envisager. C’est une description fascinante d’une vie complètement différente de la nôtre et avec l’accord des personnes concernées, j’ai pensé la partager avec vous.

Je travaille donc là-dessus et je vous reviens!

Guiness Draught

All you need to take cool pictures is light. And sometimes beer.

But not light beer.

Wine Store Mondays

I interrupt the regular programming for an important announcement. I don’t do this often. In fact, it’s the very first time I do this. I can’t promise it won’t be the last because unlike most of you, I can’t see the future and thus can’t predict if I am going to interrupt this site’s programming again.

Did you hear that?

“That” was the sound of you missing one of the most glorious days on the internets (this one included). It was yesterday, by the way. It’s the sound of awesomeness.

I can’t hold it any longer, I gotta say it right now: Wine Store Mondays is in the house!

Did I ever mention I can’t predict the future? Well I totally lied because I KNOW you won’t miss next week’s edition of Wine Store Mondays. And it will change your life. Visit and subscribe to mnftiu.cc or click on the beautiful image of a wine glass below to jump on the wine wagon of life!

Know hope.

Horseshoe Bend (Arizona)

[Click on the images for larger (and better!) versions]

From Mesa Verde, we had quite a drive to do in order to come back in the general vicinity of our base of operations (Las Vegas). After all, this is where our plane was going to take us back home a few days later.

On the road near Page, AZ

So after a long ride, we finally stopped to spend the night in Page, AZ. If you remember, this is where we had visited Antelope Canyon earlier. This time, we had much less time to spare, but we did manage to visit a spot not very well known called “Horsehoe Bend”.

Horseshoe Bend

The Colorado River

Horseshoe Bend is free to visit. One simply has to park in a small area on Route 89 and walk about a kilometer to get to it. The area is actually named after a horseshoe-shaped meander in the Colorado River and the cliff side is approximately 1000 feet high.

Even with my wide angle lens, I couldn’t really get it all in the same frame. Still, I think the pictures give a good sense of the place. For a really cool panorama shot, you can also head over to the Wikipedia article on the subject.

Mart at Horseshoe Bend (shot by Julie)

My feet over Horseshoe Bend

And for this picture, we asked a fellow tourist to snap it. No we don’t suffer from vertigo. After handing me back the camera, he admitted that he almost jokingly asked us to take one step back.

Julie and Mart at Horseshoe Bend

Mesa Verde National Park

[Click on the images for larger (and better!) versions]

While we were in Monument Valley, we realized we were still a full day ahead on our schedule. So we started looking at other interesting places to visit in the general vicinity. It quickly dawned on us that we could get our money’s worth out of that National Park annual pass we bought in Zion AND visit a brand new state by driving over to Mesa Verde National Park.

On the road from Monument Valley to Mesa Verde, we also stopped at Four Corners Monument, the only point in the United States where the boundaries of four states intersect: Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. This spot is also on Navajo territory, so you have to pay a small fee to get to the actual marker. Nothing out of the ordinary here, but still quite impressive to stand in four different states at once.

Mesa Verde is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and features numerous ruins of homes built by the Anasazi people around the 12th century. The most spectacular ruins are actually cliff dwellings where the Native American tribe has excavated part of a steep cliff and built small villages with basic masonry inside. Abandoned less than a hundred years after being built, those ruins remained hidden from modern civilisation until a gold prospector accidentally stumbled upon the site in 1873.

Mesa Verde - Cliff Palace

Mesa Verde - Inside a cliff dwelling

We first walked to a spot where we would have a good general view of Cliff Palace, the park’s most popular “village”. The setting is impressive, as all the houses seem to be hanging over a gorgeous valley of juniper trees. But we wanted to visit up close, so we paid for a small guided tour that brought us to Balcony House. A visit to Balcony House requires some physical work and that’s probably the main reason why we chose that one. Steep ladders and extremely narrow passages tend to discourage quite a few people!

Mesa Verde - Climbing the Balcony House ladder

Mesa Verde - Inside Balcony House

We finally ended our visit with a short and easy (despite the heat!) 1-mile walk to Spruce Tree House where the well-preserved ruins include a kiva (a round room used for religious rituals and social functions) with a restored roof and many “appartments”.

Mesa Verde - 2 kivas in front of houses

Mesa Verde - Spruce Tree House

By then it was time for us to head back to Arizona. We still had a few more places to visit…

Monument Valley

[Click on the images for larger (and better!) versions]

Most of you probably saw this scenery in John Ford western movies (and Back to the Future III!), but Monument Valley is much more than just a photogenic landscape. It is a geological marvel and amazing place to explore. Monument Valley is located in Navajo territory, so the tribe manages this location. Still, it’s not expensive to enter the site.

Monument Valley - Western Scene

Monument Valley Mittens

The absolute best thing to do there is to take the 17-mile (27 km) drive and stop almost everywhere along the way. Each curve brings you at the front seat of a brand new breathtaking view and stopping is the only to take it all in. There are tours available if you don’t have a car, but I doubt the experience would be as grand because you then would need to follow their pace, not your own.

Monument Valley - Weird Rock

Monument Valley Mittens and Butte at Sunset

The red dirt road takes us down in the valley and all around the various buttes, mesas and other rock formations. We started our tour about 2 hours before sunset so the colors would look best. By the time we were done, our heads and cameras were filled with beautiful images and we were able to catch the last rays on the two mittens from the campground. It’s like the rocks were on fire!

Monument Valley

Monument Valley at Sunrise

Antelope Canyon

[Click on the images for larger and better versions]

Antelope Canyon is what is called a slot canyon, meaning it is very narrow and is formed by water rushing through rock. Those are usually very dangerous to visit when there is a chance of rain because of flash floods. In 1997, Antelope Canyon was hit by a 3-meter high wall of water that rushed inside the canyon through a wash and killed 11 people inside.

The wash leading to Antelope Canyon

Looking up in Antelope Canyon

Access to the canyon is managed by the Navajo people. It is not possible to visit it without being in a group led by a Navajo and this is a good thing. The drive in the wash leading to the canyon is filled with shifty sand and only certain vehicles can make their way in there. Also, the guides do check the weather for any sign of rain in the region. Finally, most of them are really good at photography and can give tips as well as take fantastic pictures with your own camera. They know where the cool spots and angles are!

Antelope Canyon Heart

Antelope Canyon Light Beam

Antelope Canyon is also very popular for its beams of light. During certain months of the year, the sun rays are able to enter the slot canyon and, at certain times of the day, even hit the ground. The rock textures all around are silky and wavy, giving the place an outherworldly look.

Antelope Canyon Firelight

Antelope Canyon Contrasting Colors

We chose the 10:30AM tour and while the place was packed, it still was possible for us to take a lot of pictures and ask questions to our guide. This lesser known canyon is definitely worth a stop if you are ever around the city of Page, Arizona. It is a refreshing and original change from the surrounding National Parks.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Let’s get this out of the way right now: Bryce Canyon Nation National Park does not actually contain a canyon. Shocking isn’t it? The place is actually an amphitheater created by headward erosion (as opposed to erosion from a central stream). It is located in Utah but at a higher altitude than Zion National Park. This area was settled in the 1850s by Mormons and the spectacular beauty of the place prompted it to be promoted to National Park in 1923.

The Bryce amphitheater is filled with thousands of hoodoos, a geological structure formed by a thin spire of rock that protrudes from the ground. The red and oranges colors of the rocks are a sight to see at either sunset or sunrise, when the hoodoos catch the rays from their sides.

I was much more impressed by Bryce than I was with Zion or even Yosemite. The landscape just can’t be described by words, I had never seen such an otherworldly scenery before. I almost felt like Spacement Spiff on one of those weird planets.

This National Park is home to what is considered the best 3-mile hike in the world. So naturally we had to do it! It involves descending in the amphitheater among hoodoos of various sizes and shapes, crossing a forest patch near the bottom then coming back up via the Navajo trail between two very high rock faces. This last section is called Wall Street and is home to quite a lot of falling rocks. It was recently closed due to the trail being completely blocked. The last climb is not that difficult particularly as one has to stop quite often to admire the ever changing surroundings.

Outside the park, there is a “village” composed only of hotels, shops and stores. That’s where we stumbled upon beers such as Polygamy Porter (“why have just one?”) and other microbreweries goodies. Unfortunately, the food spots left a lot to be desired, so stick with the Bryce Lodge for dinner if you ever have the chance to visit.

[Click on the images for larger and better versions]

Let’s get this out of the way right now: Bryce Canyon Nation National Park does not actually contain a canyon. Shocking isn’t it? The place is actually an amphitheater created by headward erosion (as opposed to erosion from a central stream). It is located in Utah but at a higher altitude than Zion National Park. This area was settled in the 1850s by Mormons and the spectacular beauty of the place prompted it to be promoted to National Park in 1923.

Bryce Line

Hoodoo Castle

The Bryce amphitheater is filled with thousands of hoodoos, a geological structure formed by a thin spire of rock that protrudes from the ground. The red and oranges colors of the rocks are a sight to see at either sunset or sunrise, when the hoodoos catch the rays from their sides.

Bryce Cathetral at Sunset

Bryce Rim at Sunset

I was much more impressed by Bryce than I was with Zion or even Yosemite. The landscape just can’t be described by words, I had never seen such an otherworldly scenery before. I almost felt like Spacement Spiff on one of those weird planets.

Bryce - Crooked Tree

This National Park is home to what is considered the best 3-mile hike in the world. So naturally we had to do it! It involves descending in the amphitheater among hoodoos of various sizes and shapes, crossing a forest patch near the bottom then coming back up via the Navajo trail between two very high rock faces. This last section is called Wall Street and is home to quite a lot of falling rocks. It was recently closed due to the trail being completely blocked. The last climb is not that difficult particularly as one has to stop quite often to admire the ever changing surroundings.

Bryce Path (Queen's Garden Trail)

Bryce Canyon Wall Street

Outside the park, there is a “village” composed only of hotels, shops and stores. That’s where we stumbled upon beers such as Polygamy Porter (“why have just one?”) and other microbreweries goodies. Unfortunately, the food spots left a lot to be desired, so stick with the Bryce Lodge for dinner if you ever have the chance to visit.

Zion National Park

“I have to lie down otherwise I don’t think I can make it”, I said to Julie.

We were in the final stretch of the infamous Angel’s Landing, thousands of feet above sea level, and my dizziness was getting worse. And at 40 degrees, the dry heat doesn’t help much when you’re thirsty. Each step was an effort. And my body was now fighting against it.

Zion National Park is located in Southern Utah. It was our very first stop during our road trip. We were drawn here following a geocaching log from a Quebec City team that came here some time ago. The pictures were impressive and the Angel’s Landing hike had actually been the decisive factor for our vacation plans. We basically based the entire road trip around that spot.

And here we were, on a sunny Wednesday morning. We arrived early to set up camp in a no-reservation area (we got a beautiful spot too) and we boarded the park’s shuttle en route to the trail head.

Angel’s Landing is strenuous hike that is now famous thanks to its very narrow portion that leads to the top, where an amazing view awaits the bold and/or the crazy. This technical portion is at certain places no more than five feet wide, with 1200 ft drops on each side. When there is a chain, it’s not to prevent hikers from falling; it’s to help them climb the steep rocks. Luckily for us, we don’t suffer from vertigo at all. A lot of people have to turn away at the warning sign, but Julie and I simply knew we had to reach the top.

But about 30 minutes after the warning sign, I started getting dizzy. I knew it wasn’t the vertigo, but I could not exactly figure out what it was. I mostly blame the strenuous efforts required in this steep ascent combined with the heat. Two mistakes: we did not bring any water and I did not wear my hat until that point.

We found some shade thanks to a large tree and I was able to lie underneath it. Took me a solid 5 minutes of normal breathing to finally get back to a point where I knew I could continue. Julie amazed me as she did suffered from anything during the entire hike. Sure we could have used more water, but we were not in dehydration mode either.

And the view was amazing. The entire valley was in front of us, with another portion behind. It was like 360 degrees of vision from very high up, save for the narrow path. The wind up there was welcome and we took some time to “take it all in” before heading back down.

The descent was much better, except for my feet that were now hurting due to those new shoes. It took us a good 5 hours from start to finish. What surprised me was the number of people still going upwards at 5PM. I would NOT want to do this hike after sundown!

We ended up eating at a place called Whiptail Grill, near the park’s entrance, recommended by my iPhone’s Yelp. Now we understand why. The tuna was incredible and the avocado salad was delicious. And it remained the best meal we had during the entire trip. Highly recommended. We fell asleep in the tent like two rocks, dead tired of this long but really satisfying day.

“I have to lie down otherwise I don’t think I can make it”, I said to Julie.

We were in the final stretch of the infamous Angel’s Landing, thousands of feet above sea level, and my dizziness was getting worse. And at 40 degrees, the dry heat doesn’t help much when you’re thirsty. Each step was an effort. And my body was now fighting against it.

Zion National Park is located in Southern Utah. It was our very first stop during the road trip. We were drawn here following a geocaching log from a Quebec City team that came here some time ago. The pictures were impressive and the Angel’s Landing hike had actually been the decisive factor for our vacation plans. We basically based the entire road trip around that spot.

Zion Rock Face

Angel's Landing - Path in the rock face

And here we were, on a sunny Wednesday morning. We arrived early to set up camp in a no-reservation area (we got a beautiful spot too) and we boarded the park’s shuttle en route to the trail head.

Angel’s Landing is a strenuous hike that is now famous thanks to its very narrow portion that leads to the top, where an amazing view awaits the bold and/or the crazy. This technical portion is at certain places no more than five feet wide, with 1200 ft drops on each side. When there is a chain in place, it’s not to prevent hikers from falling; it’s to help them climb the steep rocks. Luckily for us, we don’t suffer from vertigo at all. A lot of people have to turn away at the warning sign, but Julie and I simply knew we had to reach the top.

Angel's Landing - Warning Sign

No vertigo allowed!

But about 30 minutes after the warning sign, I started getting dizzy. I knew it wasn’t the vertigo, but I could not exactly figure out what it was. I now mostly blame the strenuous efforts required in this steep ascent combined with the heat. Two mistakes: we did not bring enough water and I did not wear my hat until that point.

We found some shade thanks to a large tree and I was able to lie underneath. Took me a solid 5 minutes of heavy breathing to finally get back to a point where I knew I could continue. Julie amazed me as she did not suffer from anything during the entire hike. Sure we could have used more water, but we were not in dehydration mode either.

And the view was amazing. The entire valley was in front of us, with another portion behind. It was like 360 degrees of vision from very high up, save for the narrow path. The wind up there was welcome and we took some time to “take it all in” before heading back down.

Angel's Landing - Summit

The descent was much better, except for my feet that were now hurting due to a new pair of shoes. It took us a good 5 hours from start to finish. What surprised me was the number of people still going upwards at 5PM. I would NOT want to do this hike after sundown!

This bird pants like a dog to fight the heat

Mule deer in Zion National Park

We ended up eating at a place called Whiptail Grill, near the park’s entrance, recommended by my iPhone’s Yelp. Now we understand why. The tuna was incredible and the avocado salad was delicious. And it remained the best meal we had during the entire trip. Highly recommended. We fell asleep in the tent like two rocks, dead tired of this long but really satisfying day.

Road Trip 2009

After many changes to our vacation plans (the original idea was to see Morocco), we finally settled on doing a road trip in the Southwest parts of the USA. With Las Vegas as the starting point, the new plan was to drive a circle around the Colorado River and its canyons to visit the best places in Utah, Arizona and Nevada. But even then, we changed those plans as we traveled along beautiful regions. We ended up visiting at least five spots that were not even on our radar when we left, including a foray into the state of Colorado.

So stay tuned for texts and pictures from our short but intense trip.

Oh and here’s a sneak preview:

Road Trip 2009