Fox River, April 24, 2012

We began the day fighting our way through 50 or 60 mile-an-hour winds, 

coupled with sleet, in what I would call Arctic temperatures. 

Ted had to brace himself to hold the car door open for me. 

This harbour sign shows these high winds are a regularity on the 

north shore of the Gaspe Peninsula, which of course faces into the 

harsh lusty Gulf of St Lawrence.

Fox River is a fairly substantial little town...

...but with an old Robins store, now converted, a Catholic Church... 

...and a thriving harbour. I’m told that shrimp boats here can bring 

in 60-80 tons of shrimp on an outing.

As I said to the students in my first class – all in French: it’s 

a first for both of us: the first time I have ever spoken to a class 

entirely in French for an hour and a half, and it must be 

the first time they have ever met a senile 80-year-old who made 

tons of TV dramas (they had never heard of Jean Anouilh!) many 

motion pictures, and written eight books, the latter after 

reaching retirement. I do think that did surprise them.

After this exhausting foray into what I may say is almost 

a foreign territory — not one student had ever heard of the word Oscar, 

and certainly none, including the teachers, had ever seen 

an Oscar telecast! Bloody refreshing, I think. But hey, somewhat difficult 

to know how to talk to them. Genevieve Bujold? Totally unknown, 

even though she’s had been shooting French films this last decade. 

When I mentioned that my whole Saga might be published in French, 

that elicited some interest.

I returned for a brief respite to my splendid Auberge le Caribou which 

was established 100 years ago, as this picture shows, and then 

I returned for yet another bout of French.

The afternoon class seemed even more welcoming. I was greatly 

encouraged by the teachers who said that my hapless talk that morning 

was the event of the year, and very exciting and fun. They told me 

this in French (almost no one in Fox River speaks English) 

so I probably got that wrong...

Ah well, on tonight to the Magdalen Islands (40 minute flight, for which 

Air Canada charges almost $700 – I believe a gross iniquity) 

where tomorrow, although I’m talking to one school in the French area, 

they’ve asked me to talk in a foreign and unusual language, English. 

Maybe that I can do!