Belgian National Day? This year, we’re celebrating it a little differently: kayaking between Canada’s magnificent fjords.
And believe me, I’d probably checked the weather for this day more often than the cycling results. For weeks back home in Belgium, I’d been following the forecast for Saguenay. Rain? Wind? Clouds? Completely pointless, as it turns out. The weather in Canada seems to change every five minutes anyway. 😄
But today, it has clearly decided to spoil us.
Kayak the fjords
We get up early and drive to Anse-Saint-Jean. By 9:30 we’re ready to go. Clear blue skies, not a breath of wind and a lovely 19 degrees. The water is almost perfectly still.
This is going to be a good one.
All the paperwork goes smoothly and our guide Louis introduces himself. A big thumbs-up to the organisation here, by the way. Everything is small-scale, yet perfectly organised.
Louis quickly teaches us the basics of kayaking. This time our kayaks have rudders, which takes a little getting used to. We’re also given a kind of kayak skirt that’s supposed to keep us dry. Stylish? Not exactly. Functional? Absolutely. 😉
Louis takes one look at the water and reckons he probably won’t have to rescue anyone today. A forecast I already trust slightly more than my weather app. And then we push away from the shore.
Suddenly, this enormous fjord opens up in front of us.
The farther we paddle, the smaller we seem to become. The water is almost mirror-like, while steep, forest-covered cliffs rise high above us on both sides. It’s only from the water that you realise just how immense this landscape really is. Every now and then, we simply stop paddling. Not because we’re tired. Just to look around.
The four of us, tiny dots in two kayaks, right in the middle of this immense Canadian fjord. Pure bliss. ❤️
We’d been looking forward to this for weeks back home. But however beautiful the photos looked, being out here on the water is so much more impressive. The silence, the space, those enormous cliffs surrounding us... For a moment, there’s nowhere else we’d rather be.
Meanwhile, the temperature cheerfully climbs above 20 degrees. Louis paddles alongside us, chatting away and sharing interesting facts, stories and tips as we go. For three hours, we glide through the fjord. And somehow, those three hours are over in no time.
Afternoon walk
After kayaking, we find a picnic table by the pier for lunch. Time for part two of the day: a hike to a waterfall. According to the sign: 2.3 kilometres. According to our smartwatch: hmmm... 🤔 After barely 1.3 kilometres, we suddenly find ourselves standing in front of a beautiful waterfall. "Surely this can’t be THE waterfall?" So we bravely keep walking.
And walking.
And a little farther still.
Until eventually it dawns on us that ...of course, that WAS the right waterfall. 😂
Oh well. Extra steps are healthy. And honestly? We actually liked this waterfall even more than Montmorency. Smaller, perhaps, but much quieter, more natural and completely tucked away among the greenery. Exactly the way we like it.
The aftermath
Back at the beach, we finish the day the way it should be finished: with ice cream from the little kayak cabin. Janne finally goes for the strawberry slushy she’s been looking forward to. Expectations are high. The first few sips go down enthusiastically... A few minutes later, the verdict is in. Not quite as delicious as she’d hoped. The end result?
Dad gets to finish the rest. 😅
That’s part of being on holiday too.
Something else we’re noticing more and more here is just how few Europeans we come across. Today again, we’re surrounded almost entirely by Canadians. Tourism here still feels wonderfully small-scale. No enormous visitor centres or mass tourism. The kayaking is simply organised from a few small cabins right on the beach.
But don’t be fooled: small-scale definitely doesn’t mean amateurish here. Everything is professionally organised. And perhaps what I love most of all: nature is in charge here.
Not every piece of wilderness needs to be made more accessible. Not everywhere needs to be built on or adapted for tourists. Here, you get much more of a sense that we adapt to nature, rather than the other way around.
I love that. And perhaps that’s what I’ll remember most about today.
The sun on the water.
Those gigantic cliffs surrounding us.
Our two tiny kayaks in the middle of that immense landscape.
And above all, the simple fact that the four of us were right there, experiencing it together.
Our journey doesn’t end here. ❤️
From African wildlife to Asian adventures and the incredible landscapes of Canada, we’ve collected quite a few stories along the way.
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