Nous Arrivons en France

The church and houses across the harbor are on L'Ile-aux-Marins. Permanent residents left after the electric cable was cut in 1963 and the government decided not to replace it. Summer homes remain.

Today we arrived in France.

The isles of St. Pierre et Miquelon, about 20 miles off the south coast of Newfoundland, are French territory, not a French-speaking part of Canada. The currency is the Euro. And the croissants and pastries are delicious.

This overseas territory, which sends is own senator and deputy to the National Assembly in Paris, is the last toehold of France on the North America landmass. Although the fishing industry remains present, it has been in steep decline, as in neighboring Newfoundland. Local officials hope tourism, fueled by a brand new airport, will boost the economy, though the dream of offshore hydrocarbons is there, too.

The passengers abroad the Fram welcomed the visit for many reasons, but chief among them was docking at a St. Pierre quay and disembarking by gangway rather than tender boats. The 15-minute walk to the center of town was a pleasant stroll along the waterfront. Although some buildings are a tad dilapidated the streets were clean and the houses well-kept. The drivers of the Peugeots and Renaults, however, think they are in Paris trying to race around the Arc de Triomphe. I looked for an old Deux Chevaux in vain.

With a population of more than 6,000 St. Pierre is the largest port on our cruise, other than the end point of Halifax. A neighborhood grocery provided a few essentials I had run out of. I was guided there by a new father, Thierry, taking his eight-month old daughter for a sunny perambulation in 50ºF weather. I spied Thierry taking a photo of the Fram and we engaged in a pleasant conversation. He, like all the St. Pierre residents I met, were welcoming, friendly, helpful and quick to speak English. When sitting with a fellow traveler in mid-afternoon in a waterfront park, the many dog owners walking by stopped to chat.

I carried no Euros but assumed my credit cards would work here as they had in Denmark and Canada, but not so. I discovered this during a mid-morning break for coffee at Lés Délices de Joséphine at 10 Rue de Général Leclerc. (De Gaulle gets a plaza.) But Apple Pay works, to the relief of both shopkeeper and me. No sense going to a cash machine for a €2 cup of coffee.

Like Red Bank in Labrador, the Basque heritage is strong here, along with the Normans and Bretons who came here for the fish. In one part of town I discovered a pelota court with a wall in the traditional Basque salmon color; at the opposite end were flags representing the three regions.

Here are some more photos.