We wanted you to be the first to know! We are so excited to introduce the first of our Good Guides – Where Wanders Never Cease.
Good Guides are about sharing the empirical, Greek for experience, meaning using all of the senses. After all, to know something is to see it, hear it, taste it, smell it — exactly how we love to travel and experience the world. Our goal is to share everything good we have experienced. We decided to begin with the Magdalen Islands/Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, because, well, it is one of our favourite places in Canada. It got all of our senses jumping for joy.
It was only our first day, and we were already worrying about having to leave too soon. From the red, sandstone cliffs and beaches, the multi-coloured houses sprinkled across the landscape, the lobster poutine, to what became our favourite patisserie, we were smitten.
Folksblogen’s Guide to the Magdalen Islands
Originally named ‘Menagoesenog,’ by the Mi’kmaq, ‘The Magdalen Islands or Maggies,’ if you’re an Anglo, or, ‘Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine’ is a fish-hook-shaped archipelago made up of seven inhabited islands and six linked by road in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It’s part of the province of Québec but accessible by ferry from Prince Edward Island. Travelling to the Magdalens is not for the time-deprived traveller. We wandered these islands for two weeks and didn’t do everything or eat everything that we could have, but we made quite a dent in what was possible. There is so much to do and see on these islands on top of what we did experience. In this guide, we mainly share what we loved: great food, hiking, beaches, museums, incredible sunrises and sunsets and camping. There are several festivals and races throughout the summer months, especially August, so you may wish to plan your trip around one or more of these.
This eBook includes eighty-three pages of first-hand information, original photos, and maps! All URLs and email addresses within this guide include hyperlinks. We have included a map and recommendations for each of the islands. Our categories include Camping/ Accommodations, Regional Flavours, Shopping, Sights and Activities, Hiking, Museums, Rentals, Excursions, Services and Fuel for each island. All of our recommendations are numbered in the guide and on the corresponding map. This guide is currently only available as an eBook.
Travelling during Covid
The idea of travelling during the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic is a continually evolving situation. Predicting what we may or may not be able to do or which borders we may or may not cross involves a lot more than a crystal ball. With more and more vaccinations underway, it feels like we may once again begin to plan a little. We are hopeful that our movements will become less restricted with each passing month.
We recommend closely watching Federal and Provincial travel regulations, which seem to be in flux currently. If you book anything in advance these days, cancelling without penalty appears to be the norm. Still, we recommend making sure cancellations are possible before booking. For more information on travel in Canada click here: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/provinces
We invite you to visit our online store at www.goodguides.ca! We are working on two more guides we plan to launch in the coming months: Folksblogen’s Guide to Windsor / Essex County will launch by Summer 2021, and Folksblogen’s Guide Real Florida will launch by Fall 2021.