France. It turns out that France still owns (they call it a "Overseas Collectivity") some property in North America, which was a surprise to me! Just a 55 minute ferry ride off the coast of Newfoundland is Saint Pierre (plus Miguelon & Langlade islands) so, off I went on a little day trip. Of course, being a foreign country, you have immigration and customs (at each end) plus a currency change (they use the Euro) - always fun.
A little history (don't bet any large amount of money on the "facts" that follow). These particular islands were fought over by England and France (back in the old days - the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s) with France winning final possession. Then France ignored the place until WWII, when things got complicated - Canada wants to put a military radio station on the island, but France says no and sends warships to the island to reinforce its ownership. Canada, the USA, and Britain objected - Charles de Gaulle, said tough - so today we have a bit of France next door.
So what did I do? Truthfully, not much. Walked around the town, had lunch, and visited their Heritage Museum (highlight of the five hour stay), where I learned that the locals are pretty proud of their smuggling skills, in particular, the vast amount (nearly 2 million gallons one year) of prohibited spirits transported to the United States during prohibition.
Another place I haven't been, but wanted to go. Enjoying your journey.
ReplyDeleteI take it you didn't "ferry" your Promaster over there..
ReplyDeleteIf so, I'll have to put it on my bucket list so I can "drive" to France some weekend.