Yesterday, for fear of dehydration, we all played the game: “I Drink Water, Do You?” The end result obviously was that everybody got up at least once during the night to pee! Brendan’s wish became reality as it rained during the night and we woke up to a fine drizzle. Adventurous and curious by nature, Brendan wanted to experience a full day kayaking in the rain. He got his wish! Nevertheless, in no way was the morale of the group affected! On the contrary, the day started with an early wake-up call requested by Éric and Jacynthe, followed by a quick breakfast and an extremely efficient take down of the tents. The idea was to get going as early as possible as this was to be a long day.

We headed for the open sea under a clouded sky, which did not dampen the superb smiles and the steadfast determination to go a little further in our exploration. Today, everything is Brendan’s fault, even the disappearance of the clouds followed by the return of the sun. We paddled around the île du Havre and as we came to the point we were met by a westerly headwind. This meant constant paddling to make sure we were making headway and not backing up. The sun was a welcome presence for this first important crossing. This was a challenge for all. For the first time since our departure, the wind forced us to give it our best.

For miles around you could hear them sing the house version of the well-known (French) Christmas song “Vive le vent, vive le vent, vive le vent de la mer”. (TRANSLATOR’S NOTE: This a the French version of “Jingle Bells” where the lyrics of the first verse were changed to “ROWING through the WIND”.) The joyous song energized us and is now part of the famous memories collection of the Foundation. Sure enough, some of us, adults and teenagers alike, were a little discouraged, but you can imagine how proud we were when we got to our destination! Our guides, Éric and Jacynthe praise us. This was a real strong and constant wind. Hooray for our gang!

During the afternoon, while part of the group slumbered in the sun and wind, Jeff and Héléna invited us to play our first game of Loup-Garou. Interrupted by a small shower, the game ended at suppertime. Before the meal as an appetizer, we took a walk to the end of the island.

Brendan was right; sea kayaking in the rain can be enjoyable. It was a busy yet beautiful day. We’re proud of our efforts today and we’ll sleep well.

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