The scarf-clad woman hops out of her Renault and into the bakery. “Bonjour!” she greets the clerk, and they kiss each other on both cheeks. She picks up a baguette and hands over a euro to pay. “Merci,” she says and exits.
It’s a scene that could only happen in one place: France. So how come we’re 2,800 miles from Europe?
Even the most geo-savvy traveler is surprised to learn about St-Pierre and Miquelon, a pair of islands 15 miles from eastern Canada, near the province of Newfoundland. These fog-mantled little land masses aren’t just French-like, they are France, governed and financed by the tricolor.
Excusez moi, you ask? Didn’t France pack up and leave North America in 1763 after the French and Indian War? It did – except for St-Pierre and Miquelon, which ping-ponged back and forth between France and England until 1816, when the islands finally became French territories.
Today they offer a bizarre experience, their personality split three ways. The islands are one part small fishing village, with just 6,500 residents total and the majority living and working on St-Pierre. The islands are another part Caribbean, stacked with canary, lime, lavender and other brightly painted buildings, and a pirate-worthy history of rum running. And, of course, the islands are a third part Paris, with Peugeots, Citroens and other French cars crowding the tiny streets, and gendarmes patrolling from the corners.
Highlights unfold
All visits begin on St-Pierre, the main transportation hub. Aside from wandering the lanes and absorbing the quirky style of Frenchness, highlights include:
Bakery-sniffing, eating and drinking. As soon as you enter town, sweet smells taunt the nose, and it becomes impossible not to beeline for the patisseries to gorge on chocolate eclairs, buttery croissants and other treats by the dozen. Then head for St-Pierre’s restaurants, where they plate and pour French stalwarts such as escargot, mussels or baked goat cheese drizzled in honey, escorted down the hatch by noble Alsatians and Burgundies. These might be remote islands, but their joyful food and drink are on par with the feted motherland.
Rum running. When Prohibition dried out the United States’ kegs in the 1920s, Al Capone decided to slake his thirst – and that of the nation – by setting up shop in St-Pierre. He transformed the sleepy fishing harbor into a booming port that hauled in 300,000 cases of alcohol each month. Bottles were removed from their crates, placed in smaller carrying sacks and taken secretly to the U.S. coast by rum runners. The piles of Cutty Sark whiskey crates were so high on the docks, locals used the wood both to build and heat houses. At least one house remains today and is known as the “Cutty Sark cottage,” which most tours drive by. Rum-running artifacts, including Capone’s straw hat, are displayed in the small lobby museum of the Hotel/Motel Robert (011-508-412-419; off the main square).
Island hopping. Wild horses, seals and shipwrecks await those who venture beyond St-Pierre. A local ferry makes the hour-long trip to the uninhabited island of Langlade. From here, a 16-mile road meanders over an isthmus to Miquelon (larger than St-Pierre, but more lightly populated), passing wild horses and seals. Try not to think about how the rocky coast and fog around the islands have sent many a ship to its grave as you sail the 28 miles back to St-Pierre.
Karla Zimmerman has contributed to many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including “Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island” (due in April), with coverage of St-Pierre.
INSIDER’S GUIDE
GET THERE
It’s easier to get to Paris than St-Pierre, but it’s not near the adventure. Air Saint-Pierre (877-277-7765; www.air saintpierre.com) flies from Montreal and Halifax a few times weekly, fog permitting. SPM Express (800-563-2006; spmexpress.net) runs ferries between April and October from the town of Fortune on Newfoundland’s southern coast. The journey through roiling waters takes one to 1 1/2 hours.
Americans need a passport to visit; Canadians need only official photo identification and a birth certificate. For information and tour bookings, check with the local tourist office (www2.st-pierre-et-miquelon.info).
STAY
A dozen simple hotels and inns (auberges) pop up along the colonial streets. Centrally located Hotel Ile de France (011-508-410-350; www.hoteliledefrance.net; rooms 80-96 euros) is the most fashionable option. Auberge Quatre Temps B&B (011-508-414-301; quatretemps.com; rooms 48-56 euros), while several blocks from the downtown core, plumps up its value with a guests-only dining room, bar, bike rental and wireless Internet access.
DINE
Hotel Ile de France’s colorful restaurant (mains 8-17 euros) serves traditional French fare, wine and pizzas. Le Feu de braise (011-508-419-160; meals 5-8 euros) is perfect for pizzas and takeout snacks.
