I'm self-publishing The Canadian, a travel diary of one month across Canada
Three years ago, I ran into a woman from Quebec, during a long hike across the Scottish Highlands. As we talked, she told me about the beauty of her country and of the Gaspé Peninsula. That was all it took to make me plan a trip to Canada. But what to do in such a gigantic country?
I knew where to begin: in the Gaspésie national parc. A pristine and mesmerising path, part of the mythical International Appalachian Trail, which crosses the summit of Mount Jacques-Cartier or Mount Albert. And, if there’s one thing I like when I travel, it’s museums. I love to spend countless hours in them. Discovering new colours, new shapes, new expressions. And museums… there are plenty in North America.
My itinerary began to take shape. Tiny hops on the map, that became hours on overnight buses in reality. Finally, the existence of a railway between Toronto and Vancouver achieved to inspire me. So, I took my backpack, my tent, some clothes, and landed in Canada for a month. I wanted to feast my eyes and I sure wasn’t disappointed…
Waking along the sunrise, in the middle of a forest, before being buffeted by the wind in the Quebec heights. Curling up inside a train seat, enjoying a coffee while watching the infinite scenery out the window. Savouring the delicate scent of Montreal Botanical Garden, standing in awe in front of the magnificent paintings on the wall of Canada’s galleries. Seeing the Rockies emerge through the morning fog. Meeting lovely or strange people in the streets or in youth hostel corridors. So many things.
In such moments, I love to keep a diary. Every evening, I write down my thoughts in it, recount my encounters, describe my feelings. And I take a lot of photographs, when I’m not sitting on a bench drawing a quick sketch. These are memories I’m offering myself. I put a lot of heart into them and I’m keeping them close, always.
All of this, I wanted to put into a book, to share it with others. It’s called The Canadian, after this train that connects the eastern and western coasts of the country. It runs to around 200 pages and it’ll be printed at the beginning of next year.
So, travel and discovery enthusiasts, if these few lines ever inspire you, you can already pre-order a copy on Ulule. As of today, the project is already funded and there are still 26 days left to order! I hope you’ll enjoy this work as much as I enjoyed writing and preparing it.
Anyway, I’ll keep you posted here or on Ulule. And I also plan to document my whole process of making a book. But that’s not for right now. See you then!