Esterel Without the Accent

In 2005, when I set out on my round-the-world trip, I marveled at how technology had made such a journey so much easier. Laptops, online banking, digital cameras, and cell phones meant that I never had to be out of touch with the States. Potentially serious mishaps such as a lost credit card, were easily handled. Letters of credit and travelers checques were replaced by an ATM card.

Today, sitting by Lac Dupuis an hour from Montreal, I marvel that all of the above wonders are now potentially accomplished on my trusty iPhone. The transponders that seemed so miraculous in the hands of Captain Kirk and Spock seem antiquated and quaint. Now if they would only come up with a teleportation app.

At the same time, I marvel that this lovely spot has remained relatively untouched since my last visit here 30 years ago. The lakes are clear and clean. The heavily forested hillsides are lovely, dark and deep.

The house where I am staying looks like a set for a Ross Hunter movie. Any minute, I expect to see Doris Day or Lana Turner sweep into the living room. This afternoon, after a refreshing swim, our little house party made its way to nearby Val du Vin to see a ceramics fair. Afterwords we sat in a bistro unchanged since 1950 and drank Canadian beer. The locals were friendly and had no problem with our lack of French. Except for the age of the cars, it could have been 1960.

So much has changed and some things have not.