"Gargoyles & Graffiti"chronicles architectural elements that I find interesting or unique in my travels. Gargoyles are my passion, but today graffiti (which I hate but am learning to love as it is everywhere) is as much a part of architecture as the gargoyles and decorative railings that thrill me.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Saguenay: Definitely Graffiti-Inspired


Tattoo of our bus driver in Saguenay

If there was one unusual place we visited on our Canada New England repositioning cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Montreal, it was Saguenay, Quebec.
First of all, I was fascinated by the tattoo of our bus driver shown above, and his tattoo kind of set the tone for the entire day. Just kind of weird and bizarre, but interesting.


Our guide at the goat farm


Besides the eery tattoo, we went to visit a goat farm. To me, the goats looked like sheep. But when I came back, I looked up the information on these guys and they were definitely goats. They are goats with mohair. Guess I learn something new every day.


Goats that look like sheep to me


The baby goats

It was a bizarre day all around. We went to a presentation at a small museum to see how fjords form. It was like going to a school room from the 1950s where they tried to be space age. Very odd. Then off to the  Le Chevrier du Nord goat farm, and after a musuem that we saw the works of Arthur Villeneuve. He was an eccentric man who painted the outside and inside of his house with tons of murals. I will do a separate post on him. He became quite famous and traveled all over the world. 

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Goat Hair, Mohair, and Angora


Goat farm


Le Chevier du Nord goat farm was one destination on our Best of Saguenay tour. What I noticed right away was how dirty the "sheep" looked and how wide set were their eyes. 

at Le Chevier du Nord

They are really very bizarre looking creatures, quite large and really look like sheep to me. I had never seen a goat like this before, but they are goats. They are goats that produce a beautiful mohair that can be made in to angora garments, including sweaters and boots.



the goats
As I said, they are quite dirty but very cute and quite friendly. We walked through the process of how they sheer the goats and finally make their wool in to wonderful sweaters, coats and other garments.






You can find out more information about this lovely, family run business here.