La mer \u00e9tait calme, mais dans ma t\u00eate, un millier de poissons g\u00e9ants grugeaient mes m\u00e9ninges. Quelle folie que cette croisi\u00e8re! Surtout ces temps-ci, alors que toute notre vaillante \u00e9quipe du bureau s\u2019affaire \u00e0 revigorer notre image, \u00e0 composer de nouveaux plats et \u00e0 \u00e9laborer des surprises pour vous enchanter. Pourquoi donc suis-je partie? Tout probablement pour tenter de l\u00e2cher prise et de laisser le champ libre \u00e0 la panoplie d\u2019experts qui m\u2019entoure.<\/p>\n
Malgr\u00e9 le petit balcon, une vue incomparable, le doux roulis des vagues, le grand lit king, six gros oreillers juste pour moi, et une t\u00e9l\u00e9 presque aussi grande qu\u2019un \u00e9cran de cin\u00e9ma, je m\u2019ennuyais de mon monde du caf\u00e9 matinal avec mes vieux amis, de mon iPad, de mes pages blanches \u00e0 noircir et de r\u00e9aliser les projets qui, comme toujours, dansaient dans ma caboche.<\/p>\n
Tout mon entourage m\u2019avait pourtant encourag\u00e9e \u00e0 prendre le large et \u00e0 me reposer en d\u00e9couvrant non seulement l\u2019Alaska, ses immenses glaciers et ses superbes totems, mais aussi les gigantesques buffets flottants, les mille et une p\u00e2tisseries envo\u00fbtantes et l\u2019armada de restaurants du bateau o\u00f9 je m\u2019attablais comme si j\u2019\u00e9tais la vieille reine d\u2019Angleterre. Tout \u00e9tait merveilleusement bon et, pourtant, je trouvais le temps long devant toute cette bombance.<\/p>\n
Toute ma vie, j\u2019ai eu faim de vivre et soif de partager mes projets avec mes enfants, mes proches, mes coll\u00e8gues et tous ceux qui aiment mon gros Soleil jaune. J\u2019ai arpent\u00e9 le grand navire de long en large, mais je ne me suis pas laiss\u00e9 tenter par son casino ni par ses spectacles en soir\u00e9e. Je n\u2019ai pas l\u2019habitude de ce genre de divertissement. Sur cet immense palais mouvant, j\u2019ai exp\u00e9riment\u00e9 la chose nomm\u00e9e \u00ab\u00a0vacances\u00a0\u00bb et je dois avouer que le travail, l\u2019\u00e9criture, les projets imminents et le constant d\u00e9sir d\u2019am\u00e9liorer mon destin me manquaient terriblement. \u00catre en affaires, c\u2019est comme tricoter lorsqu\u2019on en raffole; on n\u2019arr\u00eate jamais. Une maille \u00e0 l\u2019endroit, une maille \u00e0 l\u2019envers. Progresser, peu importe le projet, r\u00e9chauffe mes vieux os.<\/p>\n
La plupart des passagers \u00e9taient des couples, habitu\u00e9s aux croisi\u00e8res, \u00e0 la vie de pacha, aux diff\u00e9rents forfaits d\u2019alcool et aux repas festifs. Et moi, je tournais en rond. Dans les ascenseurs, je montais, je descendais, je me trompais chaque fois de palier. Je m\u00e9langeais le sud et le nord. Un jeune Pakistanais en uniforme m\u2019a pourtant expliqu\u00e9 la diff\u00e9rence entre \u00ab\u00a0tribord et b\u00e2bord\u00a0\u00bb. O\u00f9 se trouvaient donc les musiciens, les chanteurs, les magiciens? O\u00f9 \u00e9tais-je, si loin de mon gros Soleil?<\/p>\n
Le bateau \u00e9tait immense, peut-\u00eatre aussi gros que la ville de Qu\u00e9bec avec ses banlieues. Sur cette \u00eele flottante, je perdais mes rep\u00e8res. M\u00eame lorsque la lune se montrait avec ses milliards d\u2019\u00e9toiles, le navire ronronnait aussi vrai qu\u2019une ville de r\u00eaves, de jeux et d\u2019immenses mangeailles.<\/p>\n
J\u2019avais l\u2019impression que ce voyage idyllique n\u2019attirait que les t\u00eates blanches. Certes, il y en avait beaucoup, mais c\u2019est le grand nombre de familles asiatiques qui m\u2019a le plus surprise, lesquelles comprenaient souvent une vaillante grand-m\u00e8re pour garder les petits. J\u2019aurais eu besoin moi aussi d\u2019une nounou pour me raconter une histoire avant de m\u2019endormir. Aurais-je mang\u00e9 trop de sucreries?<\/p>\n
Apr\u00e8s deux jours cons\u00e9cutifs en mer, nous avons finalement mis pied \u00e0 terre et march\u00e9 plus de trois kilom\u00e8tres pour atteindre le petit village de Sitka o\u00f9 nous avons admir\u00e9 plusieurs totems et f\u00e9licit\u00e9 les quelques artisans sculpteurs \u00e0 l\u2019\u0153uvre devant les touristes. Le micro-village de p\u00eacheurs m\u2019a fait penser au plus pauvre village de ma Gasp\u00e9sie natale\u00a0: une \u00e9glise en bois, un cimeti\u00e8re bric-\u00e0-brac et des bateaux de p\u00eache us\u00e9s et v\u00e9tustes \u00e0 profusion.<\/p>\n
Bien s\u00fbr, \u00e0 chaque arr\u00eat du bateau, les touristes se ruaient sur les tr\u00e9teaux de b\u00e9belles. Des bas, des casquettes, des chandails identifi\u00e9s ALASKA et des ours polaires ou des baleines miniatures de tout acabit. J\u2019ai moi-m\u00eame reluqu\u00e9, t\u00e2t\u00e9 et examin\u00e9 un beau ch\u00e2le orn\u00e9 de dessins inuits. Je l\u2019ai pourtant replac\u00e9 parce qu\u2019une jeune Am\u00e9ricaine le voulait. Tous ces petits villages que nous avons visit\u00e9s s'av\u00e9raient quasi identiques et avaient tous la m\u00eame fonction\u00a0: attirer les touristes et gagner quelques sous.<\/p>\n
En soir\u00e9e, je retrouvais mon groupe et nous soupions tous ensemble, toujours au m\u00eame restaurant dont le menu changeait quotidiennement. Vous connaissez d\u00e9j\u00e0 mon penchant pour les produits de la mer. J\u2019ai profit\u00e9 du festin qui s\u2019offrait \u00e0 nous. Je me r\u00e9galais de soupe \u00e0 l\u2019oignon ou de chaudr\u00e9e de palourdes et de d\u00e9licieuses assiettes de poisson presque chaque soir. L\u2019extraordinaire service m\u2019\u00e9blouissait\u00a0: les tables impeccablement dress\u00e9es, les corbeilles de petits pains tous plus savoureux les uns que les autres, les boules de beurre parfaitement rondes et la magnifique verrerie.<\/p>\n
Une copine de mon groupe de Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois m\u2019apprit que le bateau abritait plus de deux mille passagers et que quelque mille employ\u00e9s se tenaient \u00e0 notre service. Tout, absolument tout, \u00e9tait parfait, tellement bien coordonn\u00e9, comme si une baguette magique gouvernait le navire. Le cinqui\u00e8me ou sixi\u00e8me jour en mer, nous nous sommes enfin approch\u00e9s des glaciers g\u00e9ants. C\u2019\u00e9tait presque incroyable d\u2019admirer ces montagnes glac\u00e9es immortalis\u00e9es en photo par tous ceux qui s\u2019en sont approch\u00e9s.<\/p>\n
Emmitoufl\u00e9e sur le plus haut pont ext\u00e9rieur du bateau, mes yeux d\u00e9voraient le paysage. Devant nous, des millions de clics clics photographiaient ces majestueuses beaut\u00e9s. Le vent soufflait et mon nez coulait all\u00e8grement. Lorsqu\u2019enfin un banc de baleines approcha; elles sortirent leurs t\u00eates de l\u2019eau et tous les passagers applaudirent \u00e0 l\u2019unisson.<\/p>\n
Ce spectacle grandiose emplit mon c\u0153ur de souvenirs. Peut-\u00eatre \u00e9tait-ce la premi\u00e8re fois que la nature m\u2019\u00e9mouvait autant. L\u2019immense paquebot fit ses adieux aux glaciers bleu-mauve, tourna sur lui-m\u00eame et reprit sa course vers le nord. Les passagers qui \u00e9taient rest\u00e9s dehors ont tous eu droit \u00e0 un d\u00e9licieux chocolat chaud ou \u00e0 une soupe ramen au poulet.<\/p>\n
Je faisais partie d\u2019un groupe de trente-deux\u00a0Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois, tous mari\u00e9s, sauf Aline et moi qui \u00e9tions des c\u00e9libataires endurcies depuis tr\u00e8s longtemps. Bien s\u00fbr, j\u2019ai beaucoup h\u00e9sit\u00e9 \u00e0 partir toute seule et je crois fermement qu\u2019avec un amoureux, les glaciers auraient fondu plus rapidement. Quoi qu\u2019il en soit, j\u2019emprunte \u00e0 ma mani\u00e8re la fameuse phrase de Jules C\u00e9sar en 47 avant J.-C.\u00a0:
\n\u00ab\u00a0Veni, Vidi, Vici\u00a0\u00bb.<\/p>\n
J\u2019y suis all\u00e9e, j\u2019ai vu et je suis revenue.<\/p>\n
Cora
\n\u2764\ufe0f<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
La mer \u00e9tait calme, mais dans ma t\u00eate, un millier de poissons […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":414,"featured_media":52990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lettre-mme-cora"],"acf":{"img_en":"","contenu_en":"The calm sea was at odds with the thousand giant fish swirling in my head. What a crazy idea a cruise was! Especially right now, with the company\u2019s office team hard at work refreshing our brand image, concocting new dishes and devising surprises to delight you. So why did I leave? Likely because I needed to let go and give all the experts around me room to do their magic.\r\n\r\nDespite the small balcony, the incredible view, the gentle roll of the waves, the king-size bed, six voluminous pillows just for me, and a TV almost as big as a movie screen, I missed my world. The morning coffee with my old friends, my iPad with blank pages to fill and the projects that would unfailingly stop to knock on my mind\u2019s front door.\r\n\r\nEveryone around me had been encouraging me to set sail and take a break. Go and discover Alaska, they said, with its immense glaciers and magnificent totem poles, and enjoy the boat\u2019s gigantic floating buffets, thousand and one enchanting pastries and armada of restaurants, where I could linger as if I were Her Majesty the Queen. It was all wonderful, and yet I found it hard to keep up with the endless delights at my fingertips.\r\n\r\nAll my life, I've been hungry to live and thirsty to share my projects with my children, those close to me, my colleagues and all those who love my big yellow Sun. I walked the length and breadth of the great ship, but I was never tempted by the casino or evening shows. That kind of entertainment has never really interested me. On this massive moving palace, I tried out this thing called \u201cvacation,\u201d and I have to admit, I missed work, writing and my list of projects terribly. My drive to improve my lot in life is still very much alive. Perhaps being in business is like knitting: if you love it, you never stop. A stitch forward, a stitch back. Making progress, whatever the project at hand, keeps my old bones warm.\r\n\r\nMost of the passengers were couples, accustomed to cruising and living the high life on an all-included package. As for me, I turned in circles. Up and down I went in the elevator, stopping at the wrong level. I confused north and south. A young uniformed Pakistani explained the difference between \u201cstarboard\u201d and \u201cport.\u201d Where were the musicians, the singers, the magicians? Where was I exactly, so many miles away from my Sun?\r\n\r\nThe boat was huge, perhaps as big as Quebec City and its suburbs. On this floating island, I lost my bearings. Even when the moon came out accompanied by a thousand stars, the ship hummed like a fantastical city of dreams, games and feasting.\r\n\r\nThe idyllic trip seemed popular with the white-haired crowd. There were certainly plenty of them. The biggest surprise, however, was the large number of Asian families, often with a patient grandmother in tow to look after the little ones. I too could have done with a nanny to tell me a bedtime story. Had I eaten too many sweets?\r\n\r\nAfter two consecutive days at sea, a group of us disembarked and walked more than three kilometres to the small village of Sitka. There we admired several totem poles and congratulated the local carvers as they worked. The tiny fishing village reminded me of the poorest village in my native Gasp\u00e9sie: a wooden church, an unkempt, half-forgotten cemetery and old, dilapidated fishing boats.\r\n\r\nOf course, every time the boat stopped, tourists flocked to the trays of trinkets. Socks, caps and sweaters saying \u201cALASKA,\u201d and miniature polar bears and whales of every description. I perused the wares, examined a beautiful shawl adorned with Inuit designs, putting it back to please a young American girl who had her eye on it. All the little villages we visited turned out to be similar; all served the same purpose: to attract tourists and earn a few dollars.\r\n\r\nIn the evening, I\u2019d meet up with my group for dinner, always at the same restaurant, whose menu changed daily. You already know my fondness for seafood, and I certainly made the most of the daily feast. I savoured onion soup or clam chowder and delicious fish plates almost every night. I was dazzled by the extraordinary service: the impeccably set tables, the baskets of tasty rolls, the perfectly rounded butter balls and the magnificent glassware.\r\n\r\nA member of my Quebec group informed me that the ship housed over 2,000 passengers, with some 1,000 employees at our beck and call. Everything, absolutely everything, was perfect. A seamlessly orchestrated affair, as if a magic wand were guiding the ship. On the fifth or sixth day at sea, we passed by giant glaciers. We were in awe of these icy mountains, captured in photos by everyone who got close to them.\r\n\r\nWrapped up to fend off the cold, I took in the landscape from the boat\u2019s highest outdoor deck. In front of me, majestic beauties, photographed countless times. The wind was blowing and my nose was running. A pod of whales appeared, and the ship\u2019s residents cheered when the creatures poked their heads out of the water.\r\n\r\nMemories of this grandiose show are stored in my heart. Perhaps it was the first time I had been deeply moved by nature. The liner bade farewell to the blue-mauve glaciers, turned around and resumed its northerly course. Passengers who had stayed outside were treated to delicious hot chocolate or chicken ramen soup.\r\n\r\nI was part of a group of 32 Quebecers, all married except for Aline and me, who had remained single all our lives. I was of course very reluctant to venture off on my own. If I had had a lover at my side, the glaciers would have no doubt melted faster. In any case, let me take Caesar\u2019s famous phrase from 47\u00a0BC \u2013 \u201cVeni, vidi, vici\u201d \u2013 and adapt it to my own story.\r\n\r\nI came, I saw, I returned.\r\n\r\nCora\r\n\u2764\ufe0f"},"yoast_head":"\n