The St Lawrence River in Quebec is like a pastoral painting along most of its length, wild in so many places, gently settled in others - a sea of tranquility for the spirit no matter how rough the waters or how dark the sky.

You can pick your peace here. The choices are endless, from the outskirts of Montreal to Land's End in the Gaspe Peninsula, some 960 km away.

But on this grand canvas, here's one vibrant brushstroke, about 80 km long, where you can find solitude by the wide water, natural beauty all around, art that melds into the landscape, memorable sunsets and some pretty great bagels if the man who makes them happens to be around when you roll into his driveway.