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Heading east from Riviere-du-Loup along Hwy 132, with the far bank of the St Lawrence clearly visible, the coastal highway passes through a succession of farming and fishing villages on its way to TROIS-PISTOLES , so-named after a silver goblet worth three pistoles (gold coins) that a French sailor dropped into the river while trying to fill it with water in 1621. It is now popular among Quebecois as the home of scriptwriter and novelist Victor-Levy Beaulieu, who has created several teleromans - a distinctly Quebecois genre which is part soap opera, part drama - that are set in the area. His house and studio at 23 rue Petellier (June to mid-Sept daily 9am-5pm; $7) are nothing special unless you're a fan of such hits as Bouscotte . The town is dominated by the enormous church of Notre Dame-des-Neiges-de-Trois-Pistoles (late June to early Sept daily 9am-4pm), built between 1882 and 1887. From a distance the church looks like something out of Disneyland, as the roof, surmounted by four pinnacles, is painted silver. Inside, the vaulted Italianate ceiling is supported by massive trompe-l'oeil marble columns with ornate gilded capitals, while the walls are dotted with nineteenth-century devotional paintings. The Musee St-Laurent , 552 rue Notre Dame ouest (late June to mid-Sept daily 8.30am-6pm; $3) has a great ensemble of cars, with vehicles from the 1930s to the 1970s and an eclectic collection ranging from old packs of cigarettes to harpoons. The town's information centre is on the highway with a miniature windmill and lighthouse outside (late June to early Sept daily 10am-6pm). A car ferry crosses to Les Escoumins (mid-May to mid-Oct 2-3 daily; 1hr 15min; $10.75 single, $27.50 for cars) on the Cote-Nord . Whale-watching excursions are handled by Les Ecumeurs (trip times vary between 2.5 and 5 hours; $35-55). Should you want to break your journey here, try Motel Trois-Pistoles , 64 Hwy 132 ouest (tel 851-2563; $40-60), which has 32 comfortable rooms, some with views of the river. There's not much in the way of B&Bs in the downtown area, with the exception of Le Pistolois at 15 rue Rousseau (tel 851-4481; $40-60). Otherwise, Aux Terroir des Basques at 65 rang 2 est (tel 851-2001; $40-60; summer only) is worth a try. Cafe l'Essentiel , opposite the church door, is an inexpensive restaurant with a table d'hote under $10, and L'Ensoleille , at 138 rue Notre Dame ouest, serves up vegetarian and fish dishes on an outdoor terrace.
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