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Posts from the road

BIG Wildlife, Icerolls, and a Different Kind of Hotel

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(Wendake, Québec, Canada)

While I love the dramatic hills of the Charlevoix region, our underpowered car was a little less enthralled. After a couple of days in Cap-à-l’Aigle, we returned to the Quebec City area and our car was noticeably happier. Our first real stop was at the Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area.  Located just east of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, this is off the beaten tourist and transportation path.

Trail at the Cap-Tourmente National Wildlife Area

The wildlife area is apparently a haven for birdwatchers but we were happy just to get out of the car and do some hiking in a natural environment.  What we didn’t realize, until we checked in to the interpretation centre, was that there was other wildlife in the wildlife area.  This was the first time that I had been directed by park staff to read a sternly worded notice about what to do if you encounter a black bear.

Was this from a black bear?

We read the notice and, as suggested, made sure that we made plenty of noise while hiking.  Within two minutes, however, we saw something right on the trail that got us really worried.  As you can see from the photo above, a large animal had been here quite recently.  We still don’t know if this was from another animal, was planted by staff as a warning, or really was from a black bear.  Any readers with knowledge of black bears are welcome to comment!

Les Délices Royales in L’Ange-Gardien

The rest of our walk was uneventful, but maybe that’s because we were focused on making noise and moving quickly!  We managed to work up quite a thirst and were ready for a frosty treat by the time we returned to the car.  We soon reached the village of L’Ange-Gardien.   It was clear from the signage that Les Délices Royales would have ice cream but we didn’t  know precisely what to expect.

Inside Les Délices Royales (L’Ange-Gardien, Québec)

It turned out that Les Délices Royales was a throwback to the soda fountains of the past.  In addition to all kinds of vintage candy, they had every kind of cold/frozen treat you could imagine.  They also had something we had never encountered before:  icerolls, a treat that appears to have originated in France.  Just watching the preparation was worth the price.  It’s very hard to describe how they are made: it involves combining cream and fresh fruit, flash freezing them at -30’C, and then “rolling” them off the  frigid surface.  They look like crêpes but are essentially flattened and rolled ice cream.  Mine was made from blueberries, cherries and dark chocolate…it was absolutely delicious.

The legendary icerolls at Les Délices Royales (L’Ange-Gardien)

Our base for the night was the Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations in Wendake.  This is a luxury hotel run by the Huron (Wendat) First Nation on their land in the northern part of Quebec City.  The architecture is stunning (see the photo at the top of the post), but the decor is also completely different from what you would find in a typical hotel.

The main lobby (overlooking the forest) at Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations in Wendake

The hotel is filled with natural materials:  wood, stone, and even fur!  It overlooks a lush ravine; in fact, the rooms are only on one side of the hotel so that everyone has a view of the forest.  A sweet smoke (kind of like incense) greets you in the lobby and you completely forget that you are in Québec‘s second largest city.  The restaurant is also devoted to First Nations cuisine:  we only had breakfast there but there is some truly adventurous dining to be had if you are there for lunch or dinner.

Stay tuned for more unexpected surprises as we head towards the Laurentians!

Posts from the road

La Malbaie: The Return of Pizzaghetti!

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(Cap-à-l’Aigle, Québec, Canada)

History has a way of repeating in the most unexpected places.  After arriving in the Charlevoix tourist hub of La Malbaie (our auberge is located in the nearby village of Cap-à-l’Aigle), we set out in search of some comfort food.  We were inexplicably drawn to the “Pizzeria du Poste”, although we weren’t sure exactly why.  Perhaps it was a desire for some comfort food, after the difficult drive from Lac Delage?

A typically steep street in Cap-à-l’Aigle, about to plunge towards the St. Lawrence River

We looked quickly at the menu posted outside the door, still not sure what we would actually order.  Even once we were handed menus inside, I was still having trouble deciding between pizza and lasagna.  And then, at the very bottom of the lengthy pizza list, the choice became clear:  pizzaghetti!

Our auberge in Cap-à-l’Aigle

I first encountered pizzaghetti many years ago when visiting a friend in Montréal.  That version featured a normal pizza topped by a sauce-drenched helping of spaghetti.  It was ridiculously filling but I quite liked how the spaghetti sauce soaked the pizza:  no more dry crust!  I thought this was the definitive version and often spoke fondly of this unusual dish, seemingly available only in the province of Québec.

The geological hike at Cap-à-l’Aigle, with a huge freighter in the background

Years passed and pizzaghetti gradually disappeared from my radar.  I thought it was one of those fads that quietly passed in the night, never to be seen again.  Until now!  Even better:  it now appeared in a startling new variation!   This time, the spaghetti (and sauce) appeared below the cheese and toppings.  If you look at the large close-up photo at the top of this post, you can clearly see the spaghetti below the cheese.

The geological hike continues near Cap-à-l’Aigle

However, there is more to La Malbaie than pizzaghetti.  The next day, I went on a guided geological hike for a few hours.  This took me to otherwise inaccessible parts of the coast around Cap-à-l’Aigle and partly restored some long-lost high school geography lessons.  The hike was also a good way to connect with some fellow travellers.  I traded travel recommendations with an American who now lives in Ottawa…it’s always great to hear about hidden gems from somebody who shares a similar “travel ideology”.  I now know of a great destination in Iowa!

The Manoir Richelieu at La Malbaie

That evening, we were supposed to go to an astronomy “clinic” and visit the high-powered observatory in La Malbaie.  Alas, the observatory staff was decimated by illness and the evening session was cancelled.  While we weren’t able to get up close and personal with Saturn, we did get a chance to visit the renowned Manoir Richelieu hotel at nearby Pointe-au-Pic.

The 5th hole at the “Club de Golf Le Manoir Richelieu” at La Malbaie

The Manoir Richelieu is one of the former CP hotels that now forms part of the Fairmont chain of luxury hotels.  As there is a casino nearby, it is possible to see the hotel without being a guest.  The skies were cloudy but it was still nice to see this legendary hotel (and its golf course) up close.  Maybe we would be able to stay at one of these properties soon?  Stay tuned to find out!

Posts from the road

Journey to Charlevoix

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(Cap-à-l’Aigle, Québec, Canada)

After “sports camp” at Lac Delage, we continued east from Quebec City to the Charlevoix region on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.  I’ve been skiing at Mont-Sainte-Anne and Le Massif but have never been here during the summer months.  Little did I expect that the most-photographed locality for the day would be a relatively obscure village named Château-Richer.

There must be an interesting story behind this hay sculpture in Château-Richer, Québec

Château-Richer is very old by Canadian standards…a rural parish was established there in 1678.  It is filled with old houses featuring a sloping red roof, such as the one in the photo at the top of this post.  However, it’s not all about distant history in Château-Richer:  check out the bizarre hay guitarist!   The nature of agriculture has also changed over 400 years:  we saw lots of alpaca farms throughout the region.

Another building in the “Nouvelle-France” style, at Château-Richer, Québec

It’s usually the village next to Château-Richer that gets most of the attention.  Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré has little more than 2000 inhabitants but it has a massive basilica that seems to attract every tour bus in the province.  It is the site of many miracles:  the pillars at the front of the church are festooned with crutches that were no longer needed by their owners.

Alpacas were not historically found in Château-Richer, Québec

I took a photograph of the green slopes of Mont-Sainte-Anne but it just doesn’t look as impressive without the snow.  Still, it did whet my appetite for the upcoming ski season:  my ski posse and I are making steady progress on the planning for our annual ski trip.  Details on that journey will be posted on this blog in due course.

Every tourist takes this picture in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Québec

I have to admit that the journey onward to Baie-Saint-Paul was pretty miserable:  there was a sudden downpour, the terrain was extremely hilly, there was a lot of construction, and there were a lot of impatient motorists who were probably driving too aggressively for the road conditions.  Unfortunately, there is only one way to get to the Charlevoix region by car!

A less-traditional church, just down the road in Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Québec

Our previous visit to Baie-Saint-Paul was marred by an arsonist’s attack on the auberge where we were staying.  While we escaped and there were no other injuries, there was extensive damage to the auberge:  click here for the details.  We quietly returned to the site of the fire and saw that there was absolutely no evidence of that frigid and scary night.  It was kind of surreal to see things “normal” there but it is completely understandable that the auberge and the town would want to move on.

Downtown Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec

As for the rest of Baie-Saint-Paul, it seemed to have even more art galleries and specialty shops than we remembered.  However, the main difference between this and our winter visit was the sheer number of people.  It wasn’t quite the sleepy town we remembered!   We made peace with Baie-Saint-Paul but were also ready to continue further east in the Charlevoix region:  stay tuned for the details!

Posts from the road

Sports Camp!

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(Lac Delage, Quebec, Canada)

I subscribe to a number of travel-related mailing lists.  Many of the e-mails are irrelevant, while others advertise “deals” that are not really deals at all.  However, once in a while, a great opportunity comes along…and this was exactly what happened with the promotion for a stay at Manoir du Lac Delage.

Reception building at Manoir du Lac Delage

Lac Delage is a small lake located just north of Quebec City, very close to the (ski) resort village of Stoneham.  I had never heard of Lac Delage before receiving the e-mail but I was intrigued by the offer of 60% off the price of a superior room.  The offer was only valid for weekdays but that’s exactly when we planned to be in the area.  The offer also included unlimited sports activities.

Manoir du Lac Delage, as seen from the water

I did my due diligence on the resort and it seemed to be a reputable place.  However, you never really know until you arrive and experience it for yourself.   Within minutes of arriving, we knew we had made the right choice:  this was basically a sports camp!   And so, shortly after arriving, we had already played mini-golf, shuffleboard (the real outdoor version), and basketball.

The canoe dock at Lac Delage, Québec

We went canoeing the next morning:  with our early start, we were the only people out on the still water. However, motorized boats were banned from the lake anyway, so it wouldn’t have mattered if there were others out there too. After taking a nice 21-speed bike out for a ride, we played pétanque (similar to bocce) for the very first time.  We then moved on to swimming (there were both indoor and outdoor pools) and hiking around the lake.  As the day wound down, we finished with a game of billiards (and more mini-golf).  We were so busy with sports that I hardly took any photographs!

Manoir du Lac Delage – beach volleyball court in foreground

I always loved sports camps as a child:  for me, spending all day playing different sports was the perfect way to spend the summer.  I think I rediscovered some of that feeling at this resort…and I suspect that a subsequent stop on this road trip (also booked via an e-mailed offer) will allow us to engage in a few more sports that we wouldn’t normally have the chance to do at home.

View from our balcony at Manoir du Lac Delage

In the end, despite being within easy driving distance of Quebec City, we actually didn’t leave the resort area until we checked out.  We’ll still have a chance to see more of Quebec City, however:  our itinerary will bring us back to this region in a few days.

Cycling around Lac Delage, Québec

First, however, we have to achieve some closure.  Several years ago, we stayed in a nearby B&B that was torched by an arsonist while we were staying there.  Luckily, nobody was hurt and the only damage was to the building.  It’s now time for us to return to that town and replace those memories with some better ones!

Posts from the road

Unusual road trip from Lennoxville to Quebec City

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(Québec City, Québec, Canada)

After leaving the Coaticook Gorge, we stopped at Ayer’s Cliff and North Hatley before our last night in Lennoxville.  North Hatley has a beautiful location but we only stayed long enough to have some ice cream made by the Laiterie Coaticook…it’s extremely popular around here.  Dinner that night was a delicious pizza at the Café Bla-Bla in Sherbrooke.

View from the top of the giant cow at Saint-Georges-de-Windsor, Québec

The next day featured a long road trip through various Québec communities with little in common…other than the fact that they are communities in the Province of Québec. Our first stop was just outside Saint-Georges-de-Windsor. We saw a sign for a “scenic viewpoint” and decided it would be a good time to stretch our legs. We pulled into the parking lot…only to be immediately confronted with a giant cow (see photo at the top of this post)! And the scenic viewpoint was on top of the giant cow!

Another view (you can’t have too many) of the giant cow at Saint-Georges-de-Windsor, Québec

We saw lots lots of huge roadside attractions in Alberta but were not expecting to see them in the middle of rural Québec. Anyway, we climbed the cow, took some pictures, and moved on to our next (planned) stop: the town of Asbestos.

The partially-filled Jeffrey Mine at Asbestos, Québec

Yes, Asbestos is named after the fibre that was once hailed as a miracle but eventually was disgraced because of its deleterious effects on human health.  Asbestos grew wealthy from asbestos, long before it was recognized as a carcinogen, and the mine only shut down in 2011.  It is a huge open pit measuring six square kilometres that comes right up to the edge of Asbestos itself.

The edge of the pit and the slowly deconstructing mining buildings at Asbestos, Québec

In fact, the pit does more that just come up to the edge  of Asbestos.  A large part of the original town had to be relocated because lucrative additional deposits were located underneath it, adjacent to the original mine.  Will the mine re-open?  This looks unlikely, as Canada formally banned asbestos altogether in 2016.  And where does that leave the town of Asbestos and its 7,000 residents?  Apparently, the name now has such negative connotations that the town is considering a name change.  The least harmful option appears to be “Amiante”, which is the French word for asbestos but does not carry as much baggage.

Immense cathedral in Sainte-Anastasie, Québec

After taking some pictures and gawking at the massive pit (now partially filled with extremely blue water), we moved on and made a series of short stops in Victoriaville, Princeville, and Plessisville (to buy lunch, eat lunch outdoors, and refuel respectively).  No giant cows or giant mining pits were evident.   Shortly afterward, we had to stop in the tiny hamlet of Sainte-Anastasie to check out the beautiful (and massively disproportionate) cathedral that completely dominated its surroundings.  After that, even the brilliant silver roof of Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon’s cathedral was not as stunning as it might otherwise have been.

Cathedral at Saint-Étienne-de-Lauzon, Québec

We were nearing Québec City and our next destination.  Québec City is even more prosperous than the last time we were here:  perhaps too much so, as it was stuffed to the gills with tourists and transport trucks.  It is undeniably unique and a great destination…but maybe not in the middle of the summer.   We saw the Château Frontenac and the walls of the old city but pressed onward to our surprising base for the next couple of nights.  Stay tuned for the details!

Posts from the road

The Eastern Townships: School, Croquet, and Fearsome Gorges

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(Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada)

Our Eastern Townships home base is Bishop’s University in Lennoxville, just south of Sherbrooke.  I had heard about Bishop’s while attending Queen’s University but had never actually visited the campus.  However, university residences are an excellent alternative to hotels for summer travel:  they are generally inexpensive and often have great settings too. Bishop’s is awash in red brick (see photo above) and seems like it would have been a nice place to spend a few years of studying!

The Johnson Science Building at Bishop’s University (Lennoxville, Québec)

The next morning, we ate our first university cafeteria breakfast in a very long time before heading south to our first destination of the day:  Compton, Québec.  I had never heard of Compton before this trip but this village of 3,000 has made a significant contribution to Canada:  it is the hometown of Louis St. Laurent, Canada’s Prime Minister from 1948-1957.

The general store run by Louis St. Laurent’s father (and many other family members), in Compton, Québec

St. Laurent’s childhood home and the adjoining general store remained in the St. Laurent family from the late 19th century until they were acquired by the  Federal government roughly 100 years later.  We visited the site (now run by Parks Canada) and enjoyed both the multi-media presentation and the tour we received of the general store.  The store has been restored to how it would have been at the turn of the 20th century, while the house itself still has most of the St. Laurent family’s furnishings.

Inside the St. Laurent general store (now a National Historic Site) in Compton, Québec

We saw some interesting photos of St. Laurent playing tennis and croquet on the grounds.  While the tennis court is gone, there was a croquet set available for our use!  Of course, we jumped at the opportunity to play croquet at a Prime Minister’s house.

Playing croquet at Louis St. Laurent’s house

From Compton, it is a very short drive to the slightly larger town of Coaticook.  It is known more for its outdoor pursuits and I took advantage of the fine weather to visit the Coaticook Gorge.  However, this is no ordinary gorge…

Starting my journey across the 169m Coaticook Gorge suspension bridge

The Coaticook Gorge is notable for being 50 metres deep.  OK, not quite the Grand Canyon, but still very deep when you’re at the bottom of it and looking up.  However, the Coaticook Gorge has something that the Grand Canyon does NOT have:  North America’s’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge!

Looking up at the bridge from the floor of the gorge

The suspension bridge is 169 metres long.  As a suspension bridge, it does of course move and sway when you’re walking across it.  This is where the 50 metre-deep gorge suddenly becomes quite significant.  Check out the pictures for a better idea of just how small people look from the bottom of the  gorge or the top of the suspension bridge.

View from the top of the bridge…see all the people at the bottom?

A veritable forest of inuksuks has emerged at the bottom of the gorge…there are now hundreds, if not thousands,on virtually every flat surface.  There is also an observation tower located at the very top of a nearby ridge  – again, climbing up an extra 30 metres of scaffolding doesn’t sound like much, until you’re up there yourself and very exposed to the forces of gravity.  There are also many trails through the surrounding mountains and forests, once you’ve defied the gorge itself.

Tourists and inuksuks crowd the bottom of the Coaticook Gorge

While our schedule did not permit it, there is also a “Foresta Lumina” walk that takes you on a special journey on the trails at night with “son et lumière” shows and special effects.  Apparently, you also cross the suspension bridge as part of the show!  It costs more than a daytime visit but I am sure that it would be a spectacular experience if you are spending the night in the area.

Stay tuned – our Québec odyssey is only just beginning!

Posts from the road

Road Trip to Québec

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(Magog, Québec, Canada)

This summer’s road trip is an extended journey through the province of Québec!  We are often in Québec, but it has tended to be (1) for skiing in the winter months, (2) journeys by train to Montréal or Québec City, or (3) en route to the Maritime provinces or the New England states.  This time, we have a car and we can properly appreciate this huge province in the summer months and at a relaxed pace.

Sainte-Marguerite-de-Blairfindie de L’Acadie (1801) – some say it is the most beautiful cathedral in Québec

The start of our journey was somewhat challenging.  Shortly after crossing the Québec border, we were nailed by torrential rains that essentially did not let up for a full 24 hours.  Streets were under water and the driving conditions were treacherous.  As a result, there is not a whole lot of light in this first batch of photos.

A rainy night in L’Acadie, Québec

We spent the first night in the historic village of L’Acadie.  We were looking for a place to stay in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, of which L’Acadie is now a part.  But L’Acadie was once a thriving town on its own, and our B&B was likely built a couple of hundred years ago when there was an exodus from the Maritime region of Acadia.     It reminded me of staying in an old Swiss farmhouse, complete with doorways that cannot accommodate anybody over 5’6″.  But it had plenty of character and the breakfast was delicious.

Part of the Saturday market in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu

After a brief stop at the Saint-Jean outdoor market to pick up some supplies for a picnic lunch, we headed towards the Eastern Townships.  This is a scenic and mountainous region of Québec that looks quite similar to Vermont.  We very much enjoyed skiing here about 14 years ago.  Sadly, as the rain was simply too heavy, we could not do any real exploring this time until we reached Knowlton.

The Star Café in Knowlton

We warmed up with a chocolat chaud and a London Fog (tea latte) at a Knowlton café, and then found a liquidation sale for…Christmas ornaments!  Our Christmas tree is already odd (a pickle, a chili pepper, and a hand-painted NASA ornament are only three of the dozens of unusual ornaments), but it is now even better with a skiing chicken and a set of bagpipes.

L’Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.

From Knowlton, we travelled to the abbey at Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.  This is home to an order of Benedictine monks and is dramatically situated high above the shores of lac Memphrémagog.  The current abbey was built at the end of the 20th century but manages to look “classic” despite its newness.  Work is an essential part of this particular order:  among other things, they make cider, cheese, and even olive tapenade!  We look forward to trying some of our purchases. 

A hallway inside l’Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.

We had dinner in the bustling town of Magog.  As we loved the food here on our previous visit, we returned to one of our favourite places: the Microbrasserie la Memphré.  While a cheese fondue wasn’t appropriate this time (as it was certainly not -20’C), we nonetheless enjoyed our meal in what is now an extremely popular place.   And the sun finally came out (see photo at the top of this post)!

La salade “Bonzaï”, at the Microbrasserie la Memphré, Magog, Quebéc

Last time we were in Magog, we stayed at a gîte (B&B) called À Tout Venant.  However, the summer is much busier than the winter and we ended up  booking our accommodation for the next couple of nights in another nearby community.   Stay tuned, as we dive deeper into the Eastern Townships!

Posts from the road

Ottawa Extremes: Rideau Hall and the Carp Radar Dome

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(Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)

In addition to seeing the diplomatic buildings described in my previous post, we took advantage of Doors Open Ottawa to see two other very different locations: stately Rideau Hall and the somewhat creepy radar dome near the village of Carp.

The back of Rideau Hall

Rideau Hall has been the home of Canada’s Governor-General since 1867 and hosts visits from all sorts of foreign and domestic dignitaries.  The Governor-General is the Queen’s representative in Canada and plays a largely ceremonial role.  However, as Rideau Hall is not quite in the middle of Ottawa’s downtown core, it is often overlooked by visitors.  Despite visiting, studying and working in Ottawa from time to time, I had never seen it before this weekend.  And, in a way, I still haven’t really seen it:  the impressive front of the building was undergoing renovations and I was unable to take any photographs there.

The Tent Room at Rideau Hall (Ottawa)

As you might imagine, Rideau Hall has some rather spectacular rooms.  The most distinctive is definitely the “Tent Room”, which is essentially a year-round indoor replica of an outdoor tent.  It is perhaps a little more garish than you would expect in the home of the Queen’s representative, but it certainly feels like the sort of structure that you would see at a well-to-do outdoor garden party in days gone by.

Inside the greenhouse at Rideau Hall

The grounds of Rideau Hall are extremely spacious:  88 acres, to be precise!  In addition to the greenhouse and well-manicured gardens, there is even a cricket pitch.  A couple of teams were warming up for a match when we were there.  In winter, there is also a skating rink.

Cricket on the grounds of Rideau Hall

While Rideau Hall is the kind of place you might expect to see as a tourist in Ottawa, the former radome pictured at the top of this post is (forgive me) not on most people’s radar.

This particular radome (short for “radar dome”) is located just outside the village of Carp.  Yes, it really is called Carp.  It is located on the Carp River and that river did in fact have a lot of carp.  Carp (the village, not the fish) is best known today for the “Diefenbunker”.  Unofficially and somewhat irreverently named after former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, this is an underground bunker that was meant to function as emergency government headquarters in the event of a nuclear war.   It is now a tourist attraction and I enjoyed (if that is the right word) visiting it a few years ago.

Part of the dish inside the radome in Carp

Very close to the Diefenbunker was a geodesic dome that hosted communications equipment (basically a very large satellite dish).  This particular one provided satellite communications between all NATO countries from 1960 until 1999, when it was decommissioned and purchased by a private company (Canadian Space Services Ltd.).   As part of Doors Open Ottawa, that company opened its doors (and fence) to let people check out this remnant of the cold war.

Climbing the dish inside the radome in Carp

These radomes can be found all over Canada.  The first one I saw was in Iqaluit, Nunavut, of all places.  While the distinctive dome in Carp has been left intact, the satellite communications system there is no longer being used.  We were able to climb right up into the 50-foot dish and feel the echoes of a different era.

Leftover warnings at the Carp radome

While Rideau Hall was certainly impressive, the Carp radome was just as intriguing…and something that you simply don’t expect to explore when on a weekend trip to the nation’s capital.   While we still want to see some more diplomatic locations at the next Doors Open Ottawa event,  we will also be sure to include some more offbeat sites.  There are all sorts of hidden treasures waiting to be discovered!

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International Adventure in Ottawa

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(Ottawa, Ontario)

A recent trip to Ottawa contained some unexpected detours with an international theme.  As our visit coincided with Doors Open Ottawa, we had access to a number of places that are not normally that accessible to the general public.

Our journey began with a visit to the Brunei High Commission on Laurier Avenue.  Brunei is a tiny country on the island of Borneo…but it has a lot of wealth.  The Sultan of Brunei’s palace is apparently the largest residential palace in the world and also the largest residence of any type in the world, at 2,152,782 square feet.

Laurier House, on Laurier Avenue (home of Prime Ministers Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Mackenzie King)

It will come as no surprise that Brunei’s High Commission in Ottawa is a spectacular building.  It is also known as Stadacona Hall (see photo at the top of this post):  it has had many famous occupants over the years, including Canada’s first Prime Minister Sir John. A. Macdonald.   We weren’t able to take photographs inside but we did meet the High Commissioner himself.  And yes, the interior is very nice too.

Overflow crowds at Le Cordon Bleu Paris!

Just a block or two away from the Brunei High Commission was another spectacular building:   Munross Mansion, home to “Le Cordon Bleu Paris – Culinary Arts Institute”.  We had all kinds of high hopes for this place, particularly as it was midday and we were getting hungry.  Maybe there would be free samples?  Alas, the line (as you can see from the photo above) was very long and we were told to expect a wait of 45-60 minutes.  As this is an annual event and there were many other places to see, we decided to take a pass and arrive earlier next year.

The Embassy of the Czech Republic, on Cooper Street in downtown Ottawa

Next on our agenda was a visit to the Embassy of the Czech Republic on Cooper Street.  While many of the surrounding buildings can best be described as “functional”, this is a charming old house dating back to 1879.   As one might expect, I talked about hockey with one of the Czech representatives!

Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, on Delaware Avenue in Ottawa

The final stop on our international tour was the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia, located on Delaware Avenue in the primarily residential “Golden Triangle”.  Here too, we met the Ambassador and familiarized ourselves with a faraway country that does not have a high profile in Canada.  The monument in front of the embassy is apparently the largest sculpture ever made (outside Armenia) from a single piece of tufa.

“Gaeng Khua Sap Pad Rod”: Shrimp with pineapple, lime juice and coconut milk in red curry.

There were a few other embassies that we were unable to see.  We missed out on Algeria, Trinidad & Tobago, Croatia, Hungary, and the United States (which required advance booking and was “sold out” by the time we realized what was going on).  However, as you can see from the photos, we did enjoy a nice Thai meal the night before.

Pad Thai at the ‘Thai Flame” in Bell’s Corners

We were staying in the Bell’s Corners neighbourhood: this is considerably west of downtown and was part of the former city of Nepean.  Fortunately, one of the city’s highest-rated Thai restaurants was right next door.  “Thai Flame” is in an undistinguished strip mall but the food was very good.  The coconut rice was particularly enjoyable and perfectly balanced the burn of my red curry dish.  It once again confirmed my firm belief that most of the best food in Ottawa is located far away from the usual tourist haunts.

Stay tuned for more on Ottawa and the surrounding area!

Posts from the road

Local Food (and Bologna)

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(Bologna, Italy)

Midway through our stay in Madonna di Campiglio, our hotel put on a special Cena Rustica (“Rustic Dinner”) for its guests.  It featured hearty local winter food from this part of northern Italy.

Potato flan with Russian cabbage and local ham

Italian is a wonderful language for describing food.  Even the simplest traditional foods sound spectacular when written (or spoken) in Italian.  Our first course was Sformatino di patate su crema di verza con cavolo russo e steak di speck (a potato flan on cream with Russian cabbage and ham steak).  The next course was Orzetto mantecato ai funghi Porcini (risotto-style barley with Porcini mushrooms), while the main course was the regal Cervo in umido con polenta di Storo e crauti (stewed deer with Storo polenta and sauerkraut).  No pizza or spaghetti here!

Risotto-style barley with Porcini mushrooms

While this was not my favourite meal at the hotel, it was still fun to try food that I would never encounter anywhere else.  The stewed deer was somewhat similar to goulash or beef bourguignon.  After all of that weighty food, the light Torta Mimosa was quite welcome for dessert.

The main course for the “Cena Rustica”: stewed deer with polenta and sauerkraut

Our last stop before returning home was the city of Bologna.  Although typically associated in North America with inexpensive luncheon meat, Bologna may well be the culinary capital of a country that has one of the most satisfying cuisines in the world.  As we were there for only one night, we wanted to make sure that our meal was one to remember.

Some troublemakers I met on the egg-like Patascoss Express chairlift above Madonna di Campiglio

That was the theory.  The reality was that we had been in transit for most of the day and we were famished upon our late afternoon arrival in Bologna.  We checked into the “Hotel Il Guercino” in the Bolognina neighbourhood, just north of the train station, and immediately turned our minds to finding a nearby restaurant.  We didn’t want to return to the historic downtown core, as it would have meant going back through the train station area…and that area felt a little seedy even in the late afternoon.

Waiting for the bus to begin the journey from Madonna di Campiglio to Bologna

This turned out to be a challenge.  There were lots of highly regarded restaurants in “up and coming” (e.g. “still a little rough around the edges”)  Bolognina…but they all opened at 7:30 p.m. or later.  We tried to wait but hunger prevailed and we eventually decided to go with a restaurant that opened at 7:00 p.m.  Although I had reservations about it, the best choice appeared to be “Well Done”, one of a small chain of Italian restaurants specializing in hamburgers and other locally sourced food.

Entrance of Hotel il Guercino, in the Bolognina district of Bologna, Italy

I can hear the gasps of anguish even as I write this.  Hamburgers in Italy’s premier culinary city?  But with their insistence on fresh and local ingredients, it actually turned out to be an inspired idea for our last Italian meal.  I had the Lambrusco burger: the beef was braised in Lambrusco wine, topped with pecorino cheese and radicchio (itself braised in Lambrusco wine).  To tie it all together?  It was served with a glass of Lambrusco wine.

The Lambrusco Burger (and a glass of Lambrusco wine) at “Well Done” in Bologna, Italy

I had never heard of Lambrusco, nor had sparkling red wine ever really been on my radar.  But that’s essentially what Lambrusco wine is…and I have to admit that it worked.  Somehow, a burger goes well with a bubbly beverage.  In the end, this modern Italian take on an American mainstay was quite enjoyable.  We didn’t feel like we had squandered a dining opportunity on our last night in Italy, even if it was nothing like the dinner we had anticipated.

Stay tuned for more travel!