We had a GREAT couple of days with Barb’s sister J. J had her car so we had the pleasure and convenience of touring this way as opposed to the RV, what a treat!
Our first stop in Mount St. Hilaire….a bakery of course for a bit of brunch, which turned into a carb fest of artisan breads, which was worth it. This location of the Boulangerie Le Pain Dans Les Voiles is formerly owned by the family of NFL player and local hero Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. While this may make the bakery famous it continues to maintain rights to the name and recipes which easily make it the most popular stop in the area. Note – the family still runs the bakery in Montreal with the same name.
Next stop downtown Beloil for a walking tour of a small village set against the river. Beautiful large churches, local shops and pubs. Very quaint. Since we entered Quebec Lori has been learning French words and phrases. After learning the meaning of ‘depanneur’ (or ‘dep’ for short) CS and GS challenged Lori to find a ‘super dep’. No challenge is too big so off we went and Lori discovered one that sells beer, wine and sends faxes! LOL! We entered several great shops and discovered one which gives Italian cooking lessons. After meeting and conversing with the owner Maria, Lori has decided this is a must return to spot for a weekend next year.
St. Mathias sur Richelieu and Chambly
The tour continued past Barb’s former home in Montreal beside the river in St. Mathias. Then off to Chambly where Barb also previously lived and where her sister J and our good friend F both live. What a beautiful city. Historic town with incredible views of the Chambly Basin, the old Fort Chambly built in 1711 and involved in the 1812 battle with the U.S., that is credited with having saved Montreal, the federal locks system which are all still manually run, and some great shops and cafes. La Chocolatiers FG (chocolate shop) is beautiful with all made on site. Final stop, the Ferme Guyon in Chambly which sells an incredible selection of local Quebec products. We bought some freshly picked apples, cheese and meat pies. It also has a Butterfly sanctuary with a friendly turtle free to roam.
Tomorrow we are off to the Eastern townships!
I love that you’re finding places you want to return to for more in-depth visits.