By Hilary Nangle on June 30, 2010
Whenever traveling between Maine and Quebec City, instead of stopping en route for that ubiquitous fast-food cheeseburger, I savor a taste of Quebec at Père Nature (Father Nature), just off the main highway in Saint-Georges. Fresh, flavorful foods with an authentic regional accent fill this combination market, gelato bar, café, and fine dining restaurant housed [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Eastern Canada, Food, Quebec | Tagged cafe, Canada, fine cheeses, Food, gelato bar, market, Pere Nature, picnic fare, Quebec, restaurant, Saint-Georges, St. Georges |
By Hilary Nangle on June 29, 2010
Since I live in Maine, I tend to consider Quebec City as my backyard. This 400+ year old walled city is Paris without jetlag, Europe without the Euro, and I adore it. Especially in summer. Musicians, jugglers, bands, acrobats, and other entertainers are on nearly every street in the Old City; cafe tables overflow on [...]
Posted in Activities, Beyond Maine, Eastern Canada, Food, Quebec, Sightseeing | Tagged Best of Quebec City, food in Quebec City, Quebec City, Quebec City lodging, Quebec City sights, Quebec City top 10, What to do in Quebec City, Where to eat in Quebec City, Where to stay in Quebec City |
By Hilary Nangle on June 22, 2010
Drive northwest on Route 27, a Maine Scenic Byway, from Sugarloaf, in Carrabassett Valley, and after passing Flagstaff Lake and Chain of Ponds and passing through a tiny border crossing, you arrive on the eastern edge of Canada’s Eastern Townships. I tend to think of the townships as New England north, but with a decidedly [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Eastern Canada, Quebec | Tagged Coaticook, Coaticook Gorge, Coaticook Laiterie, Eastern Townships, Ice cream, Quebec, suspension bridge |
By Hilary Nangle on October 17, 2008
Here’s something that will sweeten the Sugarloaf experience next spring. Between mid March and mid April, Sugarloaf plans to operate a sugar shack on the West Mountain road. According to VP Jim Costello: “We will tap into the maples around the area and produce maple syrup from trees on Sugarloaf Mountain. We will be giving [...]
Posted in Food, Moon guidebook updates, Quebec, Skiing/Riding, Western Lakes & Mountains | Tagged Maine, maple syrup, Mont Sainte Anne, sugar shack, Sugarloaf |
By Hilary Nangle on July 22, 2008
You know this is the 400th anniversary of Quebec City, right? You know that the city is pulling out all the stops, with a mind-boggling schedule of special events and entertainment. Hey, there’s even a one-time-only exhibit of works from the Louvre visiting the Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec. If you’re going, here’s a [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Eastern Canada, Events, Food, Quebec | Tagged 400th anniversary, Food, Marché du Vieux Port, Quebec City, travel |
By Hilary Nangle on March 26, 2008
The annual James Beard Award nominees for Best Chef in the Northeast include three familiar Maine faces: Rob Evans of Hugo’s, in Portland, and Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Arrows, in Ogunquit. All are repeat nominees. Frankly, I think if the judges visited Evans’ other restaurant, Duckfat, and washed down a bowl of poutine [...]
Posted in Quebec | Tagged Arrows, Duckfat, Hugo's, Maine, MC, Portland, poutine, Stoneham Ski |
By Hilary Nangle on March 25, 2008
You know how I raved about Balnea, the Nordic-style spa in the Quebec’s Eastern Townships, well here’s another. The Zonespa, in St-Ferréol-les-Neiges, near Mt. Ste. Anne and about a 20 minute drive east of Quebec City, is a surefire way to relax after a day skiing at either Mt. Ste. Anne or Le Massif. Although [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Eastern Canada, Quebec, Skiing/Riding, Spas | Tagged Quebec, Skiing/Riding, Spa |
By Hilary Nangle on March 11, 2008
Balnea. Go. That’s all you need to know (yes, the web site is in French, but an English translation is promised soon). This Nordic spa in Bromont, Quebec, is the ultimate in bliss–calming, spacious, oriented to the outside world and hip. Even if you don’t want to go outside (but hey, the deck is heated!) [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Eastern Canada, Quebec, Spas | Tagged Quebec, Spa |
By Hilary Nangle on February 22, 2008
When entering the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, watch where you step. The historic structure straddles the border between Stanstead, Quebec, and Derby Line, Vt. Everyone enters through the front door, but look carefully. A red line runs diagonally through the reading room, making it possible to read across the lines. Tired of Vermont, [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Eastern Canada, Quebec | Tagged Library, opera house |
By Hilary Nangle on February 20, 2008
This is my first destination trip to the Eastern Townships, but it certainly won’t be my last. After fewer than 12 hours here, I’m hooked. Hooked on the scenery–rolling farmlands, mountains and lakes; hooked on the sights–the Haskell Library and Opera House, in Stanstead, straddles the U.S./Canada border and the nearby Colby-Curtis House is on [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Eastern Canada, Quebec |