Lanaudiere and Mauricie Quebec Up Next

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The Batiscan river next to a former hydropower damn no longer used for power. Quebec has the most water of any Canadian province.
The Batiscan river next to a former hydropower damn no longer used for power. Quebec has the most water of any Canadian province.

Traveling between Quebec City and Laval, just north of Montreal, for Food, Adventure, and Waterfalls

What a day!  I have packed so much into today that it is fun to recall how my day here in Quebec unfolded. We began in Quebec City, where the conference finished, and everyone set out for trips all around the region. My van took eight of us to a scenic riverside location, the Batiscan River was rushing down in torrents below a wooden bridge we crossed.

Francis Boisvert of Le Presbytere Microbrasserie in St-Stanislas, Quebec.
Francis Boisvert of Le Presbytere Microbrasserie in St-Stanislas, Quebec.

We were there to enjoy ziplining across this river and to spend time photographing the tremendous falls below.  The original plan was to do something called Via Ferrata, which involved climbing a sheer rock wall attached by ropes…but the weather forced a change a

nd that was fine with me.  The zipline would have to do, and it was a thrill.  We drove about an hour south to Mauricie, where the impressive restaurant and brewery, Le Presbytere, is located.  This is a unique restaurant in a pretty small town that’s been given the Fourchette Bleue, or Blue Fork, in honor of their use of foraged foods from the local forests.

We met the owner, Francis Boisvert, who told us about the restaurant’s mission and how he finds many ingredients in the local forests and from local farmers and fishermen. One of the menu items was something that’s a pest—seal. In addition, they brew their own beers and offer a fine menu.

Seal on the menu at Le Baluchon, an eco resort in Saint-Paulin, Quebec.
Seal on the menu at Le Baluchon, an eco resort in Saint-Paulin

Boisvert was pleased to introduce us to his daughter, son-in-law, and son, who all work at the restaurant and seem very well equipped to keep Le Presbytere going for many more generations.”

We had more ground to cover, and after a 90-minute ride and a snooze, we arrived at Le Baluchon, an eco resort extraordinaire. Patricia Brouard, the owner, met us in the courtyard and told us we’d be taking a carriage ride. Just over the crest of the hill came the wagon, pulled by two horses, that took us into the woods to see where the weddings take place in a specially-built space.

This place has 160 employees and many different buildings. Recently, it was the setting for a movie filmed here. The sweep of the green lawns and the perfectly constructed beaver dams was a beautiful sight in the late afternoon light.  Today we are going to go horseback riding into the woods.