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 Join us on Facebook Copyright 1995-2010 TravelLady Magazine |
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Join us on Facebook Copyright 1995-2010 TravelLady Magazine |
Not many travellers are
familiar with the Region of Outaouais, located in western Quebec, edging
Ottawa, Canada’s National Capital Region. An area filled with forests, lakes
and rivers, as well as extensive agricultural activities, it is a greenish
part of Canada naturally made for vacationers seeking pure nature and
country atmosphere.
Gatineau Park, a part of
the Outaouais Region, is a fine reflection of what this region has to offer.
A giant slab of virgin land measuring 363 sq km (140 sq mi), the Park is an
open air window to Canada’s National Capital Region. A magnificently green
and superb nature reserve covering 35,600 ha (88,000 ac) of forest, the Park
encompasses 40 crystal-clear lakes and its forests contain 1,000 species of
plant and 40 types of trees - 90% of which are maple. Across its wooded
hills there are 185 km (115 mi) of hiking and biking trails and 12 picnic
sites. The Park also offers cross-country and downhill skiing facilities,
snowshoeing trails, beaches and campgrounds. 
Dotted throughout the
Outaouais Region are some of the top restaurants and other food outlets
where one can enjoy the local products of the countryside. From pick your
own food and vegetables to guided tours of farms and agric-food projects,
these form the core of activities that visitors indulge in when they travel
in the Region.
Following our own
Outaouais circuit, after visiting with woodworking artisans in their shops,
we stopped at Les Fougeres Restaurant for lunch. Located in the Gatineau
Hills, the restaurant is noted for its fine wine. As we sat down savouring
our duck and seafood with special regional accents, I looked around; the
eating place was full and overflowing. the restaurant was not surrounded by
homes and businesses indicating that the diners must have sought it out
because of its fine food and wines. “It must be a popular eating place” my
colleague commented as we departed for the Le Ranch Panoramique, some 15 minutes
drive away, specializing in bison production. Located in Wakefield in the
midst of a scenic countryside, the farm resembled the ranches in western
Canada but in a wooded surrounding.
I was especially
interested is this ranch since I had published a year before a book titled:
Bison Delights - Middle Eastern Cuisine Western Style. I always enjoyed
seeing these majestic we3
After giving us a brief
history of his ranch/farm we were taken by the rancher/farmer for a tour to
see the bison herd. The bulls, cows and little ones seemed almost tame as
the rancher fed some of them with his hands. The farm was still snow-covered
and the bison were digging the snow with their front feet to uncover the
grass underneath.
That evening we enjoyed
fine gourmet food at the Wakefield Mill Inn & Spa - a converted
heritage-designated 1838 stone mill, straddling what many consider the most
picturesque waterfall in Gatineau Park. That night, in one of its 27 rooms I
spent a pleasant night, dreaming stone mills and gently flowing water falls.
During the last day on the
culinary trail, we stopped for a while at the Olivier Soapery in Chelsea,
where we were given a lecture on the history of soap and a demonstration of
how soap is hand manufactured. We then drove to Les Brasseurs du Temps,
Outaouais’ historic micro–brewery that incorporates a museum relating to the
History of the Beer. After touring the museum and brewery we sat down
to a hearty Quebec type lunch accompanied by a variety of homemade beers.
That night as we went to
sleep in the luxurious Hilton Hotel, a part of the Lac Lemay Casino complex,
I had no doubt that some would dream about ‘Lady Luck, but I dreamt of the
fine foods that we had relished during our rambling on the Gourmet Trail.