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The things we did in Theford Mines~

It’s been three years since my original trip to Quebec and 1.5 since my partner saw his parents. So we figured it was as good of a time as any to visit the land of the French Canadians. This is a visit so different than what I am use to that I continue to absorb the culture and learn with everything that I do here. Although most of this is due to the large differences between city and country living and the pace in which they both operate in. Here I tend to stick out like a sore thumb; between my ornate clothes, to my ethnicity, and lack of French language. This isn’t so much in Montreal, but all the more the further into Quebec farm land that we travelled. The following is an account of all that we saw in and around Thetford Mines, and what I noted as interesting or unique, compared to my life in urban Vancouver.

This recap will be split into two parts: “Things we ate”, and “Things we did”. This is the latter.

We were fortunate enough to get our hands on the new 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross for the week. It was the ideal sports utility vehicle for our adventuring. It was rugged enough to take on those unpaved paths, yet dressy enough for a cruise around downtown. And best of all it has a great fuel economy, so our money went further as we drove and drove. Although it also helped that gas is 131.9 in Thetford.

The landscape of rural Quebec is flat, the mountains I take for granted in Vancouver, are not visible here. At most the land is given some height from the quarries and the sand dug up from mines long ago. These holes in the ground were carved up to harvest asbestos, well before we found out how long exposure to the stuff was harmful to the miners and the surrounding homeowners. The result is mounds of this black sand piled high to resemble peaks. But unfortunately it is so slippery and potentially hazardous that this sand cannot be redistributed or repurpose to ski slopes or hiking plateaus. Instead here they stand, untouched and perfect for our photo op, above.

A few of the afore mentioned mines (holes in the ground) have since been filled with water which allow for diving, given how deep they go. Although with its black waters, they are often used as a junk pits, and not so much a scenic dive. You can tell these were man made features given the rings around them created by precision digging, from wide to narrow as they descend.

Instead, farm land take up most of the green acres, along side sprawling wooded forests. This untapped greenery is available for hunting in during the fall season. Here is where we would take our time exploring. Playing in the great outdoors, doing much of that which we don’t or can’t do as easily, living in urban Lower Mainland, Vancouver.

Hiking isn’t really all that engaging here. There isn’t much of a view, nor is there really a climb to ascend too. Instead the rugged wilderness is best explored on four wheels. We procured a couple of ATVs and were bound for the forest. They are powerful enough to go up hills and over tree trunks, but you still need to steer yourself down the right path to avoid any necessary tipping.

Here you can ride to the base of one of the town’s 57 windmills. These propellers are the newest thing to add interest to Thetford’s landscape. They harness energy from the wind, which gets processed and stored, before being sold to the US. They offer you that same small feeling when looking up at one, as you would get from BC’s Rockies.

My partner’s father is a hobby hunter, he knew of a couple of places where the forest was dense, but assessable. He took us on a tour of his look outs and quite cabins, where he sits in wait for his prey.

Prey in the form of elk, moose, and deer that he lays year long traps for. He sets up feeding stations of salt blocks, and he digs up water holes to have them congregating within range of his scope and gun, should the season and his permit allow. During non-hunting times, like the summer of our visit, he has surveillance equipment up and running. This allows him to see if his “traps” are working. Motion sensor photos capture the above mentioned hoofed animals. Photos of brown moose licking his blocks and indents of their hoofs in the soften ground that surrounds them.

We would try our hand at the cross bow he can and has hunted with. But instead, our goal was to scoot at a burlap sack stuffed with rags, a makeshift target he uses for shooting practice. The scope and neon orange bullseyes make this an fairly easy feat.

The abundance of water ways and lakes I also take for granted in Vancouver are far and few in between in Thetford, despite Quebec being referred to the “land of lakes”. My partner’s aunt has a cabin on one of the only lakes. A nice place to sit and relax at, but it just isn’t the same when not surrounded by dominating mountains surrounding you.

But if you like farm animals, there is an abundance to drive by and moo at. Cows and horses grazing in the fields, even a llama or two in an enclosure. We visited a dairy farm and got a look at the bovine under chains and visited a fowl sanctuary with rare and fancy ducks, plus black and white swans.

As for the town itself, Thetford Mines doesn’t offer much in terms of tourists attractions or really any art to brighten up the neighbourhoods. Instead you look out into the wilderness, as we did above.

However the following are a few sights worth noting. The first is Thetford’s oldest mill: King’s Mill. It has long since stopped operating, and has recently been renovated into the city’s lone tourist attraction, much to the town’s folks dismay. The city choose to pour monetary resources and labour into the project, which includes refurbishing its rusted facade and paving roads to get to it. This was done instead of repaving the rough main roads that have long lasted the harsh Quebec winters; or filling the potholes created from the filling of water and the expanding of ice within them. All this and not many more people have visited the attraction. We did to take this photo, but even in the middle of the day the mill and attached centre wasn’t open to visitor. We left without getting the full experience: the history of the mill and the town that grew around it.

Next are the churches. There are a handful of them in each town, many of these buildings are hundred of years ago. Erected by those that immigrated to Quebec with their religions. Tall steeples, towering crosses, and ornately carved doors keeping the Christian and Catholic religion alive en mass. A couple of these churches were so old that a new one were built next to the original, and the former stood firm as a memoriam. One such town has a couple, resulting in their church count to hit 11.

Thetford did have a view point, however it just doesn’t have the same gusto without the elevation needed for a successful outlook, or the bustling city below to gander at. You pretty much look right across the land as it runs parallel to the sky’s blue and streaky clouds.

For a longer cruise and more to see, we drove to the neighbouring town of “D’Israeli”, established in 1867, with a population of around 2,500 according to records from 2009.

In D’Israeli, we stopped at the Marina and the “Marina pub” by the water. This is Aylmer lake, it connects many of the cities by water.

At the pub they offer fun cocktails with tiny colourful umbrellas, but given the heat and the area, went for the “Lake Lager”, a hoppy and refreshing beer when enjoyed on the upper deck of their two storey building. Calming waters with boats docked and county twang playing. This is only the second summer this new patio has seen.

We also stopped at one of the town’s popular cafeterias offering fast food like hot dogs and poutine, along with drinks and ice cream. One of “Le Mont Blanc’s” most popular offerings is the their soft served ice creams. We grabbed their largest cones to share, choosing the “twist” option. What I assumed was a mix of chocolate and vanilla swirled together, was actually vanilla and maple syrup soft serve. I never had maple soft serve before, but leave it to Quebec to highlight their favourite flavour like this. Worth noting is how the actual cone has little maple leaf prints encircling it.

Seeing a poster advertise “bubble tea”, I had to order it for curiosity sake. I was surprised that the idea of it got all the way out here. Naturally, I had to order the most “exotic” flavour, which wa the “mango”, made with peach juice and black tea. The “pearls” are actually popping juice balls. I asked for the “black ones”, thinking they would be the regular tapioca balls, however they are actually just blueberry juice balls. Don’t know what I was expecting given Frenchy’s dislike of bbt and having to chew his drink. The clerk admitted that it isn’t ordered often, and this was in fact her first time having to make it. No regrets, but no repeats.

For more of what I ate and the food scene in Thetford Mines, check out part two to my Thetford trip:

Theford Mines 2018: eating & dining

During our visit to Quebec, we drove down to Quebec City for the evening. We spent our time exploring and eating within “Old Quebec”, the oldest part of the town, featuring architecture from hundreds of years ago. The exterior of such buildings have been restored and many of the interiors renovated into more modern places of business. Thus making it a great destination for tourists to come, soak in some history, and to shop for souvenirs to their heart’s content.

The drive to was a lengthy one, and unfortunately Quebec’s landscape is a flattened one. Where as we have water ways and mountain highs to appreciate when we travel within our province of BC, Quebec has farm lands as far as the eye can see. Therefore this does become quite the tiring drive, luckily our trusty 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross, for the week provided us with an easy and comfortable ride.

My partner was worried about the drive within the large city and the aggressiveness of the drivers, who cut you off every chance you get. Luckily the eclipse cross has plenty of safety features to help you battle the above. This includes very clear view of the rear, thanks to the mirror magnifying the segmented back windshield.

But once you get into the city there is so much to see. You can literally behold the history of the city with ivy lined brick buildings, chipped away stone facades, and colonial style roof tops. This all comes with being North America’s oldest city, founded in 1608. The original French settlers brought with them an architectural style similar to what they were familiar with in Europe. This architecture is what really sets the French Canadian city apart from all the other much younger cities across Canada.

In fact, in 1985 Quebec City was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It is the only remaining fortified city north of Mexico, a fort equipped with antique cannons defending its shores. Both are artifacts and memories of a battle to defend the land long ago. They currently make for a great photo op.

But certainly the focal point of the city, and the most photographed hotel in the world is the Fairmont Frontenac. The Château Frontenac is one of Canada’s grand railway hotels, located in Quebec City, Quebec. It is a prominent feature in the skyline of Quebec City, overlooking the water with more than 600 rooms across 18 floors. My wish would be to return, and stay for the night… one day.

The area referred to as “Old Quebec” is separated into two different levels. The stone gateway is at the upper. And in order to reach the lower half, you can either take the walk down, or ride the tram down. We opted for the latter, only to deem it the most expensive elevator ride we have ever been on. $3 per person, per ride (up or down). In a glass box you watch the the horizon shrink or grow as you ascend or descent. We would take it down and scale up stairs later to get back up.

The streets are like those of a European Village. Cobble stone roads, windows with colourful shutters and flower boxes, and lights strung over head from one side of the narrow lane way to the other. If our streets in Vancouver looked more like this, you would see me walking for the sake of enjoying them more.

The following are a few of the decorative sights I took note of.

Wonderful murals.

Strung up lights.

And art installations.

We stopped at “Lapin Sauté” for dinner. It’s exterior caught my eye, as well as the prospect of dining at a rabbit themed restaurant. The patio shared a courtyard with a few other restaurants. This scene included over reaching tree branches and paper lanterns hanging over head. All this and a warm night made for a romantic dinner session. It is just a shame that the food didn’t live up to it.

They are famous for their cassoulets, so I had to try their braised rabbit leg, with duck sausages and bacon. All their rabbit comes from Quebec, it is naturally farmed without antibiotics, hormones, animal meal, or fat. I didn’t like it, I found it a dull meal to pick at. The rabbit leg was tough, the beans grainy, and the dish overall didn’t have enough interest to it. The spices in the sausage was the only element satisfying in flavour, yet there wasn’t enough of it to pair all that rabbit meat with.

Although disappointing, it was still better than the pork chops marinated in herbs with maple and soy sauce. This was the driest pork chop I have ever had, at any restaurant. So bad that my partner agreed that we ought to send it back, instead of suffering through it. And we did.

I should of had the rabbit poutine or the rabbit pot pie. Maybe even the warm rabbit liver and kidney salad. We were thinking about ending our meal with their maple syrup crepe brûlée, but after not enjoying your two entrees all that much, we rather not chance any more disappointment.

Still hungry we continued to roam the city looking for another, more convenient place to finish our dinner at. We did so as the sun set and the sky turned shades of coral and pinks before black replaced blue in the sky.

Here we were able to enjoy the city in a different way. I liked how the city lit up and glowed with flickering bulbs.

We ended up at “Sapristi Bistro Bar” to continue our meal. We were once again able to enjoy the warm night, on their backyard patio. A section between two brick buildings, decorated with potted plants and strung up with patio lights.

The margarita pizza was disappointing in size. This sad looking single serving was actually the “large” at $14. This wasn’t enough food for two, but luckily I ordered enough wine to fill me up.

And thus ended our night in Old Quebec. We took in most of the sights and enjoyed the city in its splendour. And now with all the traffic dispersed, we were free to drive back home, in our 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

The recap of our travel will conclude in the next travel blog on Thetford Mines.