FRIDAY, 01 July

We went exploring today.  After studying maps and guide books for a while this morning, we decided to head up QC-132 (NE) along the coast as far as Rumouski.  From there we planned to head inland (SE) and then southwest before turning northwest and working our way back to QC-132 and then back to camp.  Along the way we passed Bic National (Provincial) Park, which we planned to visit tomorrow.  I (Bruce) was driving, which left Linda and Nancy free to research places where we might find baked goods, including bread and pastries.

They found three of them in Rimouski that sounded promising, so we picked one,  Patisseries & Gourmandises d’ Olivier on St. Germaine and headed there via “Business” QC-132, unsure if they would be open on Canada Day.  They were, the offerings were spectacular, and they accommodated us in English.

The second one was closed so we put in the address for the third one, Boulangerie Folles Farines.  It was back about 8 miles in Bic.  Road construction after we exited QC-132 resulted in an interesting detour through a lovely little town, but we found it.  Again, they were open and the products on offer were very nice.

We still wanted to do our “loop” so I headed back towards Rimouski, this time on the regular QC-132 (Autoroute Jean-Lesage).  Near Rimouski, we exited onto Chemin Sainte-Odile heading southwest into the “hills” with Lac-des-Aigles as our initial destination.  By this point Nancy was already researching wineries in the area.  The only one that was at all convenient to our route was Domaine Acer – Magnifier l’erable in Auclair.  It was a bit further south from where were had planned to turn north, but we were not pressed for time.

 

 

 

Auclair is east of Lac-Temiscouata “National” (Provincial) Park in very hilly country.  The final few kilometers where on steep gravel roads, and I got to put the F-150 in 4-wheel drive.  That was fun!

Were we ever glad we decided to visit this place?  Yes, we were!  It was not technically a winery.  All of their beverages are made from fermented maple syrup using traditional winemaking techniques, including a “champagne method” (2^nd fermentation in the bottle) sparkling version.  No grapes or other fruit are used.  The young lady tending the tasting room was very friendly and knowledgeable and spoke enough English to make the tasting experience educational and fun.

The tasting included four offerings (not the sparkling one).  Two were dry – with only a little residual sugar – one from early harvest and one from late harvest.  There was a slight difference between them (to may taste) and they reminded me of delicate wines.  The other two were on the sweet end, again one from early harvest and one from late.  These two were more distinctly maple, with the late harvest being a bit more intense.  They reminded me of ports, both in the mouth feel and richness.  Guess which ones we bought?  ?

The tasting also included two different maple jellies and two different maple butters.  The jellies were early harvest and late harvest, while the “butters” with and without walnuts .  They were all excellent, but the maple butters where more unique, and the one with walnuts was our favorite.  BTW: there is no butter in maple butter.  It’s just maple syrup that is whipped to a creamy, butter-like consistence.

 

By this point it was after 3 PM and everyone was a bit hungry and we had at least an hour drive to get back to camp.  No problem, Domanie Acer had a small, quaint café in an adjacent building.  Nothing fancy, food wise, but a nice assortment of small items that could be shared.  All of them were very tasty.  Our energy restored, and pleased to have discovered Domaine Acer quite by accident, we headed back to the Bas Saint-Laurent KOA Resort.  With a forecast of rain, we skipped the evening campfire and retired to our respective rigs for the night.