Ok, so I am a bit of a hermit, actually more like a workaholic hermit. I just like to be busy, whether it is geeking, crafting or just plain noodling with stuff.
Every year my wife and son take a holiday, just the two of them, generally to visit family, while Frieda and I stay behind. So it might come as no surprise that since we moved here to Ottawa about 2018 or so I have only really been out of town once, a weekend trip to Deep River to see friends.
So it was time for me to get some chillaxin’ done, the pressure and nuttiness of my job / life / etc. finally starting to get to me. Off went my work laptop and monitors, phone on ‘do not disturb’ mode, clothes, food, kennel and Miss Frieda all loaded in the trusty Rogue and we were off up Highway 307 to western Quebec.
If you haven’t been to Quebec, as much as I like Montreal, the western Laurentians / Pontiac should be a first stop to recharge your soul. The countryside is almost bucolic in its’ beauty, the people are friendly (yes, they do speak English in the Pontiac!) and lack of police / fire / ambulance sirens and nutbar motorcyclists on the 417 will recharge your senses in no time flat.
We were lucky enough to secure a chalet on Lac a Foin, about 2 hours north of Ottawa on the highway then a 10km cross-country / goat track complete with two road washouts to the chalet, Chalet Aux Souvenirs (Chalet of Memories). By the time the Rogue had bounced, swerved and grumbled up 30 degress inclines (temporary due to the washout) we were starting to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into!
But the chalet was worth it – and more. Nestled in birch and pine trees on the edge of the lake, only the sound of a loon greeted us. Ahhh bliss! Even Frieda, who had never seen this much water in one place, took a shine, sniffing everywhere and even jumping off the dock at one point (ok, more like she thought she could stand on top of the reeds, which promptly plopped her into a foot of water).
Needless to say our long weekend at the chalet was over far too soon, though there was plenty of time to try out the paddleboard and do some serious sketching and watercolours (this is an artists paradise!).
A Bientot Chalet Aux Souvenir, nous reviendrons – quand tu auras réparé la route!