TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

I have never heard of Saint Benedict Abbey (Abbaye Saint-Benoît-du-Lac) until I met the man fishing at the pier in North Hatley . He told me about the abbey, that it is the only monastery left in Canada with monks living in it from the Benectine order in France. The seminary is set on a dramatic hilly landscape with lush surroundings overlooking Lake Memphremagog. He added that the monks offer a Gregorian chant public mass service on Sundays. When I heard Gregorian chant, my ears became as big as Bugs Bunny. ‘What do you mean Gregorian chant?’ I clarified excitedly. The fishing man on the pier chuckled and he knew he got bait. ‘It is the only remaining monastery in all over Canada that offers mass services in Gregorian chant!’ And he added, with a serious tone in his voice, ‘You better make sure its one of your stops.’ Oh, he doesn’t have to sternly remind me. I am going to Saint-Benoit-du-Lac! For sure. Did I tell on this blog that I am crazy about Enigma? A new age musi...

After having a hearty breakfast and settling my bill at the charming B&B I stayed at in North Hatley, I hit the road once again, this time to the direction of Montreal. I am flying back to Amsterdan in the evening but I still have a whole day to spare. Montreal is just 1.5 hours away from the Eastern Townships and it is still early so I will be dropping by at 2 places, Magog and Saint Benoit du Lac, which luckily are both located along the route. I love road trips and one of the things I enjoy when planning a road trip holiday is figuring out the lovely towns and villages along the route that I can stop by for a a short sightseeing and a drink. I mean this is what road trips are all about right? Not driving non-stop for hours, but discovering places as you drive along. Reading tip: Eastern Townships On the map is the distance between North Hatley and Magog: Compared to North Hatley which is a village, Magog is more of a small town with a pretty busy thoroughfare...

North Hatley is the last stop of my Canada trip last year. I have chosen the Eastern Townships after reading about Quebec province. I wanted to see the countryside and not just the big cities. I found that the charming eastern villages were on my route from Quebec City and they were not very far from Montreal. Why not! North Hatley is located on Lake Massawippi. This is the road trip I took. As you can see on the map, the Eastern Townships area (yup, that is the USA border: Vermont and Maine) is between Quebec City and Montreal. I chronicled my driving experience, from renting a car to making sure I am was not trespassing any traffic law. Go here: Renting a Car in Canada, Parking Blooper, Overspeeding and Ottawa - Montreal Highway Scenes As for the charming North Hatley village, you can read my blog entries here: The Village of North Hatley I stayed at Serendipity B&B Dinner at Pilsen Pub Restaurant So this is my last day in Canada. I was not sure if I was re...