Brewer Park Farmers' Market and the Gatineau Park.

Today began with a visit to Brewer Park Farmers' Market where there was the most wonderful fruit and vegetables. There were tomatoes and beetroot of all shapes, sizes and colours. The strawberries tasted really strawberryish and I couldn't pass  the garlic scapes which I had seen for the first time at Grimsby Market. Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of hardneck garlic plants. They are usually cut off because leaving them on only diverts the plant's strength away from forming a plump bulb. They are both edible and delicious. The stall holder had a pesto made with raw garlic scapes and it was delicious. So I now have a pound of garlic scapes plus recipes explaining how to use them! I also bought fava (broad) beans and fresh peas. Jim bought Apple Cider which, contrary to our understanding of cider, is not alcoholic but is delicious particularly when really cold. It was hard to drag ourselves away but we had planned a visit to the Province of Quebec by doing a tour of the Gatineau Park. Before we left we watched a group of Asians doing Tai Chi, I think. It was very graceful and soothing - Evy would be good at it!

Gatineau Park is Ottawa's Conservation Park and is in Quebec's Outaouais Region. It covers 36,100 hectares and visitors can enjoy a whole range of outdoor activities. There were lots of hikers, cyclists, bikers and cars. It would be a fantastic place in Ottawa for the colours of the trees. At the moment it is very green. We stopped in Old Chelsea to go to the ? Centre and to admire the houses and shops.

A nice log cabin.

We had lunch in the Old Chelsea Pub and I had Poutine! We first came across Poutine in British Columbia but I did not try it because it is a French Canadian dish so I wanted to wait until I was in French Canada. It consists of French fries topped with brown gravy and cheese curds. It is quite nice but on the stodgy side.

There is an escarpment in Gatineau park called the Eardley Escarpment and there were several look out points that have great views of the escarpment and of the Ottawa River Valley. The pictures don't do the views justice.

Views from the Huron Lookout.

An insect at the Huron Lookout - it was named in the ? Centre but I've forgotten the name.

Views from the Etienne-Brule Lookout.

Up here we were standing at an altitude of 335 metres on the edge of the Eardley Escarpment, a formation that marks the boundary of Gatineau Park. Here two important geological formations meet: the Canadian Shield and the St. Lawrence Lowlands (which include the Ottawa Valley).






Our next stop was at King Mountain which, after you have climbed it, has a spectacular view of the Eardley Escarpment and the Ottawa River Valley. We went part of the way but the terrain was too Fionnuala Falls friendly for me to continue.

The trail to King Mountain.

A small lake near King Mountain.

Hide and seek with a chipmunk!

We continued on our way to visit the Mackenzie King Estate. This estate was bought by Mackenzie King, a former Prime Minister of Canada, who had fallen in love with the wild landscape on his first visit to the Gatineau Hills. We toured the grounds which are quite vast.

The Tea Rooms.

Formal English Garden.

Rock Garden.

The Window on the Forest.

On the Waterfall Trail.

There is light at the end of the tunnel on the Waterfall Trail!

Still on the Waterfall Trail.

We walked almost 2 km along the Waterfall Trail (and along some rather Fionnuala falls friendly terrain, but I managed to keep upright) to find the Bridal Veil Falls that, in King's time, was so strong that he could hear its roar all the way from the Abbey Ruins.

This is what we found! The stream has been dammed and so the waterfall is rather lacklustre. And I endangered my life for this!

Part of the Abbey Ruins which are not ruins at all just built to look like ruins.

Condos for birds!

On the road again we stopped for a look at Pink Lake which we thought might be pink or might have pink rocks. It was a bit if a disappointment that it was named after the Pink family who once owned the land!

Pink Lake.

We only did a fraction of Gatineau Park today. Hopefully we will get a chance to return and visit some of the lakes and go farther north.