The April 14 edition of the LA Times talks about our region. The newspaper said among other things:
Quebec’s Eastern Townships are known for their wooded landscapes that turn flaming orange and red in the fall and produce much of the province’s maple syrup in the spring.
There are lakes and Victorian towns with vintage general stores, century-old churches, charming country inns, boutiques and countless antique stores. The area, just north of the Vermont border, was settled by United Empire Loyalists – British sympathizers – who left New England after the United States declared independence.
Knowlton’s famous writer
Canadian writer Louise Penny wants « people to come to this place that I love so much… smell the pines, smell the air and taste the local food. »
The townships are a gentle, relaxed mix of rural and sophisticated, populated by diverse and often colorful residents who have created the welcoming, caring community that Penny describes in her books.
Inspector Gamache is a gourmet and so am I. We often frequent the bistro, eating steak frites and Lac-Brome duck at the Relais de Knowlton, which looks a lot like the dining room at Penny’s « Brutal Telling. »
We also sampled some of the more than 500 varieties of Quebec cheeses at La Rumeur Affamée, a classic 1860s general store in Sutton, with home-baked baguettes and warm croissants and puff pastries.
It has been voted one of the best cheese shops in Quebec and appears as Sarah’s bakery in several of Penny’s books, including « The Cruelest Month ». As in other real-life locations related to the Gamache series, the door store has a sticker, in English and French. which says « Three Pines Welcome. »
The gourmand Gamache and I also share a passion for wine to accompany our cheeses and baguettes. As if by chance, the Quebec Wine Route crosses the Eastern Townships.
Read more:
https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-travel-louise-penny-books-quebec-eastern-townships-20190414-story.html