Dreams Come True In The Eastern Townships – Roses, Lavender And Trains

Rose Des Champs

What does lavender, rosehips, luxury trains, gourmet cuisine and fabulous country inns have in common? Who would have guessed the Eastern Townships of Quebec? I have fond memories of downhill skiing at Owl’s Head and often wondered what it would be like to visit this region in the summer, spring or fall.

The Eastern Townships are made up of a number of towns and villages to the South East of Montreal. I boarded a VIA Rail first class train at Union Station and enjoyed the relaxing five hour ride from Toronto to Montreal. It was nice to catch up on my reading and email and there was no rushing to the airport, long lines, security checks and packing restrictions.

About 50 minutes East of Montreal is the charming Victorian village of Knowlton, famous for its Loyalist roots and heritage buildings. We stayed our first night close to Knowlton at a four star inn Auberge Quilliams. The Inn has great canoeing and kayaking through the marshes and fauna reserve close by. The beach across the road in front of Lac Brome was a quiet place to unwind.

Fairly close to Auberge Quilliams we visited two tourist sights that were inspiring, Rose des Champs and Bleu Lavande.

Rose garden

I NEVER PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN

Norman Benoit one day decided that growing roses and converting the petals into rose products would be an interesting and feasible alternative to traditional farming. So he transformed the family farm that had been in his family for four generations and together with his sweetheart Claire Mercier started growing roses. With the philosophy “to do good” they developed a unique four acre private rose garden called Rose des Champs, where they grow some 2000 rose bushes and 800 varieties of roses.

We meandered the property visiting the species garden, five water gardens with color themes and aquatic plants and the production garden where select roses are grown for cuttings and petal and hip collections. Listening to Norman talk about organic gardening and how he turned his dream to a success was inspirational.

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I adore the smell of lavender and just a few minutes south of the quaint town of Magog, there is Bleu Lavande, the dream child of Pierre Pellerin. Pierre had a successful electronics business but at the age of 42 fell sick with a neurological disease that seemed to be stress related. He sold his business and bought the 160 acre property and along with his wife Christine began planting lavender and the rest is another dream come true. I loved walking through the stunning fields of flowering plants. A foot massage with lavender oil out in the middle of the lavender field was delightfully relaxing. A wonderful boutique, featuring fine products made with 100% pure lavender was worth a visit.

ESTRIMONT SUITES AND ON TO SHERBROOKE

After Auberge Quilliams, we stayed near Magog at the all-inclusive recently renovated resort, Estrimont Suites & Spa. The resort has 91 spacious suites with fireplaces, fine cuisine, a bistro-bar with a sun-drenched terrace, a spa with 14 massage rooms, sauna, baths, and swimming pools. Along Lake Memphremagog is the Baie-de-Magog Park, a bike path that connects the city to Orford Township. You can borrow bikes from the hotel and head off and explore. We took a pleasant evening hike along the bike path amidst fire flies and a star studded sky.

The city of Sherbrooke is famous for the immense truly amazing historical fresco murals painted throughout the city on the walls of ten buildings. A visit to the Arts Museum where Leonard Cohen had his art on display was a highlight. I’ve always loved Cohen’s poetry and music and now I am a fan of his art. Fifty drawings of pastels, watercolour, charcoal and even some computer generated images were impressive.

Conductor Father Donald Thompson

Spending an evening on board the Orford Express Train, the dream child of the conductor and priest Father Donald Thompson was a real treat. The Orford Express has three restaurant cars seating up to 212 diners and you can travel through the spectacular landscapes that link Sherbrooke, Magog and Eastman, while enjoying a meal that would do justice to any first class dining establishment. Book reservations way in advance because the train is always full.

My other favourite dining experience was at Jardins Champêtre, a rustic home style restaurant situated along Chemins des Peres, a panoramic road near Magog. The menu features produce from all around the region – Lake Brome Duck, Borealis bison, East Hereford trout, Stanstead rabbit and cheeses from the Benedictine monastery.

I highly recommend staying at hotel-spa Chateau Bromont, set in one of the most beautiful valleys of the Eastern Townships, at the base of Mount Bromont. The staff were friendly, the atmosphere elegant and relaxing and there is plenty to do no matter which season you visit. The meals were special and the therapeutic massage I received at the spa was superb.

The Eastern Townships is not just a place to ski but a location that offers gourmet food, luxury Hotels, beautiful lakes, hikes and bicycle trails, as well as friendly people. I was reminded that dreams can come true if you work hard and keep the vision alive. Norman Benoit, Pierre Pellerin, and Donald Thompson were dreamers who transformed fantasies into success stories. The only thing keeping you from realizing your dream is hard work.