For two foodies who love to travel, if only for the food, there are some things we miss and chai is one of them. But we were in Canada -- you’d think that in a country under the influence of the Queen, chai would be common. Nope. Outside of the chain store influences (I refuse to stop at Starbucks on vacation), chai just wasn’t to be found….until Louiseville.
While others stopped for poutine (definitely not a vegetarian entree, and, apparently, not good cycling fuel, either), we stopped at a coffee shop for a sandwich—a wonderful quinoa salad wrap. Since the owner had already decided our French was so bad that English would be the language of conversation, we tried to ask for a chai. Sure. Not common. But he could make it. For two chai junkies in withdrawal, the sweet cinnamon flavored steamed milk with a hint of chai took off the edge off. Wonderful. And, pretty, too.
Another easy, flat day through farms and small towns. The similarity, yet differences to the rural Midwest are striking. Farm houses take on a similar appearance, but roof lines are often slightly concave, sometimes just curved and sometimes with a sharp angle. Steel roofs are common, but they often come in bolder colors—bright red is not unusual for a house and neither is dark blue. Dormers (sleeping dogs to the French) are frequent, but it is common for them to open onto a full balcony, occasionally with an outside staircase. But compared to our rural towns the maintenance level is fantastic. Many of these farm houses predate those in the Midwest, yet their condition shows that they have been well maintained with TLC for many a generation.
Dinner: 4 cheese lasagna (Good--who'd've thunk Swiss cheese worked in lasagna?)