Gatineau.
August 2011.
We cross the Ottawa River, and we enter Quebec.
Here, English is not welcome, even in McDonalds.
But words do not always have the same meaning as in France.
This dépanneur will not tow your car, but will help you out if your fridge is empty at 10 pm !
We visit the magnificent Museum of Civilization in Gatineau.
The section for child is very well done.
The girls organize a show of shadow puppets, Enguerrand being in charge of the music.
We watch a great 3D movie about animals in Africa ...
We look forward being there.
We also discover the history of Canada with all the wars between French and English for the control of the fur.
Having camped at the edge of a field, we get in the morning the visit of the owner ...
"Welcome" says Jean-Claude.
We start talking together and he proposes to visit his farm.
Matthieu falls in love with the portable sawmill !
Jean-Claude cut the wood from his forest and built by himself all the farm buildings. Ammazing these Canadians!
His wife, Marie-Claire, takes us to see their "sugar shack".
That's where they make maple syrup in early spring.
After drilling the trunk and placing a small pipe, the sap is collected into these buckets.
It is then heated in a huge boiler in order to concentrate the sugar.
It takes a lot of wood to fuel the boiler!
We then visit the sugar bush.
30 liters of sap are needed to obtain one liter of syrup!
While Marie-Claire is picking apples with the boys, girls are playing with baby rabbits.
Maire-Claire gives pieces of fabrics to the girls who are very happy.
As if this were not enough, Jean-Claude gives us a can of maple syrup.
A big thank you for this warm welcome.
We eat our first "poutine".
French fries, cheese balls and a brown sauce on top: this is typical, fast and it fills the stomacs !
And for dessert, beaver tail shaped donuts: a delight!
