Tag Archives: Cap-à-l’Aigle

Posts from the road

La Malbaie: The Return of Pizzaghetti!

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(Cap-à-l’Aigle, Québec, Canada)

History has a way of repeating in the most unexpected places.  After arriving in the Charlevoix tourist hub of La Malbaie (our auberge is located in the nearby village of Cap-à-l’Aigle), we set out in search of some comfort food.  We were inexplicably drawn to the “Pizzeria du Poste”, although we weren’t sure exactly why.  Perhaps it was a desire for some comfort food, after the difficult drive from Lac Delage?

A typically steep street in Cap-à-l’Aigle, about to plunge towards the St. Lawrence River

We looked quickly at the menu posted outside the door, still not sure what we would actually order.  Even once we were handed menus inside, I was still having trouble deciding between pizza and lasagna.  And then, at the very bottom of the lengthy pizza list, the choice became clear:  pizzaghetti!

Our auberge in Cap-à-l’Aigle

I first encountered pizzaghetti many years ago when visiting a friend in Montréal.  That version featured a normal pizza topped by a sauce-drenched helping of spaghetti.  It was ridiculously filling but I quite liked how the spaghetti sauce soaked the pizza:  no more dry crust!  I thought this was the definitive version and often spoke fondly of this unusual dish, seemingly available only in the province of Québec.

The geological hike at Cap-à-l’Aigle, with a huge freighter in the background

Years passed and pizzaghetti gradually disappeared from my radar.  I thought it was one of those fads that quietly passed in the night, never to be seen again.  Until now!  Even better:  it now appeared in a startling new variation!   This time, the spaghetti (and sauce) appeared below the cheese and toppings.  If you look at the large close-up photo at the top of this post, you can clearly see the spaghetti below the cheese.

The geological hike continues near Cap-à-l’Aigle

However, there is more to La Malbaie than pizzaghetti.  The next day, I went on a guided geological hike for a few hours.  This took me to otherwise inaccessible parts of the coast around Cap-à-l’Aigle and partly restored some long-lost high school geography lessons.  The hike was also a good way to connect with some fellow travellers.  I traded travel recommendations with an American who now lives in Ottawa…it’s always great to hear about hidden gems from somebody who shares a similar “travel ideology”.  I now know of a great destination in Iowa!

The Manoir Richelieu at La Malbaie

That evening, we were supposed to go to an astronomy “clinic” and visit the high-powered observatory in La Malbaie.  Alas, the observatory staff was decimated by illness and the evening session was cancelled.  While we weren’t able to get up close and personal with Saturn, we did get a chance to visit the renowned Manoir Richelieu hotel at nearby Pointe-au-Pic.

The 5th hole at the “Club de Golf Le Manoir Richelieu” at La Malbaie

The Manoir Richelieu is one of the former CP hotels that now forms part of the Fairmont chain of luxury hotels.  As there is a casino nearby, it is possible to see the hotel without being a guest.  The skies were cloudy but it was still nice to see this legendary hotel (and its golf course) up close.  Maybe we would be able to stay at one of these properties soon?  Stay tuned to find out!

Posts from the road

Journey to Charlevoix

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(Cap-à-l’Aigle, Québec, Canada)

After “sports camp” at Lac Delage, we continued east from Quebec City to the Charlevoix region on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River.  I’ve been skiing at Mont-Sainte-Anne and Le Massif but have never been here during the summer months.  Little did I expect that the most-photographed locality for the day would be a relatively obscure village named Château-Richer.

There must be an interesting story behind this hay sculpture in Château-Richer, Québec

Château-Richer is very old by Canadian standards…a rural parish was established there in 1678.  It is filled with old houses featuring a sloping red roof, such as the one in the photo at the top of this post.  However, it’s not all about distant history in Château-Richer:  check out the bizarre hay guitarist!   The nature of agriculture has also changed over 400 years:  we saw lots of alpaca farms throughout the region.

Another building in the “Nouvelle-France” style, at Château-Richer, Québec

It’s usually the village next to Château-Richer that gets most of the attention.  Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré has little more than 2000 inhabitants but it has a massive basilica that seems to attract every tour bus in the province.  It is the site of many miracles:  the pillars at the front of the church are festooned with crutches that were no longer needed by their owners.

Alpacas were not historically found in Château-Richer, Québec

I took a photograph of the green slopes of Mont-Sainte-Anne but it just doesn’t look as impressive without the snow.  Still, it did whet my appetite for the upcoming ski season:  my ski posse and I are making steady progress on the planning for our annual ski trip.  Details on that journey will be posted on this blog in due course.

Every tourist takes this picture in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, Québec

I have to admit that the journey onward to Baie-Saint-Paul was pretty miserable:  there was a sudden downpour, the terrain was extremely hilly, there was a lot of construction, and there were a lot of impatient motorists who were probably driving too aggressively for the road conditions.  Unfortunately, there is only one way to get to the Charlevoix region by car!

A less-traditional church, just down the road in Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Québec

Our previous visit to Baie-Saint-Paul was marred by an arsonist’s attack on the auberge where we were staying.  While we escaped and there were no other injuries, there was extensive damage to the auberge:  click here for the details.  We quietly returned to the site of the fire and saw that there was absolutely no evidence of that frigid and scary night.  It was kind of surreal to see things “normal” there but it is completely understandable that the auberge and the town would want to move on.

Downtown Baie-Saint-Paul, Québec

As for the rest of Baie-Saint-Paul, it seemed to have even more art galleries and specialty shops than we remembered.  However, the main difference between this and our winter visit was the sheer number of people.  It wasn’t quite the sleepy town we remembered!   We made peace with Baie-Saint-Paul but were also ready to continue further east in the Charlevoix region:  stay tuned for the details!