We left the Gaspe Peninsula for the last time this morning and made our way back toward ‘mainland’ Quebec. 

Our first stop was at the Fromagerie des Basques.

Then we stopped at the Chutes de la Chaudiere for a picnic lunch and a view of the waterfall from the suspension bridge.

The Estrimont is a very nice hotel in Magog-Orford, just outside of Sherbrooke at the north end of Lake Memphremagog.  We booked one night to sit in their gorgeous outdoor hot tubs and have a nice dinner at the Tomahawk Grill.   

Quebec is renowned for its production of a variety of artisanal cheeses.  Many of the fromageries use local milk and traditional cheesemaking techniques. 

The Abbaye St-Benoit du Lac is a Benedictine abbey founded in 1912. 

Tours of the abbey are only given in the summer, but our focus is their shop where they sell cheese made by the abbeys’ monks.

We tasted and purchased their smoked Fontina, Frere Jacques, Mont St Benoit and St Augustin cheeses.

On our way back to Montreal, we spent one more night in Shawinigan.  We checked in with Eric to see if he needed our car for any more shopping.  Most of our cheese was left in his fridge, since there was no way we could finish it all before leaving the province! 

Eric is pretty much settled into his apartment in Shawi. He is enjoying his job in the elementary school and says his kids love him!

Satisfied that our boy has everything he needs for the next many months, we are now on our way back to Montreal.