The Canadian Pacific rail cars that are Sara and Ian’s restaurant is so much more than my Corner Gas reference of last week.
The first train car is the dining car, the second, the kitchen. The dining car has been restored to its former glory, with shining wood and gleaming brass accents that provide a warm, comfortable, intimate feeling to the dining experience. With the candles lit, you can picture romantic proposals and anniversary celebrations happening all around you. Really, the atmosphere is wonderful.
I barely know Sara, really, but I was overcome with pride on her behalf. And then there is Chef Ian, who prepares everything fresh daily (thus, the name of their place. . .Fresh). The meat, the vegetables, the salads, the bread. . . everything was perfect. And finishing off our meal with those exquisite little chocolate crème brules was the absolute best.
I am sad that Sara’s restaurant is so far away, but trust me people, you must eat there at some point in your life. Trust me on this.
Now that Amy and I had experienced one of the best meals of our lives, we realized that this would be our last night in Carleton County. We chatted with our friends until late into the night, not really caring that our drive home would be long, and probably not nearly as fun as the anticipation of getting to New Brunswick.
As Amy and I drove away from Carleton County and a really great experience, we were already making plans for the next time Amy would visit. She promised she would never again go to New Brunswick without me.
It was at that moment when we encountered the bald eagles and took some great pictures. We laughed that it was happening as we left, that our ‘eagle watch’ wasn’t very helpful after all. But we were still proud of our pictures. Amy mentioned that the only thing that would make it absolutely perfect is if we could see a moose.
That didn’t happen for awhile. As we left New Brunswick, we were enthralled with the beauty of the Madawaska River and the surrounding landscape that we had missed in the dark of our arrival three days before.
We had travelled at least an hour before Amy saw her first moose. I’m pretty sure we were into Quebec at this time. The moose was ahead of us, on the highway.
Before you get too freaked that a collision was on the way, let me just say that this moose was well positioned . . . in the back of a pickup truck with a pole through its mouth and out its behind. Amy wasn’t exactly pleased. But hey, she saw her moose and two others on our trip home. And yes, both of the other moose (meese?) were dead in the back of hunters’ trucks.
Sure, it was gross, and not quite the way we imagined encountering moose. But she saw three moose, right? That counts.
I just can’t wait for Amy’s next visit.
