Hot, Humid, Home Exchange

Last year, we did a home exchange to a chalet near Bromont in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Our longtime friends, Tim and Pamela joined us and we explored the area by bike. So, when we received a request for an exchange in Magog, about 50 kms east of Bromont, we thought we’d try to do a similar thing this year.

It did not go quite as planned.

The first glitch came when Tim and Pamela had to cancel, as they had commitments that prevented them from travelling. Disappointing, but the two of us could still have a nice cycling getaway, like we’d done on our home exchange in Niagara Falls.

Before we left, there was a multi-day heat warning in place, with temperatures predicted to approach 40 degrees celsius with the humidity. That could make outdoor activities a challenge. Fortunately, the house had air conditioning!

Except that it didn’t. We learned en route that the a/c “broke a few weeks ago”. Knowing the heat wave was coming, we’d let our guests know that the loft might be too stuffy for sleeping, even though we have a/c, so we offered to move an extra single mattress onto the floor in the master bedroom (an offer they took us up on). That might have been a convenient time for them to mention that, contrary to what their listing said, their place would not have a/c. Apparently that didn’t occur to them.

We decided we’d just cycle early in the day when temps were still reasonable. And I’m sure we’d have done that, if I hadn’t thrown my back out carrying stuff up the stairs when we arrived.

So…not exactly the vacation we’d planned, but still enjoyable and a nice change of scenery. The house included access to a private community beach, where shade, a breeze, and a few dips in the lake, helped ward off the stifling afternoon heat. (Ray did a couple of solo early morning cycles, and my back improved each day.)

We visited a winery in North Hatley – Domaine Bergeville – created by two of my former colleagues. They produce only organic sparkling wines. We’d last visited about a decade ago when they were just a few years into production, so it was impressive to see how much they’ve expanded and how far their wine has progressed.

I thought it would be a good idea to try seven of their wines, despite the fact that it wasn’t yet noon and I’d skipped breakfast. Ray was shaking his head at me, but the wine did a fabulous job numbing my back pain. And how else was I supposed to know which one I wanted to buy if not by trying them all?

We also toured a Benedictine monastery. As a non-religious person, I’m intrigued by people who choose this life of silence, devotion, and prayer. I was especially fascinated by the idea of a 26-year old, decades younger than the other monks, who recently joined their ranks. I certainly understand the appeal of escaping from the outside world, but as our guide put it, “If you’re not here for the right reason, to find God, long days of chanting, prayer, and silence are going to get old pretty quickly.”

I wasn’t aware, before this visit, that monks have jobs within the monastery. They can do manual work (there’s a cheese factory and cidery on site), intellectual work (they have a 70,000-book library where one can study chemistry, engineering, etc.), or creative work, such as playing the organ.

Before our trip, and pre-back-tweak, we did a nice 44 km cycle with the Tour de Friends group.

And, finally, our regular feature of Ray’s feathered friends.