Monday, July 14, 2014

To the lighthouse...

Just a brief note to introduce my favourite photo from our recent trip to Caraquet. I won't say anything more, other than that it was taken at the light house at the tip of Miscou Island, which is located where the waters of the Baie des Chaleurs and the Gulf of the St. Lawrence meet off northeast New Brunswick.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Hotel Paulin makes Caraquet a great place to visit

Some photos from our recent trip to Caraquet, a lovely town on the Acadian Peninsula in the northeast corner of New Brunswick. We stayed at the Hotel Paulin, hosted by Gerard Paulin and Karen Mersereau, to celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary and, to put it bluntly, enjoyed the best meal we've had in those ten years.

Hotel Paulin
The Hotel itself is a gorgeous, 18th Century building that has been in the Paulin family for more than 100 years. Carefully restored and updated, it offers magnificent suites, many with amazing views of the Baie de Chaleur. Add to that the culinary expertise of chef Karen Mersereau and you've got a fabulous facility that, all by itself, is worth a visit.

The town of Caraquet is nice enough, with lovely views of the Baie and miles of rocky beaches to enjoy. Unfortunately, Highway 11 runs right through the heart of the town, bringing with it a constant, noisy parade of transport trucks, motorcycles and other types of vehicles that make it hard to enjoy the town.
The Baie de Chaleur from our window

Karen and Gerard

Deck chairs outside the Paulin
We also found that, while Caraquet offers a number of really nice eating establishments, they are scattered along the main drag, getting lost in the shuffle of gas stations, fast food joints and sometimes tumble down houses.

Still, the culinary delights provided by Karen and Gerard at the Paulin are amply complemented by the food at places like Mitchan Sushi, Deja Bu, Restaurant Le Crapet, and Grains de Folie, making Caraquet a worthwhile place to visit.
Shimmering Baie de Chaleur


And the Hotel Paulin's suites are first class, large and quiet, beautifully furnished in a wonderful mixture of traditional elegance and modern convenience.
Exquisite Floral Touch