Gaspesie Road Trip - Part 1
When my cousin Natasha and I decided to take a road trip around Gaspésie, we jokingly called ourselves Thelma and Louise.
Two women. A car. A road ahead of us. And absolutely no idea how many stories we were about to collect along the way.
We weren’t really looking for a grand adventure. Neither of us had ever been to Gaspesie before, so off we went.
To see some beautiful places. Eat some good food. Maybe meet new people. Follow the road and see where it took us.
Funny how those trips sometimes turn out to be hidden gems in more ways than one.
And, as it turns out, quite a lot happened. Maybe not life-changing. But definitely expanding.
Part 1 : The Reford Gardens & Growing Into What Comes Next
Elsie and the Power to Pivot
As impressive as the gardens were at Jardins de Metis, what stayed with me was the woman behind the vision and the story of how she didn't allow her health challenges to defeat her spirit. Elsie Reford wasn't a professional gardener, she was married to Robert Wilson Reford, a prominent Montreal businessman.
This woman loved salmon fishing, hunting & horseback riding to name a few things. In 1925, she had surgery for appendicitis, and her doctor told her to give up the more intense activities she loved. So gardening was suggested as something gentler, just for recovery.
She was 54 years old. The same age I am now.
Read more about Elsie here
Life changed the plan. So she changed her life. She pivoted, created something beautiful and, in the process, left behind a legacy that continues to grow.
Literally.
And what I loved is that the gardens are still evolving. During our visit, most of the colourful summer blossoms had already faded, but the contemporary gardens from the International Garden Festival were woven into the experience. This year was especially meaningful, it marked 100 years since Elsie Reford began transforming this land.
In late August there wasn't the riot of colour one might expect from such and elaborate garden, but there was something else to notice: Things change. Beauty changes. Things look differently. But you can still appreciate it for what it is now.
That, for me, was one of the things the garden quietly reminded me of.
And then there was Villa Estevan, the restaurant housed inside Elsie Reford's former fishing camp.
We didn't get a chance to taste the cuisine, but I loved the simplicity of the space. Minimalist, almost understated, except for the massive stone fireplace that commands the room and sets the tone.
Stone Fireplace commands the Room
The restaurant also has its own edible garden, with herbs, flowers and other ingredients grown right there and incorporated into the menu.
Edible Garden in Jardin des Metis
The most luscious parsley i’ve ever seen.
