A Shore Thing

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Au Gré du Vent holds acrobatic kite-flying workshops with resident wind-current expert Gino. The trick is all in the elbow, he explains. You can also go the do-it-yourself route with a kid’s kite-making workshop. 

Johanne Vigneault, the gifted chef and owner of La Table des Roy, has a talent for mixing Asian influences with local ingredients. To wit: suckling veal carpaccio from Nathaëls, grilled halibut marinated in sake and miso, shrimp tempura with coconut and maple syrup soufflé.

Fromagerie du Pied-de-Vent makes two cheeses: the outstanding Tomme des Demoiselles and the equally exquisite Pied-de-Vent (with a slightly washed rind). In 1998, the owner imported a herd of black Canadian cows. The result: raw-milk cheeses whose reputations extend way beyond the Magdalen Islands.

Hand-painted on the ceiling of our room at Domaine du Vieux Couvent was a subtle and playfully suggestive phrase about a lonely gentleman and a leafless daisy. Dubbed La Fondatrice, it was one of 10 suites at this renovated seaside convent, which is as laidback as it is sophisticated. For further proof, visit the eclectic bistro. 

La Brume de Mer’s hot-stone massage, with masseur Serge Caron, uses stones gathered on the beach and is accompanied by a soundtrack of real – not pre-recorded – waves. For an equally natural alternative, try Linda Renaud’s seaweed treatment.

Located in a former schoolhouse on Havre-aux-Maisons island, Verrerie La Méduse showcases the work of skilled glass-blowers, including owner François Turbide. You can pick up souvenirs rivalling those from Murano and then watch from an observation deck as glass-blowers get all fired up.

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