Day one is not yet over, now it's time to visit this historic old farm. If you don't know your history, (alas, we didn't) this part of Canada was for centuries, known as New France. In the 16th Century, the French government was the Catholic Church, and to help populate New France and to establish Catholicism, the king sent young girls of marriageable age to one of these farms. Here they would learn the skills needed to survive, and to find a suitable husband. These
wards of the king, as they sometimes are called, were desirable mates, as they came with a dowry.
Photography is not allowed inside the house, but I can report the furnishings are all of light pine, not the darker mahogany of New England in the US. Also the smaller portion of the farmhouse where dairy products were stored is the only original part of the building which remains. The rest of the farm was reconstructed after a fire a very long time ago.
Here, a picture of our tour guide. Tours are available in both French and English, and since Michel and Diane are fluent in both, we take the English spoken tour, otherwise we would be lost!
Here the rear of the house is shown, which of course, was originally the front of the house, as you would arrive by boat. Note the drain from the kitchen window. This was a means to dispose of various liquids, most likely a "modern" invention of the time.
Finally, a picture of the gardens with the modern brick building on the right, which I think is an apartment building. The last picture is an addition with a gift shop, cafe, and some living quarters. What a fabulous end to Day 1 of Montreal.
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