Last weekend was one for the books. On Friday afternoon I was feeling a bit blah and the day wasn’t going as planned, and I spontaneously texted Chris, asking him to “take me away” for the weekend. Within minutes he was on his phone planning up an entire weekend in Prince Edward County, a beautiful area east of Toronto known for its wines. Seriously, I have the best man.
Our weekend began with a fun country dance out where Chris’ family lives. On our drive out there, we saw the most enormous harvest moon I’ve ever seen. It was hanging low and lit up the entire sky. Chris pulled over so that I could take a good picture of it. We partied at the Legion with his sisters and brothers-in-law, dancing to the live band and bidding on the silent auction. Chris snagged a couple of Tom Thompson (Group of Seven) prints, which are gorgeous and will make a nice addition to his home. The next morning we headed off for the County, as the locals call it. While Chris had planned a private tour of Waupoos Winery, we weren’t able to make it in time, and instead stopped in Wellington for their annual Pumpkinfest! Everyone was walking around with little pumpkin crocheted hats, craft and goodie stalls were set up, the sidewalks were full, and the giant pumpkins were being weighed. It was awesome. Chris bought me a bowl of steaming hot chilli and some apple ciders, and we sat at a little picnic table overlooking Lake Ontario. Afterwards we checked out a petting zoo that had been set up. There was a baby goat wearing a sweater that stole my heart. Adorbs.
After we left Pumpkinfest, we continued east along the main drag, enjoyed a cappuccino and espresso at a sidewalk cafe, and popped in and out of antique stores. I loved all the old barns filled to the brim with antiques. One store was having a renovation sale, and I managed to snag a Romanian food preparation bowl from the early 1800s for $75 (I’ve been eyeing them in Toronto for years, but they are all well over $250). What a great find. I can’t wait to put it on a console table behind a couch, heaping with pinecones or something. Right now it’s sitting next to my couch filled with throw blankets. I just love how rustic it is. Here’s Chris modeling it on his head:
For lunch we stopped into Bloomfield, to the a cheese bar/speakeasy. I had a swiss chard Caesar salad with a poached egg, while Chris enjoyed a charcuterie. Both were excellent, especially if washed down with some Waupoos cider. For dessert, I had what was arguably the best gluten-free dessert I’ve had in 5 years: a buttertart with flaky pastry and oozing filling. Heaaaaven. The day just kept getting better.
As we drove to our bed and breakfast, we marvelled at all the old Victorian homes. They have been restored to their original beauty, and are carefully maintained by their owners. Seeing all the old homes was definitely a highlight of the trip, and it had our minds buzzing with possible relocations in the future. We stayed at La Bella e Vita B&B in Picton. It was one of those old Victorian homes, and was done up in an Italian manor style. Not my taste, exactly, but pretty nonetheless. The super tall ceilings and thick mouldings made for some beautiful rooms.
For dinner we walked into town and ate at the Acoustic Bar & Grill. Phenomenal food. We listened to a live guitar duet play while munching on salty home-made potato chips with red pepper mayo and Waupoos cider, and then enjoyed a roast chicken sandwich and a steak for our mains. We scurried back to the B&B in the freezing rain, thankful to have such a gorgeous room to welcome us.
On Sunday morning the B&B owners laid out an amazing spread: a yogourt/granola bar with all the toppings, fresh fruit, and pastries (Chris keeps talking about the custard croissants!). Then we were served an antipasti platter of meats and cheeses, and pickled vegetables. Finally we received the main course, “eggs in purgatory”, which were poached eggs in marinara sauce atop a crostini with basil. SO GOOD.
At 11:00am, Chris set up a private appointment at Sandbanks winery. We did a lengthy tasting, which was interesting, considering all the food we had just indulged in, which came with a nice cheese and cracker spread. I literally could not eat anymore cheese, at which point Chris knew I must have been very full indeed! After receiving our two free bottles of Baco Noir Reserve, we wandered through the vines, nibbling on grapes that had been missed in the harvest. Then it was on to Waupoos cider company. After a cider tasting I bought some ice cider, and we frolicked around the vines. I could not get over the gorgeous view of Lake Ontario through the vineyard! It was such a beautiful sunny day out too, that the whole experience was so enjoyable.
On our way back west, we popped into a few places: an art/antique shop that was filled to the brim with crazy art and collectibles, and “The Marshmallow Room” where we bought some home-made lemon marshmallows from heaven. All in all, it was an incredibly beautiful tour through the County in the fall. The colours of the leaves, the old fashioned homes, the foodie culture, the vineyards, and the quaint antique shops all combined to create one memorable weekend. Here’s a video I made (pardon the shakiness of it) of the little snapshots of our weekend, if you’d like to see:
Prince Edward County Movie from H Pals on Vimeo.
