Quebec Souvenirs Full of Nostalgia

Quebec Souvenirs from Saint Lawrence

If you don't know, it's easy to drive by: in the small village of Kamouraska, on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, there are a few shops that sell Quebec souvenirs of a special kind. If you enjoy visiting corner shops and being pampered by delicacies from the village bakery, you should plan a few hours on your journey through eastern Canada for a stay in Kamouraska. Because there is a lot to discover here that makes the heart of every woman who loves browsing small shops beat faster.

Whether the male world is so enthusiastic about a visit to the village shops of the Quebec village depends on the size of their wallets. And of her patience, which she shows towards the women's world. Because no woman comes out of these stores without at least one piece of booty. Petar found that out during our trip through Quebec in September. But what woman can resist jams, herbal oils or soaps in all their fragrance variations. I certainly don't!

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Corner shops sell Quebec souvenirs in Kamouraska

What is special about Kamouraska is that it is a village on the banks of the Sankt Lorenz. There is one house after the next, all of which have been beautifully restored. People seem to feel at home here. They value their home. There are wooden chairs on the verandas that invite you to relax. There, hanging baskets compete for the attention of passers-by.

In the center of the village, the Église Saint-Louis, the village church, dominates the buildings. Among them is the Regional Museum of Kamouraska. We're just going to look inside. We want to find out where the three Quebec souvenir shops we want to visit are located. The Magasin General de Kamouraska - the village's corner shop -, Quai des Bulles, a shop that sells soaps, and the Boulangerie Nobody, the village bakery, which offers pastries like at the baker's in Germany. We need to try this.

At Quai des Bulles there are soaps of all kinds - Quebec souvenirs to take home

Easy to find is the soap shop Quai des Bulles. It's right across from the museum on the Route des Kamouraska near the intersection with Route 132. I climb up one of the wooden porches to the shop. As soon as I open the door, a scent of many different aromas greets me. I think I smell the scent of roses. A step further, the smell is more reminiscent of the freshness of the sea. And one step further, it smells like honey. As it turns out, Richard Gaulthier, the owner of Quai des Bulles, makes a point of using natural materials in the manufacture of his soaps and bath salts. Cold pressed oils, herbs, plant extracts, natural preservatives, shea butter and clay. Many ingredients also come from the region. Fir or cedar oil, Gaspésie seaweed, wild rose and beeswax. He uses it to make handcrafted soaps for all skin types and body care products of all kinds. “Perfect,” I think. "The perfect Quebec souvenir." And Petar patiently pays.

Regional specialties in the Magasin General de Kamouraska – Quebec souvenirs for foodies

The next destination on our shopping tour through Kamouraska is the village shop. This is also located directly on Route 132 a little west of the village church above the river. Even from the outside, I know that there is a lot to be found here that invites you to browse. The building exudes the charm of a cottage from the first half of the 20th century. At that time the shop was still the meeting place for the villagers. Today it is one of Kamouraska's visitor attractions. Because here you can get local specialties packaged as Quebec souvenirs. There are gourmet products such as cheese, smoked meats and sausages that make my mouth water at the sight of them, jams and oil creations with added herbs, as well as a corner where I can look to my heart's content for a souvenir to take home with me among antiques from the region. While my husband talks to the lady at the counter in halting French about life in the village, I happily indulge in my shopping pleasure.

Baked goods at the Boulangerie Nobody in Kamouraska

The third store we want to visit is the hardest to find. the Bakery nobody in the center of Kamouraska. We have to ask again because we don't see them even after driving through the village. Lo and behold! It's across from the church on Route 132, tucked behind a vine-covered entrance that nicely conceals the bakery's sign. We had already noticed the people pouring into this house. In fact, the bakery is very popular with the residents of the region. Quebec souvenirs from the German baker also taste good to the locals. Because here there is a constant coming and going of customers.

Understandable when you see the delicacies that are sold over the counter. There are types of bread made from sourdough, different types of rolls and pies with all kinds of fillings. A treat for the palate, as is the case with ours Picnic turns out. We only regret one thing: that we didn't buy more of them.

What you need for hiking around Kamouraska

Good hiking boots are a must on every hike. There are some hiking trails in the area.
For a snack on the way you need a backpack. You can put your snack in a lunch box and accommodate everything you need for your day trip.

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