MARJORIE AND JOHN - A WARM AND MEMORABLE TIME ON LES ISLES DE LA MADELEINE - JUST A FEW YEARS AGO AND IMMENSELY HAPPY - 2014 - THIS RESTAURANT IS LOCATED IN WHAT WAS AN OLD STONE CONVENT NOW CONVERTED TO AN INN - WE HAD JUST BEEN DRIVING IN AN AREA NOT FAR AWAY WHICH RESEMBLES PARTS OF SCOTLAND WITH STEEP HILLS AND ROUGH GRASSES AND GLIMPSES OF SEA WHEN WE STOPPED HERE - OUR SWEET-TEMPERED WAITRESS FROM QUEBEC CITY TOOK THE PICTURE FOR US - SHE WAS THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE OWNER'S SON - MARJIE MADE ALL THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS TRIP OF A LIFETIME - I TOLD HER OF SEEING THE ISLANDS FROM THE AIR DECADES AGO (THEY ARE UNIQUELY SHAPED AND SURROUNDED WITH BEACHES) AND THEN WE SAW A RICARDO COOKING SHOW EPISODE LOCATED THERE - I WAS SURPRISED THERE WERE SOPHISTICATED CRAFTS SUCH AS CHEESE-MAKING AND BREWING AT SUCH A FAIRLY REMOTE PLACE - IT SHARES SOME OF THE BETTER QUALITIES OF MAINE BUT WITH LESS COMMERCIALISM AND IT HAS ASSOCIATIONS OF OLD FRANCE AND THE DAYS OF L'ACADIE - THERE IS A KIND OF PLEASANT SIMPLICITY (FAR MORE SO THAN MAINE) I'VE SEEN FEW OTHER PLACES AND THEY WORK TO KEEP IT - FENCING THINGS IN (EXCEPT WHEN IT COMES TO SOMETHING LIKE A HERD OF CATTLE AND THEN IT IS JUST A SIMPLE WIRE FENCE) IS NOT ALLOWED AND THE SIZE OF HOUSES IS LIMITED SO AS NOT TO ALTER THE FEEL OF THE PLACE - A CHARMING MAN WHO RAN A CAFE EXPLAINED THAT WITHOUT FENCES THE KIDS CAN WALK TO THE BEACH FROM ANYWHERE (A TRULY LOVELY THING TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF) - ABUNDANT WILD FLOWERS - GORGEOUS MARSHES - GORGEOUS MILES-LONG STRETCHES OF BEACH - RED SANDSTONE FORMATIONS - MANY SMALL FISHING BOATS - OVERALL A SENSE OF SERENITY - THE MORE-OR-LESS OFFICIAL SYMBOL FOR THE ISLANDS IS A ROW OF WASH HUNG OUT ON A CLOTHESLINE AND THAT'S A SIGHT YOU SEE MANY TIMES - ESPECIALLY CHARMING WHEN YOU SEE IT NEXT TO A LITTLE ROW OF BRIGHTLY COLORED HOUSES MARCHING UP OR DOWN A HILL - A JOHN CHUCKMAN IMAGE