My ma and pa have come and gone for their visit to Vermont. We had perfect weather, to say the least. We went to a monastey in the township of Austin, Quebec, Canada. The name of this glorious, majestic place was St. Benoit-du-lac (pictured above). It was one of the most inspiring, humbling experiences of my life. The place was built on the shore of Lake Memphremagog in 1912. It looks like a castle in the distance, and even still some up close. It's south of Montreal, so if you're ever in the area, take the time to see it. A handful of exiled French monks from Belgium established it, led by leader Dom Paul Vannier. The going wasn't easy, however. Dom Vannier died in a boating accident, and poverty, isolation and hard work took their toll. The website is www.st-benoit-du-lac.com. They have a great gift shop that sells choclates, cheeses, and, of course, a large variety of religious artifacts. I bought a cross with St. Benoit on it, and had it blessed by a monk while I was there. I, unfortunately, managed to lose te cross already. The chain I had it on must have snapped at some point. I didn't feel it fall off. I'm bummed! 

We also went to a Scottish festival in Lincoln, NH (was packed, but awesome) at the Loon Mountain Resort. The website for the Highland Games is www.nhscot.org. They have pipe bands, fiddle contests, harp competitions, Sheep dog trials, Scottish country dancing, sword fighting, heavyweight Scottish athletics, etc. If you like Renaissance festivals, you'll probably like this, too.