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St. Stephen, NB, Canada's famous chocolate town does not rate a separate geographic deliniation in the headings.
It is a town across the river from Maine that houses the Ganong Chocolate Factory. The red brick building is very impressive. It has a drive thru under an array of windows that brings you to the back of the building. I walked thru and found a well coiffed grey haired woman sitting on a bench.
"Are you from around here?," I asked, thinking that she too was visiting the chocolate factory.
"I live here."she said. How could she stand the smell of chocolate brewing every day?
'OH no, the two top floors are apartments and the second floor is for lawyer's and accountant's offices," she was quick to inform me. Quelle surprise!
Turns out the factory moved to new premises 20 years ago. No wonder there were all new windows in the great big edifice!
The bottom floor is occupied by a non-profit Chocolate Museum run by an exceedingly helpful young woman. The story of chocolate and the Ganong family history and involvement in chocolate production is well laid out. It made for interesting reading and observing
... especially all the wonderful box creations. The Ganongs were the first to present Valentine chocolates in a heart shaped box. And that box was covered with cellophane ... another first.
"
Ganong Bros., Limited is
Canada's oldest
candy company. It was founded by
James and
Gilbert Ganong in 1873 in
St. Stephen, New Brunswick, where it remains. Primarily a producer of boxed chocolates, it now provides many chocolates for
Laura Secord stores."
from
There is a lot more to read at this site including the fact that at the moment the 0ne hundred and forty three year old chocolate enterprise has a female president, she being a fifth generation Ganong!
The Ganong factory provides free chocolate and jelly bean samples for visitors to the Museum. I saved my indulgence until the end of the tour and then devoured four almonds covered in dark chocolate. Arriving a bit late I missed the hand dipping of chocolate treats. At one time there had been 130 women engaged in this skill. Only three women are left do the job. Machines now give that hand dipped look to your sweet treats.
The chocolates were actually the last activity on the list of
the ninth day of my GreatMaritimeAdventure.
... left the Winsome Motel in St. Stephen after a 'continental breakfast' (jam, phillycheese, peanut butter, all in little plastic squares, bread, coffee). Would it break the bank to provide a boiled egg or two?
During a longish walk along the river, a local man informed me, using imperial measure, that the tide would reach a 25ft in height. I was heading towards a garden at the top of a hill looking down at a waterfall separating NB from Maine. Daffodils, narcissus and forsythia were in splendid bloom.
On the way back I stopped at the Wool Emporium for about anhour and then a little coffee shop where I had a real breakfast for lunch. I sat andhad a most pleasant chat with two women who had just come from swimming. We chatted for almost two hours.
On my way to Bocabec Garden Cottages my intended shopping for groceries was cut short because of hydro failure. No street lights should have been the first clue ... and drivers were not taking turns at the four corners ...they just drove thru ... ???
These cottages are past St. Andrews where
I will be going 1. for groceries so that I can cook a real meal and 2. for a super street sale on Saturday.
It is cold. Sandra, who is the proprietress, has come to turn on the heat. It is that cold. That is why I am in these cottages for the next seven days instead of being tuff/freezing in a campground.
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Sherry
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You have willpower not to buy any wool. I just bought a 24 ball made in Nova Scotia merino. Unfortunately I need to get another one to make this wrap a little larger? I have been to the Ganong chocolates in St Stephens. Can't remember if we were through St Andrews What a cute little cottage. Is it in St Stephens? The weather here is turning out beautiful and warm. Enjoy your week.