A country drive

Whether you are rebounding from the American commotion, whether you’re interested to have an assuaging local diversion or whether you looking for a spot to have a bite to eat, a drive from Ottawa or nearby Almonte and Carleton Place to Neat Coffee Shop in Burnstown near Arnprior is an exceedingly pleasant recovery for the alteration. And within an agreeable distance.

Neat Coffee Shop Burnstown, Renfrew County, Ontario

There are several convenient ways to drive to Neat Café. There is the predominantly 4-lane venture north along the Queensway (417) past Arnprior then west upon the 2-lane winding, up and down Calabogie Road with its bucolic adjoining views. Or north along Hwy#29 to the Village of Pakenham then west upon Waba Road to White Lake district then Burnstown Road through an equally rural atmosphere. On a sunny day the scenery borders on majestic as one weaves through the hinterland of the Ottawa Valley.

When arriving at the Café one immediately discovers nearby the ample parking lot a hint of the freshness of the food that follows. There are lush wooden boxed gardens of green and hot peppers for example. The fruit plate which accompanied my bacon, lox and eggs this morning was nonpareil as was everything else including the Breakfast Cookie about which I cannot rhapsodize enough. Naturally the service is commensurate with the whole; that is, tasteful and professional.

Our outing today was preceded by a whistle-stop at the hospital in Arnprior to drop off a monitoring device. The hospital and its dedicated physicians is another perk of rural domicile. Even the drive there this morning was forgiving, largely tranquillized by removal from the urban traffic.

Lastly – but warranting similar gratification – we quietly amused ourselves at table this morning while waiting our food to arrive by focusing upon the assiduous bees and hornets fulfilling their pollinating duties among the floral hedgerows. Another of life’s miracles!