Fun with Father, St. Benoit du Lac, Quebec

One of the things I like most about travel is the opportunity to encounter characters -- people who grab life by the horns, are open to others, and willing to share their tales.

These types of people exist everywhere, even right close to my home. But at home, I don't often come face to face with strangers. I stick to my routine and the people I know.

But when I travel, everyone is a stranger. And therefore, everyone I talk to is a potential character.

Now that I'm home from my recent trip to Quebec and reflecting on the journey, one particular character stands out.

I met Father Bolduc for a morning tour of the Saint Benoit du Lac Monastery.

Father Bolduc joined the monastery at the age of 21 and has been there for 60 years. That puts him at a ripe 81 years of age.

I can only hope to be as spry, witty and with-it when I am that age. This father was making jokes, posing for pictures, and connecting with his office on his beeper while filling us in on the history of his monastery, his daily prayer schedule, his past travels to Italy, and his community's making of cheese and apple cider.

And then, suddenly, the bell tower struck twelve. He bid us adieu and disappeared down a hallway for his noon time chanting and church.