Vancouver to Ottawa

One of the things on my To Do List has always been to travel across Canada. The possibility of riding bicycles across was something frequently discussed with friends. In the past, we had undertaken some amazing rides, but riding across Canada seemed unlikely, especially given the age of my cycling friends. By the time I retire and have the time to attempt such an adventure, my friends will be more focused on learning how their walkers work and any dream of cycling across Canada will likely have been forgotten.

So, when the opportunity came up to travel this summer, I knew this was my chance. Hannah and I would strike out for parts unknown. We would have no plan or destination. We would have six weeks to see as much of Canada as we could. The following is an account of our adventures.

(Please note that the blog dates are not accurate because I want to keep the blog in chronological order. The dates in each post are accurate, though.)

July 2 Maple Ridge to Penticton

The challenge today was getting our gear into the car without Buddy (our dog) knowing we were leaving. For the last couple of days, Buddy had sensed something was up. Perhaps it had to do with the duffle bags that only seemed to come out when we abandoned him for days on end. At any rate, Buddy stuck to me like glue. When it was time to leave, Jodi took Buddy for a walk and we snuck out of town.

The trip to Penticton was uneventful. The highway had reopened after the mudslide and we enjoyed a nice leisurely drive to the Okanagan. Once there, we visited with my mom and Jodi’s parents and did some last minute preparations for our trip. It dawned on me at one point that Penticton seemed to be the leaping off point for some of the most significant events in my life. I married Jodi, competed in Iron Man and was now ready to embark on a cross-country odyssey with an eleven-year-old daughter.

July 4 Penticton to Golden B.C.

We had a beautiful drive up the valley and made great time traveling through Kelowna, Vernon and Armstrong. We had the obligatory stop for ice cream at the D Dutchman Dairy in Sicamous.

We joined the TransCanada highway and continued over Roger’s Pass to Golden. We were making such good time that we decided to continue on to Lake Louise. Twenty minutes out of Golden, we came upon a serious accident involving a large rental motor home. Due to a fatality, we were told the highway would be closed for six hours. We turned around and found a nice campsite at the Chancellor Peak campground on the Kicking Horse River where we spent a night listening to trains, a guy chopping wood, and a woman trying in vain to channel Patsy Cline on her guitar.

July 5 Golden to Swift Current Saskatchewan

Awoke to beautiful sunshine and the same woman trying to channel Patsy. Hannah and I packed quickly and drove back to the highway, which had reopened sometime in the night. Hannah slept to Canmore, Alberta, where we stopped for a bite to eat and some ice for the cooler. I listened to Supertramp as the sun caught the peaks of the mountains. Took ¾ of an hour to traverse the city of Calgary. Tourists and vendors were heading into the city. We were happy to see the last of the guy towing the Deep Fried Oreos trailer when he pulled off for the Stampede grounds. Within thirty minutes, the last of the Rockies slipped away from my rearview mirror and the expanse of the prairies began to envelop us.

It was interesting to watch and listen to Hannah as we drove east. “No one lives here!” she said. Which was quickly followed with, “Why would anyone live here?” She couldn’t believe how green things were and how flat the landscape was. Kilometers clicked by. Hannah would look up periodically from the book she was reading and engage in a bit of conversation, which I suspect she felt obligated to do before returning to her book. During the quiet times, I stared out at the fields of green and yellow and old abandoned homesteads and wondered what life must have been like for the early Europeans who came to farm in Canada.

Every once in a while, my attention would return to the road as some guy driving a mini-van with the roof racks loaded to the hilt would come flying up behind me. You can see these guys coming for miles, but they can’t seem to see me. For some reason, they don’t switch into the fast lane until they are two to three car lengths from us. Once past, they immediately swerve back into the slow lane in front of us. Think Chevy Chase. I hold my breath waiting for a sleeping bag or bicycle to come sliding off their roof into our path. I uttered a few words and explained to Hannah that I was practising my French in case we make it to Quebec.

Today I almost had a close encounter with a gopher. We were zipping along at the posted speed of 110 when I spotted something on the white line of the shoulder. It turns out it was a gopher standing erect on its hind legs. He’s wondering, “Can I make it?” I’m yelling, “Don’t even try!” At the last moment he sits down. Disaster avoided. I didn’t want to incur yet another layer of organic matter on the front of the car.

We pulled into Swift Current around four and looked for a campsite. There were only two to choose from so we visited both. Hannah made the final decision. I asked the manager what his policy on wood chopping and country music was. He said they had a no noise after ten policy. I slapped down my credit card.

We followed the campground manager to our site. Hannah commented that at least we know it will be flat, because we are in Saskatchewan! The site was sloping and in open sun, but we were assured it would catch the shade of a nearby tree by 7:30. There was a slight breeze with a hint of septic field that helped cool us slightly. There were just enough mosquitoes to keep us active after a long drive.

July 6 Swift Current, Saskatchewan to Kenora, Ontario

A couple of things – First, managers who tell you their campground has a no-noise policy are liars. Hannah and I climbed into our tent around seven to escape mosquitoes and to read a little. From seven to ten, a Briggs & Stratton engine cycled on and off. Think pressure washer outside your bedroom window.

Second, if still alive, I would seek out Ralph Teetor and kiss him on the lips. Who is this Ralph you ask? He was a prolific (and blind) inventor who invented cruise control. I can’t imagine driving the distances we did today without it. We actually drove for hours without touching either the break or gas pedals. Contemplated having Hannah take a turn at the wheel but she was too engrossed in her book. Every summer reading program should involve a cross-Canada road trip. Hannah has read over eleven hundred pages just in the last two days!

Today started early. We were awoken by a cacophony of train whistles, engine retarder brakes, and birdcalls. We began our day with a search for fuel. Swift Current apparently doesn’t cater to customers requiring gas before 6 am. Tried to get into Tim Hortons, but the line up was out the door and the drive through line of Ford Super Duty trucks extended down the street. Every guy was ordering a coffee and having his work thermos filled. Finally found a gas station that opened at 6:30 and ate some cereal out of the back of the car before heading down the highway into a brilliant Saskatchewan sun.

Scenery remained much the same past Regina and into Brandon, Manitoba. After Brandon there appeared to be more fields lying fallow and more farm buildings. It has been a wet spring in Manitoba, so maybe some crops never made it into the ground. We crossed the Souris River and witnessed the flooding first hand. Water was lapping against the bottom of the bridge. Can’t imagine what the bugs will be like in a few weeks. Speaking of bugs, we drove through a squadron of dragonflies, just outside of Winnipeg, for about thirty minutes. The bugs and windshield wiper fluid produced an opaque substance much like mayonnaise, which made driving into the sun all the more difficult. Saw another gopher standing on the white line today. Hannah and I think they stand on the white painted line because it is cooler than standing on the black asphalt. These are the things we chat about.

We approached the eastern outskirts of Winnipeg just as a massive thunderstorm arrived from the north. We decided to skip the city and its rush hour traffic and continue traveling east towards Kenora. Sixty minutes to the east brought us into a mixed forest, hills and rocky outcrops. We caught glimpses of lakes through the trees and were amazed at how many cottages (houses) there were. Pulled into the quaint town of Kenora and decided to get a room for the night rather in the hopes of getting some sleep. I didn’t bother asking the manager to put us on the quiet side of the motel.

July 7 Kenora to Thunder Bay

Late start today – 8:30 am. Left Kenora under a beautiful blue sky. Drove for about 400 km through what seemed like a tunnel lined with trees and rock cuts. Caught the odd glimpse of lakes along the way. Felt like we were crawling along at 90 km/h after ripping across the prairies. Ontario spends a lot of money enforcing the speed limits. From Calgary to the Ontario border we saw one police car. Since crossing into Ontario, we were literally seeing one every hour or so. The fines for exceeding the speed limit are extreme. That being said, two young people were killed in separate accidents on the same highway last night just outside of Kenora. Speed and alcohol were both factors.

This stretch of highway seems to attract people supporting causes or on a quest. We saw people cycling, backpacking, and walking with all manner of carts and wagons. All were festooned with brightly coloured t-shirts promoting their cause. One guy, in particular, was pulling a cart with a large cross. Hanging off the cart was a sign warning us that the world would soon come to an end. Hannah laughed and said, “Good! We can turn around and head back home.” A ProLife group was also walking. They wore t-shirts emblazoned with the words CHOOSE LIFE! I wondered, given their position, why they were walking two and three abreast along the shoulder of a winding two lane highway?

Stopped in Thunder Bay. Drove down to the lake and saw the huge grain terminals. Did some shopping before stopping at the Information/Tourist Center. Decided to camp for the night at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. On the way out of Thunder Bay, we stopped at the Terry Fox Memorial. The site is located just a few kilometers from where Terry was forced to stop running. The memorial is located above the highway overlooking Lake Superior. It was quite emotional viewing the actual statue of Terry and reading about his journey.

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is located about 35 km off the main highway. It offers beautiful views of Lake Superior via some hiking trails. The province of Ontario requested $45 for the privilege of camping in their park. I think I looked a little shocked because the young woman working behind the desk asked if I still wanted to camp.

The campsite was situated right on Mary Louise Lake. Across the lake lay the sleeping giant, which in reality is a series of forested hills. We pitched the tent and set out a couple of chairs to relax, upon when we spotted the first thundercloud building. Lightning and thunder soon began and were followed by gusts of wind blowing rain horizontally off the lake. We sat out the storm in the safety of the car and prayed our tent would still be there after the storm passed. Hannah read and I had time to do some route planning for the next day. Dinner was supposed to be pasta and salad. Dinner was salad and a salami sandwich. The storm began to pass and we were formally introduced to Ontario’s infamous humidity. Through our steamed up windshield we were able to watch several large three point deer grazing in our campsite. Pretty idyllic.

July 8 Thunder Bay to Blind River

Today we traveled down the east coast of Lake Superior. The drive reminded both us of the Sea to Sky Highway along Howe Sound.

Hannah could not believe she was looking at a lake and not part of an ocean.

The trees along the coast were windblown. Behind the trees, pockets of rocky coastline gave way to large crescent-shaped sandy beaches. The most surprising thing for me was the colour of the water. It was turquoise and not grey as I had expected. Soon we were back in the green forest tunnel. There were few opportunities or places to stop and admire a view.

Hannah and I have fallen into a bit of a daily routine involving Tim Hortons. We stop for coffee and hot chocolate each morning. Today’s stop was in Wa Wa, Ontario. Wa Wa is a town of 1000 people and home to some of the largest Canadian geese statues in the world and one extremely busy Tim’s.

Road signs become something to look forward to. Most often the signs name the small lakes that you pass. The lakes are named after all manner of things (e.g. Clear Lake, Deep Lake, Dog Tooth Lake, etc.) We came across Dad’s Lake and them Mom’s Lake. A few kilometers down the highway, we came across Orphan Lake. We surmised that Mom and Dad couldn’t swim.

As we travelled, we were able to see bits of Lake Huron. We came across several farms where Hutterites or Mennonites were busy harvesting hay. They were wearing traditional dress, using scythes, and loading the cut hay onto horse-drawn wagons. It was quite something to see after witnessing the huge machinery used on the farms across the prairies.

Reached Sault St. Marie early in the afternoon. Took a quick look around and decided to head out of town and find a campsite. We stopped for the night one hour east of Sault St. Marie at Blind River.

Spoke to the manager of the campground about the road ahead to Ottawa. He was in his early forties and had taken over the family-run business. I asked him about the travelling time to Ottawa. He was unsure because he had never had the need to make the drive. Everything he needed was in Blind River. Blind River is a town of less than 1000 people. It does not have a Tim Hortons.

Our site was located next to the river. Pulled everything out of the car and reorganized. Both of us are missing having Jodi around to organize our lives. We now have a system in place and know where everything is. Large Walleye were feeding on the bugs that eventually drove us into our tent after a delicious dinner of pasta and salad.

July 9 Blind River to Ottawa

Broke camp in about 5 minutes. Threw everything into the back of the car and got away from swarms of mosquitoes. Our system of organization lasted less than twelve hours. Today’s drive took us through Sudbury, North Bay, Chalk River, and Petawawa. We stopped in North Bay for a coffee and hot chocolate. Counted 25 employees in a standard sized Tim's store!

Fact: Tim Horton’s in Ontario are better than those in B.C. Their egg muffins are actually cooked on site, not reheated like the ones back home. Coffee tastes better too!

Numerous smoke stacks dominated the skyline as we drove through Sudbury. During the remainder of the drive, the landscape consisted of gently rolling farmland. Lots of dairy farms and strawberry fields. The highway is north of Lake Huron, but you rarely get a chance to see the lake.

Arrived in Ottawa in the early afternoon thanks to our GPS. They’re magical little devices that take the stress out of trying to drive and navigate through an unfamiliar city. Came off the highway, drove along the Rideau Canal right to the Parliament Buildings. We found our hotel and then headed out on foot to explore the city. We missed the last tour of the Common Block so we headed down to the locks on the canal and walked to the National Gallery. We spent some time walking though a cool market/restaurant/bar area of the city called Byward Market before heading to Chapters. Hannah had run out of reading material. After the book store, we went to Dunn’s Delicatessen for a smoked meat sandwich. When we entered the deli, we noticed a group of scantily clad young women who were laughing and eating their meals. We thought it odd when all three got up at different times and walked out. We had just witnessed a dine and dash. I am sure the waiter could have chased them down if he was a little fitter as they wearing heels and boob tubes and probably couldn’t have run very fast. Hannah and I had a lot to talk about while we ate our delicious meal.

At ten, we walked back up Rideau Street to the Parliament buildings to watch a laser show called Mosaika. Hannah had her eyes opened as she saw a darker side of Ottawa. We walked past hookers, drug addicts, aggressive panhandlers, pub-crawlers and Liberal-appointed senators. The show itself was amazing. Beautiful images of Canada and Canadians set to music and narration outlined the achievements of our nation. Following the show, we walked briskly back to the hotel. Hopefully the imprint of Hannah’s nails will fade from my hand quickly.

Here is a Youtube link to the show that I found.

Mosaika

July 10 Ottawa (Day 2)

Woke up at 8:30 and retraced our steps from last night to get tickets for a tour of the Parliament Buildings. Stopped at the first Starbucks since Canmore. The cash register wasn’t working so we got everything gratis. It was going to be a great day! Promptly spilled my free coffee down my shirt and shorts. I now looked like one of the people we walked past the night before.

The tour was very interesting. The interior architecture reminded me of churches Jodi and I walked through in Europe. Lots of arches and flying buttresses. The intricate limestone was amazing and spoke to the skill of the stone cutters. Our tour guide was excellent; however, another group from Vancouver, including their extended family from China, insisted on chatting throughout the tour. I wanted to tell them to shut up, but I remembered I was a Canadian and therefore too polite to do so. Thankfully, an American from New York did it for me. Got to see the House of Commons, the staircase P.E.T slid down, the library and the Senate Chamber. Lots of grumbling from the Canadians in the group while the tour leader spoke of the virtues of having an appointed Senate. My new American friend was shocked to hear our Senators had little accountability. Apparently, no one had ever lost a Senate seat, except to death. Got to the top of the Peace Tower and witnessed amazing views of Ottawa, Gatineau and the Ottawa River.

Upon leaving the Common Block, we had just missed the Changing of the Guard ceremony. We were able to get a picture of a Hannah and a guard, which was pretty cool. Walked back to the Byward Market area for some breakfast. Interesting enough, we witnessed our second Dine and Dash in two days! Who knows, maybe we’ll give it a shot before leaving Ottawa. Seems pretty easy.

Walked across the Alexander Bridge to the Canadian Museum of Civilization where we spent three hours walking through the exhibits. We were both very surprised with the amount of B.C. content. My favourite display was about the building of the transcontinental railway. It was narrated by Pierre Burton and reminded me of the documentary from years ago entitled the “National Dream”. After the museum, we headed back to our room to do a little laundry and to plan our departure to Montreal on Monday. Will go out one more time tonight to listen to a little music in the market area.

Quebec

July 11 Ottawa to Montreal

Left the capital in a light rain and headed down Highway 17 to La Belle Province. Pleasant enough drive through dairy farms. Driving is a bit monotonous due to the expansion joints in the roadway. The rhythmic bumps almost lull you to sleep. We averaged about 120 km/h and were by far the slowest car on the highway. There was no danger getting a speeding ticket today. Passed a couple of cars from B.C. We both looked to see if we knew who was driving. We didn't.

Traffic built up considerably just outside of Montreal. Lane-changing appears to be a provincial sport in Quebec. We entered a lengthy five-lane tunnel that joined the mainland to the island of Montreal. Cars were zooming everywhere around us like angry hornets. Hannah noticed everyone was either smoking, drinking coffee or talking on his or her cell phones. I didn’t notice much as I was focusing my attention on keeping the car in the middle of the lane. Cars with side damage and broken mirrors were more the norm than the exception.

Our GPS delivered us safely to our lovely hotel that Jodi found for us. It is located in the University district and is quite nice. It will be tough to return to tenting once we leave Quebec City in a few days.

Once unpacked, we headed out the door to explore Old Montreal. Our first impression: It was humid, busy, under construction and everyone smokes. There was scaffolding, closed sidewalks and guys with jackhammers breaking up roadways and sidewalks throughout the city.

We decided to take a walking tour of the city. Our guide, Phillipe, a French Canadian whose second favourite hockey team is the Vancouver Canucks, began the tour by taking us through Notre Dame. That's him in the white shirt next to Hannah in the blue. He regaled us with facts and statistics about the church; however, anything he had to say, was surpassed by the sheer beauty of the building itself. Hannah was impressed that it cost $4500 to rent the church for a wedding and it could accommodate over 10 000 people. There is a two-year waiting list to get married in Notre Dame. Celine Dion was married here, and she didn’t have to wait two years to get a date. Pierre Elliot Trudeau’s funeral was also held in the church.

We contemplated lighting a candle and saying a little prayer for our dog Buddy, but since no one in our family, including Buddy, is Catholic, we didn’t think the prayer would take.

The tour of Old Montreal was great. We saw the old financial district, which was the banking center of Canada at one time. We learned that the Molson family not only began the first brewery in North America, but they also owned a bank alongside the likes of the Royal and the Canadian Bank of Commerce. We stopped outside of another old bank building that had been converted into a trendy boutique hotel called the St. James. Apparently, it is the place to stay in Montreal. The Stones and U2 both rent the entire building when they come to Montreal.

We were able to see the influence of both the French and English in the architectural design of the buildings. This part of Montreal has been gentrified and has become a popular place for Montrealers to live.

After the tour, we went down into the underground shopping network that is beneath Montreal. Shops and hotel lobbies and metro stations can be found there. It was nice to get into an air conditioned environment, and I can only imagine how popular the shopping areas are in the winter when Montreal gets two to three meters of snow and experiences temperatures that dip down into the minus thirties. The lower mainland may get a lot of rain, but we do live in a very livable climate.

After our short sojourn underground, Hannah and I started out on our pilgrimage to Schwartz’s Deli. Like all pilgrimages, there was some suffering experienced. The rain began falling lightly and then after about ten blocks, it was falling with more of a purpose. By block fifteen we were soaked. Hannah suggested we buy an umbrella or perhaps consider a cab. Eventually we arrived at the mecca of all delicatessens. A line stretched along the front of the building. We caught the last spot under the awning and waited for the little diner to clear out a little.

It looked like it would be a lengthy wait somewhat reminiscent of waiting for pasta at Antons in Burnaby. Eventually, a waiter waved for us to come inside. Imagine a diner from the 1920’s that has never been renovated. Imagine people young and old sitting on swivel seats at the counter and at old arborite tables. The din from the conversations was almost overwhelming. Schwartz’s is like a mini United Nations. There were people from everywhere eating and laughing while the staff yelled at each other in Hebrew as they pushed by to deliver their orders.

I looked around the busy restaurant for an open table with no success. I couldn’t understand why we had been asked to come into the restaurant. The waiter came by and I asked him where our table was. He pointed at a table with four chairs that was already occupied by an elderly man who was obviously savoring his meal. I had to excuse myself to get by and I wished my French had been better. We all smiled politely at each other and Hannah and I sat down. Now, I had done some research. I knew how to order. You ask for your smoked meat to be medium so it wouldn’t be too dry. Before I got a chance to order, our waiter stopped at a nearby table. One guy wanted his sandwich meat thin. The waiter shook his head and said, "No, you want it medium. Otherwise it will be too dry.” Next it was our turn. We ordered two smoked meat sandwiches (medium), two pickles, some slaw, and two cream sodas. I could tell he was impressed by the way he slapped closed his order book and headed off to collect our food.

So, after being at Dunn’s and Schwartz’s, I would have to say Schwartz’s is the best. The food is excellent and the ambiance of the deli can’t be beat. Judging by the pictures of celebrities who adorn the walls, we are not the only ones who liked the place.

With our pilgrimage complete, the rain stopped as we left the deli. The wind and clouds had been replaced with sunshine and unimaginable humidity. We walked back to the hotel through the university district.

This quaint district is filled with trendy little bistros, bars, shops and parks.

The parks and streets are lined with maple trees that contrast with the brightly coloured, ornate heritage homes. Strains of violins and cellos could be heard wafting through the neighbourhood. The end to a great day in Montreal.

Quebec City

July 12 Montreal to Quebec City

Straight shot up the highway from Montreal to Quebec City. Scenery consisted of mostly farmland. A much nicer day today, however the humidity, if possible is worse than what we experienced in Montreal. Jodi booked us a nice little hotel room just two blocks from the entrance to Old Quebec City. The valet whisked our car away before we realized Hannah was standing in her flip-flops, which aren’t very suitable for a day of walking. I know what you are thinking... VALET? Well, parking is at a premium in this city and even little budget hotels like the one we are staying in have to offer the service. Our luggage was still in the car because we didn’t have access to the room until 3. We eventually got to the car and Hannah changed her shoes.

We entered old Quebec City and were immediately taken back in time. The narrow cobblestone roads wound around hotels, shops, restaurants and churches. The town had a definite European feel to it. There were lots of tourists around, but judging by license plates, most were from Quebec.

We walked down to an overlook high above the St. Lawrence in front of the Chateau Frontenac. Buskers entertained groups of tourists all along the boardwalk.

Next, we visited a section of the Plains of Abraham and continued to the star-shaped Citadel. We watched the regimental parade and wondered how the soldiers were able to fend off heat exhaustion in their full dress uniforms. We learned a little about the battle between the French and English from a park interpreter. He told us the final battle lasted for less than thirty minutes because the French were not prepared for an attack from behind the fort. Our guide actually seemed a bit peeved as he recounted the story. You got the feeling he felt the British hadn’t played fair with the tactics they used. From the citadel you could hear competing bands playing in one of the twelve outdoor venues that are part of the local summer music festival.

Finally got into our room and freshened up. Decided to go for dinner around 7 and then check out a Cirque du Soleil show at 9:30. The streets were crammed with restaurants so we walked along trying to decide where to eat. We continued walking towards where the Cirque show was supposed to be. Our sidewalk came to an end and the roadway continued over a high-level overpass. In the distance, below the overpass, we saw some staging. We searched for a way down and found a set of wooden stairs that delivered us tot he street some eight to nine stories below. We emerged into a run-down neighbourhood beneath the overpass.

After our nights out in Ottawa, Hannah was a little nervous and suggested that we watch a little of the show and then head back to the hotel. We continued walking and came to a fenced off area that had the staging inside. There were no signs indicating it was a Cirque show site, so we decided to head off in search of a restaurant. I reminded Hannah that Quebec City was known for its Haute Cuisine.

We ended up eating at a Chinese Restaurant run by a French Canadian couple. After some initial language difficulties, we ordered some chicken chow mein and a beef and broccoli dish. When the food arrived, we were both a little shocked. It didn’t look like any Chinese food we had seen back at home. However, we were both so hungry that we tucked into the food and were pleasantly surprised. It was absolutely delicious.

We left the restaurant at about 8 and walked back to where Cirque was performing. By the time we returned, there were already two lines of about 500 people. A third line with about 8 people had started so we joined them. One family was from Connecticut and the other was from Ohio. The Connecticut family was seeing the show for the third consecutive night. By about 9 p.m., 5000 people had gathered and the gates finally opened. We followed the family from Connecticut thinking they must know where to go.

It turned out the viewing area was a gravel lot complete with mud puddles. There were no seats. We ended up standing beside a barrier right in front of the stage.

Several cast members came out and entertained the crowd. One guy in particular kept picking on me by turning my ball cap around. Just before the show began, one of the other performers on the stage told me to turn my "chapeau" around. I was feeling a bit persecuted and Hannah thought it was great! The show was titled Les Chemins Invisibles. It told the story of a king and his control over his subjects.

There were acrobats, musicians, dancers, and singers all performing in front of a massive multimedia presentation. It was an amazing show-as good as any Broadway production I’ve ever seen. Hannah was so excited during the show that there was no mention of leaving early.

Our walk back to the hotel was very pleasant. There was an impressive police presence. Roads were closed and we witnessed no disorderly conduct. We were happy to return to our room and get off our feet after a full day of sightseeing.

July 13 Quebec City (Day 2)

We enjoyed our complimentary breakfast in the hotel before venturing out. The streets were quiet compared to the night before. There were only a few tourists stumbling around with street maps of the city.

Our plan today was to explore both the lower and upper sections of Old Quebec City. We headed straight down to the shores of the St. Lawrence and wandered around the narrow cobblestone streets and window-shopped outside of the high-end stores. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Sunny with a light breeze and no humidity.

We stopped and watched the Funicular (an inclined railcar) carry tourists to the upper parts of the city and enjoyed a delicious cup of gelato. We climbed the stairs to a viewpoint in front of the Chateau Frontenac. Once at the top, we took in the impressive sights of the St. Lawrence and the lower reaches of the city. Stopped for a beverage at Starbucks and Hannah took the opportunity to phone home.

We wandered over to Holy Trinity Cathedral before visiting Basilica-Cathedral Notre-Dame de Quebec. The basilica is the only church I’ve ever been in that has flat screen tvs installed. My first thought was the televisions would allow individuals to worship both God and Les Habs at the same time, but the real reason they are there is because of supporting columns which completely obscure views of the altar.

Headed back up to our hotel district and stopped an hour at one of the outdoor concert venues. We sat amongst tourists and office workers on their lunch break and listened to a very cool Blues/Rock band from New York.

Enjoyed a dinner at a little sidewalk bistro near our hotel before taking one last stroll of the city before retiring for the night. Both of us really enjoyed our visit to Quebec City. There is an impressive variety of things to see and do. I would like to come back one day. We’re off to New Brunswick tomorrow.