Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from June, 2012

A few little jaunts and plans for the year

Home three weeks today and already hitting the road again....this Friday I am off to Edmonton to visit my sister for the weekend.  She is moving to Toronto in August so this will very well could be my last trip to Edmonton.   So off early early Friday morning and back Tuesday evening.  Airmiles to the rescue once again.  Then back home two days (to work) and then off again on the hound to Lethbridge for the weekend to visit my cousin and family and see my 91 year old uncle.  So the next couple of weeks will be family time which is always enjoyable. Then a night in Saskatoon as going up to see Neil Diamond.  I have always enjoyed his music and thought why not - am going with a friend from work.  Then I think...think that is...I will be home until  October.  Of course that would change as well but that is what I am planning on.  I need to do some serious saving for all the plans ahead. Thanksgiving weekend will see me in Victoria for the Victoria marathon.  I plan to do the half. 

Home!

Must admit it feels good - the trees have really "come out" since I've left and I can look out from my computer to a canopy of trees.  Love it!!!  It was a wonderful trip - had so much fun but three weeks away was enough.  For this time anyway.... My flight was an hour late - no explanation or apology...- way to go Air Canada...home by about 11:40 last night and I somehow managed to get to work by 7:45 this morning.   I have to work for the next two days and Monday as well so am hoping for a fairly quiet weekend.  I visited the library and got three books and three DVD's I had on hold and I've got a DVR full of three weeks of Coronation St. as well as a few other favourites.  Ah, life is good!! With that...back to working on catching up with Corrie.

Ready to fly

Am at the airport in the business centre.  Quebec City airport is boring - I love airports and thought I'd allow a bit of browsing time and have a coffee with two macarons that hopped into my backpack.  Well I can't even find a coffee shop!  Just a restaurant and I don't want that.  Oh well, maybe in Ottawa?  I slowly walked around the old town and decided to visit the Ursaline Nuns musuem.  For those that know me they are thinking wtf as they know how little I think of the RC church.As I was paying my admission I was thinking what the hell am I doing but I knew it was about educating young womena and I was interested in that.  However it turned out to be okay....I was interested in the schooling end of it.  The nun thing...well wearing a wedding dress because you are married to god is just...well...creepy.  And trust me, it happened - I saw the pictures.  A young gal who worked there told us there was not much choice for women in 18th and 19th century Quebec - either mar

Bonjour!

Lower town Quebec City - reminds me of England! Well this is the last day of my trip....I have mixed feelings.  Sad to leave my life of adventure on one hand but eager to get back to real life, see friends and start saving for the next adventure - or should I say paying for this one. :)  Of course me being me I won't be home for long - will be flying off to Edmonton for a long weekend at the end of the month.  My sister is moving to Toronto this summer so this will likely be my last trip to Edmonton - I have a soft spot for the city having lived there for a year in the early 70's going to school...plus  be good to see my sister too. :)  After that...who knows..,nothing booked.  But I am sure there will be eventually!!!  This morning I availed myself of the free buffet breakfast but I paced myself and did not take very much as I knew I wanted to nibble during the day.  The breakfast was in a very nice restaurant around the corner and was delicious - the usual eg

What a day!

Living it up at L'Hermitage in Quebec City Quebec City Legislative Building St Louis Gate - I stayed in the Old City within the gates. Clip clopping past my hotel. Well this morning I decided to just sleep until I woke up and get the bus then.  Awake at 5:45 as usual.  Sigh!!!  Anyway after a shower I decided to go and look for breakfast.  I originally had thought of the market again but decided I needed something a bit more substantial.  At 6:30 I wasn't holding much hope but I saw two that were open so opted for the second one I saw called the Green Spot.  I chuckled to myself as the Green Spot at home is my favourite coffee shop however this was your typical greasy spoon.  I ordered a feta and veggie omelette which was very good.  Back to the dorm to grab my stuff and off I went to the metro station.  Okay this is embarassing - obviously I needed more coffee.  First of all I had to buy a ticket as my weekend pass was over for obvious reasons.  Well it

And more...

Here is the hotel I will be staying at tomorrow night...very luxurious for me!! Apparently check in is in a different building so we shall see.  http://www.hotelsvieuxquebec.com/en/hotel/hotel-lermitage/ Forgot to mention that I also visited the Lachine Canal which is about a ten minute walk from where I am staying - very interesting and a cool place to sit on a warm day.  They have paths on either side of the canal and if I'd been up to it I'd have been busy walking.  But I wasn't so I just sat and enjoyed.  Back to my room now to upload pictures and pack again for the last time.  I plan to leave everything I need on top so there will be no need to repack on Tuesday morning.  I am excited to be going home - oh man still can't believe I am saying this.  And when I get back to work and also the hassle of finding someone to install my air conditioner at home you know I will be saying "Beam me back to Montreal Scotty". 

Surprise! The sun came out!!

Rain was predicted for today so off I went with long pants and my goretex jacket.   I had breakfast at the Atwater market - an apricot danish and a cafe au lait.  As I left I noticed a bit of blue sky..wow. And then the sun quit peeking and came out to play.  So I headed to Old Montreal and took the photos I wished I had been able to take yesterday.  Lots more people out and about of course. Then I decided to visit some neighbourhoods so got off at a few metro stops and walked around and took photos. (okay got lost too - I just cannot find my way around Montreal)  At lunch time I finally found one of the famous bagel shops - Fairmount.  No place to sit and eat inside and nothing but bagels so sat on a bench outside and had my bagel and cream cheese.  I then decided to head for Mount Royal.  There was some kind of bike tour going on and bikes everywhere and horrible music and announcements.  I was going to go further into the park but there were some creepy characters hanging around so

A very wet day

Living room of my apt at Solin Hall Kitchen/dining area - I just used the table to throw my backpack on! And the fridge to keep  fruit and water cold. Cafe where I had my bagel Didn't have a good sleep last night - kind of noisy with traffic and people and a new bed.  But at least this one had a box spring and not a board underneath the mattress!!!  Anyway I headed off about 7:30 - ran back to change into long pants and put on my rain jacket which is a very good thing.  At this point it had rained overnight but had stopped.  I took the metro to Place D'armes and found the Travelodge where the 10km walk of Old Montreal started.  I hadn't had breakfast at this point but after a couple of km I found a diner so had a coffee and bagel and cream cheese.  Nothing like a Montreal (or New York) bagel...I hate the ones that are like a bun with a hole in it which is basically what any you get at home are like.  Tres wet Vieux Montreal Display of Seabird

Bonjour from Montreal

Well I am back in Canada - can you believe they could not get my brand new passport to "work".  Their system would not accept it - finally they had to enter everything the long way.  Other than that the trip back went smoothly. Oh well back in the True North Strong and Free anyway.  French style that is. The dorm is fine - I have a one bedroom apartment which is nice but no air conditioning so hoping for cool weather.  It has cooled off so all the windows are open.  I like the location.  I stayed here in  June 1993 with my niece who lived here while she was attending McGill.  To be honest I can't remember too much about the trip - think my brain was fried as we had just done a whirlwind of Macca concerts and Montreal was my last stop on the way home.  All I remember is the Atwater market, going to Le Monde an amusement park and Chan, my niece's pet rat.  Oh what a sweetie he was.  I remember buying some dolly mixture candy and did not like it so put it on the coffee