Quebec

On the road again we leave la belle province, as we do so many places, sorry that we don’t have just a little more time. The last three days have been loaded with fun – some of it planned, some of it quite unexpected!

When we arrived we realized that this was indeed the same campground where we had stayed in the past. While it’s no great shakes for camping, it’s wonderfully convenient as a place to lay your head when your goal is to spend the day exploring. A long walk after dinner, to work out the kinks of driving all day, reveals not one but three HUGE RV dealerships in the neighbourhood. Quickly part of our plan included heading back during business hours to have a closer look. Alas the regret in not having more time. Given the two days that followed, there was just no time!

We had hoped that we might get to spend some time with my sister Nancy and her family. She is not the easiest person to contact so leaving messages for her, we decided to head into Quebec City. The campground provides a shuttle for $14 pp return. You can drive and park for $10 but given that we have the truck and roads in the old city are tight that hardly seems the best option. Our friend John, who is never without a suggestion, told us that we could take a ferry across from Levis. Parking there was also $10 but the ferry was only $3.10 pp one way (...or $6.20 pp return ... on a very large government sign  ... our tax dollars at work as they do the math!!). Given the gas to get there it was obviously the most expensive of the options but somehow seemed the coolest, so a ferry into the city it was.

Our goals were exploring and eating and we decided to get right down to it when a little cafe appeared at the top of two intersecting cobblestone streets – views, a baguette, local fruit and cheese and a bottle of wine – life isn’t going to get any better than this! Pure bliss!

Following lunch we wandered in and out of little shops until I reached my shopping limit (not long with me as everyone knows!) and we took the cable trolley up to the Château Frontenac. Yearning for a little historical exploration fooled us into believing in was a good idea to climb the 310 stair boardwalk to the Plains of Abraham! Ordinarily I would highly recommend the hike. Well maintained trails, beautiful views of the St. Lawrence and a real sense of history are the rewards of endeavors here ... just pick a day that doesn’t boast 30+ temperatures! Now some might say that an historical site like this is marred by 21^st century commercialism but I say the lady (with the wisdom of Solomon) that had an ice cream stand at the top of the climb was a vision! In fact I’d venture to say that had she been selling her wares in 1759 the battle may have ended very differently. It’s tough to feel ill will toward anyone with an ice cream cone!

Arriving back at the trailer I discovered that I had missed several calls from the French teacher at Bishop Scalabrini. Sr. Elaine Simard has spoken many times of her family’s cottage north of Quebec City. When I mentioned that we were going to stop for a few days in Quebec City she issued, what I considered at the time, to be a polite invitation to come visit her at the cottage. Her multiple calls and messages and a subsequent conversation made it very clear that she really wanted us to drop by for a visit. We set out early the next morning with what David referred to as my “Frenglish” instructions for what would be an incredibly marvelous day!

The “cottage” is more “resort”. Lac St. Joseph is home to multi-million dollar estates much like Muskoka. Her order, The Sisters of Charity, and her family both had properties on the lake that they have owned for some years. She vacationed there as a child in rented cottages and as her family grew up, her parents and her four brothers and sister eventually bought a cottage and “built up”. While the property and the surroundings are spectacular; it was the hospitality that assured a magnificent day. One of her brothers was there with his family and everyone set about to make us feel welcomed. We swam, we BBQed, we lounged and visited, and toured the lake on their new speed boat that the whole family had entered in a good natured “best parking at the dock” competition! Perhaps the nicest moment (from an ego perspective) came near the end of our visit. I learned that many folks at work know of her cottage in Quebec and several have mentioned a wish to drop by in their occasional travels. She admitted to always passing off the hints and being very protective of her family and her life outside of school. She said she was so glad that I was willing to come and visit though so that she could share it with me! What a compliment to my first year as V-P! We ended our visit with her insistence that David follow us in the truck up to the main highway back to Quebec as she transported me on the “motorbike”!! I just love these serendipitous days that appear in our vacations as they so often do!

We decided to stop at Chute de Montmorency on the way back to the campground. Claiming to be the highest Canadian falls, one and a half times higher than Niagara, it appeared worth the stop. As yet again we are reminded that length is not everything, the falls may claim a bigger drop but are considerably less spectacular! Although an established tourist park it was really nothing more than a $10 parking spot on a poorly maintained trail to a beautiful waterfall. Making the best of it we wandered and took pictures for an hour. On returning to our car we discovered the cell phone ringing. It was Sister Elaine and her brother calling to check that we had arrived safely back at our trailer. When I told her where we had stopped, there was silence on the phone. I knew that she had lost her sister some years ago. Her sister was a Quebec Police Detective Sergeant who was killed in a helicopter crash in the line of duty on October 25, 1993. What I didn’t know was that the helicopter blades became tangled in cable car wires at Montmerency Falls! I was apparently standing very near the spot where the helicopter went down! Odd coincidence!

While we head to New Brunswick I am now well into holiday mode, just waiting for the next surprise!

Quebec City on the ferry from Levis

 Cheers!

 Just the roadside planters!!

 The local beer that saved my life on our return from the Plains of Abraham.

 Sr. Elaine's cottage on Lac St. Joseph

 Montmorency Falls

ON THE RIVER

We’re off on the next great adventure, except it really doesn’t feel like an adventure. The RV is trailing along behind and we are heading to the coast but somehow it just doesn’t feel like an epic adventure. Maybe it’s because we have been this way so many times before. Maybe it’s because our summer plans, in part anyway, were born out of obligations. Maybe it’s because I didn’t spend countless hours planning and anticipating – that has become a huge part of the fun for me! Whatever the reason, we hit the road and my normal exuberance is most certainly tempered. I feel a bit badly about this as I fear it has ironically taken some of the shine off David’s holiday. I say ironically since he teases and rolls his eyes at my usual unbridled enthusiasm and blogging routine but I think he somehow enjoys that I do it nonetheless. I don’t feel the same enthusiasm for blogging as I have in the past but he insists I have fans who count on me! Since you are the only people I can think he might possibly mean, I have decided to periodically record and send you my ramblings – we’ll see where it goes!

A very last minute change certainly added to our vacation pleasure though as Mary-Kate was in the back seat as we began to roll along! At midnight, the night before we left, she arrived home from work bemoaning the fact that she was sick of Boston Pizza and wanted a holiday. She didn’t have to work again until Thursday and was stuck home. She suddenly realized that the only thing preventing her from leaving with us was a suitcase and a way back home. Eight hours later, with a little less sleep than she prefers, an overnight bag solved one problem and a VIA ticket the other. The lack of sleep is being dealt with as we drive!

Arriving at Barry and Kathy’s is always a pleasure. Sitting on their deck overlooking the St. Lawrence and the 1000 Islands is salve for the soul! They are well and living on the edge of their seats as they await news of the arrival of their first ... and second grandchildren! Despite a small worry about a blip in Erin’s blood pressure that earned her a night in hospital, the three days with the O’Brien’s was spent blissfully cruising the 1000 Islands, reminiscing with great friends and of course enjoying fruits of the vine! The campground we’re in is at the end of their street and while we have camped in some interesting places in our time, this is our first time camping at a liquor store! Not kidding! Small town Ontario and the local LCBO is also the campground. Works for us as supplies are always handy!

Our evenings on the deck are both relaxing and exciting. Our vantage affords a view of “Canadian” evening. The water craft – sailboats, fishing boats, lake barges, jet skis, speed boats, and canoes -- and the wildlife all vie for our attention as the day ends. Twilight reveals life through the Islands that was camouflaged during the day. Herons fish at the water’s edge and a fox comes out each evening to prance across the lawn beginning his night hunt. As darkness descends the fireflies twinkle in the surrounding wood and I just can’t help but smile and feel grateful that my life is so blessed.

Mary-Kate has spent her time cruising watching for a 25 year old heir apparent as we drift by multi-million dollar properties. Having enjoyed her holiday with her Godparents but largely unsuccessful in her endeavors to land the big one, we head to Gananoque to find the train. I say “find the train” since no one, including VIA, knows exactly where this whistle-stop is!! We know they don’t, we called and asked! Discovering yet again that rural roads have a system all their own when it comes to nomenclature, we manage to find the VIA platform with relative ease.

The realities of life pepper even the most blissful of holidays and as Mary-Kate klickity-klacked down the track we headed off to discover that our reason our truck tire is losing pressure is that we’ve picked up a ring nail somewhere along the way.

Not kept down for long we are back on the river enjoying an evening cruise through the Islands surrounding Ivy Lea. I’ve discovered my favorite part of Islands ... so far ... and we spent a glorious couple of hours on the water working up an appetite. Although it was quite late when we arrived home, happy hour is far too important to miss. By the time night falls we have made our way to the Boathouse Tavern for a very late supper. So worth it though as I’m confident that we squeezed every bit of fun there was to be had in this day! Tomorrow will mark the second leg of our journey east as we head to Quebec City to welcome whatever adventure awaits.

Skipper and Gilligan

One of many dock dwellers.