Rambling North America

A 182-day adventure by Rambling Bears Read more

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Rambling North America Rambling Bears
Streets and Underground Walkways
October 26, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
Today did not start promising. Rain last night and showers continuing today. Not heavy showers but still a grey old day. So group decision was for us to explore the streets around us and take on the underground. The underground is a great idea for getting around Montreal when the weather turns inclement - heavy rain or the icy and snowy conditions of winter. A great idea and good in theory. It would definitely work if you knew your way around. Neil and I gave it a crack but did not travel too far. The locals however know what they are doing, it is linked to the metro and 200,00 use it daily. It was certainly very busy down there.
Afterwards we walked into the Arts district but it was a short walk as the showers started again.Read more
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La Trouble-Fete, The Rise of the Dead
October 27, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
We were ideally located for this event, just a 100 metres from the Place Des Festivals.
At 7pm the night kicked off with the dead rising and wandering through the audience. After that there was a range of acts to entertain the crowd - acrobats and flame dancers, the Gothic Choir and Petit Chanteurs du Mont Royal, Yann Perreau, his band and dancers and two hip-hop singers. Yann Perreau was amazing, the sound clear and loud. He had the joint jumping.
When the DJ came on we immediately felt sleepy and went home.Read more
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Old Montreal
October 27, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
Blue skies once again so we hit the trottoirs leading down to Old Montreal.
Our apartment is not to the standard of our recent Airbnbs, it’s OK mind but not great, however.............it is in an amazing position - handy to just about everything that we want to do in Montreal without needing to use public transport or walk a million miles. We manage to do that anyway usually without trying too hard. We also managed to place ourselves less than 100 metres from La Trouble-Fete celebrations.
Old Montreal is situated on the shore of the Saint Lawrence River. We wandered the old town, had lunch then wandered along the harbour.
Across the river is Habitat 67, an amazing housing development. Originally conceived as the architect’s thesis for his masters degree at McGill university and then built as a pavilion at the 67 expo.Read more
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Along the Harbour
October 27, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
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Zombies March
October 28, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Neil’s back has been sore the last few days and I have a headache so it was a slow start to the day. We are on the move again tomorrow so we are taking it easy.
In the afternoon we went around the corner to Fou D’Ici for a patisserie and coffee and then a wander before getting our position to see the zombies take to the streets.
There was expected to be around 10,000 zombies. I didn’t count them as they marched past but there were many. Young and old were dressed up for the event. It was certainly a spectacle.Read more
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Montreal to Quebec City
October 29, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
Another rainy day train journey. If it’s going to rain what better way to spend it. Although heavy rain has been predicted that has’t happened yet. We had a Moroccan cab driver pick us up and transfer us to the station. He was an excellent cabby and interesting to talk to. Happily handled the bags which was good as Neil’s back is still troubling him. The taxi rank is covered at the station so we arrived dry.
There was a very decent cafe at the station with lots of options so we had a small lunch while waiting for the train. The train was bang on time as they tend to be in the ‘corridor’. We had to check in our bags on this train as it seemed to be a fairly new one with no large bag space in the carriages. We took our bags on board with us on the other two trains that we have caught in the corridor. It is far better to check them in - no worries about getting them on and off the train . That can be difficult if you have to take 3 or 4 step up into the carriage with a heavy suitcase. Ours aren’t by any means light! The seats were comfy and and the 4 hour journey passed pleasantly. The farmlands we travelled through were beautiful, the rivers we passed along or over, huge. Just a shame it was a grey dismal day.
Our apartment is just a short distance from the station in Quebec but my phone battery was almost flat and we couldn’t follow google maps as it wasn’t getting our position properly. We ended up walking twice the distance, in the rain, but we did arrive.
The apartment - tres chic, tres magnifique! Wow! Perfect!
Settled quickly, wrote out a list and ventured to the supermarket in the dark and the rain. Job complete. The rain may be heavier tomorrow.Read more
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Wild, Wet and Windy
October 30, 2017 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 15 °C
The title says it all. Way too windy and wet to make wandering around town exploring a comfortable option. All in all it is a miserable kind of day. The only thing for it is to have an off day. Washing first, read up on the old city and, with fingers crossed, pray for a nicer day tomorrow. So looking forward to seeing old Quebec, as I have read so much about it, but it is miserable out there.Read more
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Part 1 - Upper Old Quebec
October 31, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
The rain has gone and we are left with the wild and windy.
Just a short walk along our street and we are through the walls of the old city and walking steeply up hill. In no time we are exploring along Rue Saint-Jean one of the main thoroughfares through both old and new Quebec. We walked up to the Porte Saint-Jean but only to have a look and turned back to walk the length of Rue Saint-Jean. No-one will ever starve here in Quebec. Every second shop, it would seem is a restaurant, bistro or coffee shop. Oh and plenty of Patisseries. I have been very good during this trip saying away from sweet thins, but french patisseries? I’m not a saint!
Our wandering in the wild winds took us past Place de l’Hotel dead Ville, Notre Dame Cathedral and the beautiful old post office to Parc Montmorency. The park overlooks Lower Old Quebec, which is the original settlement of Quebec and thus the oldest part. Up quite a few stairs to Chateau Frontenac. Rumour has it that Chateau Frontenac is the most photographed hotel in the world. It is beautiful, perched as it is on the cliffs overlooking the Lawrence River. The Terrasse Dufferin passed in front of the hotel as along to The Promenade des Gouverneurs. From there around the Citadelle, across the Plains of Abraham (Battlefields Park) and over the wall back into the old city.
The rest of the afternoon took us out the Porte St Louis to have a look at the Parliament House back through it to the City Hall and the Edifice Price (an Empire State Building look alike). More wandering up and down dale took us through the wall again down to the Old Port Market in Search of some species mushrooms.
The search there was a failure so down to the supermarket and onward Down Rue Saint Joseph Est to find a charge lead for the iPad and phone and some more coverings for Neil’s leg.
All items ticked we headed home to escape the winds. Mushroom and Pea Risotto for dinner! Mmm, mmm!Read more
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Prt 2 Hotel Frontenac, Terrasse Dufferin
October 31, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
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Part 3 More Old Quebec
October 31, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
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Part 4 All Things Halloween and Pirates
October 31, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
The Canadians go all out on their Halloween celebrations, as we saw in Montreal, and their decorations. Quebec is no exception. What the connection between Halloween and Pirates is, only the Quebecois know, but the there are Halloween decorations everywhere you turn and much of it with a pirate theme. We saw a couple of teachers and their classes trick or treating just before the end of the school day. I thought they was a fun, was the kids were all together, and safe way to do it. I guess they had an organised route to take but do not really know. Just guessing.Read more
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Lower Old Quebec
November 1, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C
The wind dropped today and the sun was shining, but, it was cold. The gloves and beanie were on!
So today took us up through the Upper Old City along the ramparts from Notre Dame then down Cote de la Montaigne to the Lower Old City, the beautiful old, old Quebec. The area is world heritage listed.
Quebec is a very romantic city, the old European styled buildings, the narrow streets and the cobblestones all adding to the effect.
We explored the area, had lunch in a cafe on Place Royale and continued walking.
Another great day. Hopefully the forecast rain for tomorrow doesn’t arrive.Read more
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Lower Old Quebec Part 2
November 1, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C
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It's raining, it's pouring!
November 2, 2017 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 6 °C
Our last day in Quebec and another lay day. We are glad that we pushed ourselves to see as much as possible in the last two days and we did manage to cover what we wanted to see. We were aware that the rain was going to return. It would have been nice to get the ferry across to Levis for the day but that wasn’t to be. Chance to finally catch up on the diary.Read more
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The Beginning of The End
November 3, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
Today we commence the final leg of our coast to shining coast journey, west to east, across Canada, arriving in Halifax tomorrow evening. 6,351kms across eight provinces. Amazing! Quite a journey!
As is quite often the case, checkout time was the usual 11am and our rail journey didn’t start until 22.49. Chantale was an angel and offered us an extra two hours which we greatly appreciated. As things worked out we were packed and the rain had eased off so we decided to head down to the station not long after mid-day.
Once we had stowed our bags at the station and lunched in Rue Saint Jean we continued our ramblings of this beautiful city until dinner time. We dined at an Irish Pub, fish and chips for me and a Barry Burger for Neil.
We had arranged a shuttle to get from the Quebec Station to Saint-Foy for our last connection. The train was coming from Montreal and was only a little late. Onto the carriage - no double seats this time - then shut eye.Read more
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Halifax - Last Rail Stop
November 4, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
Economy seats don’t give the greatest comfort for sleeping but we did get a little. Breakfast and lunch in the dining car so we didn’t go hungry and as always with their meals,there was no complaining from us.
It is hard to believe that today marked the end of our rail journey. Wow. So blessed that we had the time to do it this way. Now to do a bit of exploring in Nova Scotia. This leg has taken us out of Quebec, Across New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia.
The train arrived on time and we arrived at our AirBnB just before sunset which was good. Lou met us and showed us in - we have a basement apartment of her house. Another good choice.Read more
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Windy Day in Halifax
November 5, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
Sleep in after not a lot sleep on the train. New apartment - grocery shopping. I almost got us lost on the way but we made it. Another nice neighbourhood with a walk across one of the local parks to the supermarket. Unpack, then lunch. We devoured our lunch like two ravenous beasts, lickity split as we hadn’t eaten since lunch time yesterday.
The morning started out sunny but by the time we ventured out again the clouds had returned, the wind was up and it was a bit chilly. We headed for the harbour and walked the waterfront to the Seaport Markets but of course, by the time we got there, the markets were just about finished, Not to worry it was a good walk. It was more a point to get to rather than us really needing to see the markets.Read more
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Mooseheads and a Museum
November 6, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
The plan today was to see the Immigration Museum and that we did.
Firstly we went to Scotia Square to get a car charger for the phone and iPad in preparation for our journey later in the week and inner soles for Neil. Then across to the Scotia Centre to get tickets for the Mooseheads on Thursday night - ice-hockey. We are finally managing to catch a game. Lou is OK with us extending our stay by a day. Lucky the apartment was available.
Along the wharf again to the museum. There was a big swell getting into the harbour today and where there is some construction underway the floating temporary walkway in front of it was closed. It had quite a rock up.
The museum like all the other museums we have seen in Canada was excellent. The guided tour of the exhibition explaining the Pier 21 Immigration Facility, one of the earlier uses of the building in which the museum is housed, was interesting giving a good insight into what the immigrants arriving in their new country went through.Read more
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Another Day, Another Museum
November 7, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
Business first - we hired a car for our exploration of Nova Scotia from Enterprise. They are handy to us, just a 10 minute walk away at Scotia Square.
Down to the waterfront once again and to the Maritime Museum. We are going to be very learned little possums by the time we return to Oz.
Interesting knowledge I would never have known if I hadn’t visited - Alexander Graham Bell not only invented the telephone but also built boats, boats out of Halifax retrieved the dead bodies floating in the ocean from the sinking of the Titanic, canadian scientists have discovered that it was the high level of sulphur in the steel of the Titanic that caused the metal to become brittle in the extremely cold waters it was in when it hit the ice berg and the the horrific story Halifax Explosion of 1917. Apart from the acquisition of knowledge today we also had to pleasure of meeting Merlin, the Museum mascot.
Tonight I booked flights to St John”s, Newfoundland.Read more
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Chilled To The Bone
November 8, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C
Degrees wise I guess today wasn’t colder than some others we’ve had. The wind chill factor, however, had the temperature sitting on 2 degrees most of the day. Throw in the overcast skies and we were chilled to the bone. Gloves out all day for the first time and the beanie on.
We had a nice lunch of veggie samosas with a beautiful chutney and I had a chocolate orange latte. Tasted just like jaffas and milk and I am quite partial to jaffas. Don’t know, can you still buy them? Haven’t seen them for years but I guess I haven’t been looking for them either.
After a walk through the Halifax Public Gardens (possibly not the best day for gardens but they were lovely just the same and a nice space in the middle of the city) we decided to call it a day. We wussed it. Too bloody windy and cold. Supermarket then home.
Once we were home we realised we hadn’t got one item we needed so brave little me went back out to get it. Half an hour and I was back in out of the chill and there we remained for the day. Washing had to be caught up on anyways before we hit the road on Friday.
Dinner - Veggie burgers, yummmmm!!!!Read more
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Citadel By Day, Mooseheads By Night.
November 9, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
Blue skies smiling at me! Last day in Halifax so up to Citadel Hill and Fort George, the fortifications of Halifax that have kept the city safe from invaders for 300+ years.
We arrived in time for the firing of the mid-day cannon, walked around the fort (none of the museums open as it is now November and tourist season finishes October 31st), walked the outside of the fortifications then down to the harbour for a final walk and an early dinner at Freshii. Neil has hayfever something fierce today so we got back home early enough for him to try and sleep it off as we are back out tonight for the mighty Mooseheads.
Well back from the game and unfortunately the Mooseheads are not so mighty but we thoroughly enjoyed the night. There was a brawl not long off the end of the game and the Mooseheads finished off with four players instead of six but they game was already lost. Neither of us realised they played three twenty minute periods. We thought it was four and we were lucky we weren’t left sitting in the stadium all on our lonesome.Read more
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Mooseheads versus Baie-Comeau Drakkar
November 9, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
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Halifax to Port Hawkesbury
November 10, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
It wasn’t raining up till about 10 minutes from our leaving our AirBnB then down she came. We arrived at the Scotia Centre resembling drowned rats. With the forms signed on the dotted line, we were heading out of Halifax and heading south east.
Once out of Dartmouth civilisation slowly disappeared and we drove along a wild, grey coastline. It would be stunning in sunshine. Today we were not having one of those days and the beaches were wild and desolate but so beautiful.
The road was not a major route and late in the afternoon we needed to get a ferry across a river, The ferryman was heading in the opposite direction, possibly home for dinner when our car and two others arrived. He changed his course and came back to us which was really great and in less than no time we were over the river and travelling on.
It is now out of season and many, no most accommodations are closed. It was quite a drive and getting later by the minute but finally we reached Port Hawkesbury, a sizeable town just over the causeway on Cape Breton and a town with open motels. Pricier than I hoped but where we stayed had a restaurant /bar that was still serving and we were famished (nothing since breakfast).Read more
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Port Hawesbury to Sydney via Louisburg
November 11, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 0 °C
Yesterday was wet and cold, today the rain had cleared but it was a grey day, windy and icy. The temperature never rose above 2º - wind chill factor, bloody cold. Good thing we had a car.
From Port Hawkesbury we drove along Bras d’Or Lake, a massive inland sea in the middle of the island, before heading out to the east coast to Louisburg. Apart from the picturesque fishing village and a cute lighthouse there is the Fortress. The fortress is a National Historic Site of Canada and the location of a part reconstruction of the 18th century french fortress. Its two sieges, especially that of 1758, were turning points in the Anglo-French struggle for what today is Canada. It’s off season so the site was closed which was a shame but we drove out to it for the photo shoot, braving the bitterly cold wind to do so. Lunch in Louisburg was a no go as nothing was open except a small corner shop. After visiting the lighthouse we drove along the coast road until a washed out bridge forced a detour and so onto Sydney.
Dinner was in a lovely restaurant upstairs in the small cruise terminal, overlooking the waterfront of the town. Nice!Read more
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Cabot Trail
November 12, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C
Today was a six hour drive along the Cabot Trail, a windy road that took us around the coastline across the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, around Cape North, along the coastline on the other side looping back towards Sydney. Our destination at the end of the day, however, did not take us back that far but to Baddeck, a village on Bras d’Or.
The scenery all day - spectacular. The Highlands are appropriately named as they are high lands (who’d have thought) and with the weather being just a tad chilly there was snow. The roads were icy in parts, snowy in others and bendy all the way. Neil handled the driving conditions with aplomb! The navigator didn’t do too badly either only choosing the wrong road once, but ...... it got us to the right destination. Thank god for that!
The inn we are staying at has us and only us as guests. For dinner we went to the Freight Shed, a restaurant in an old shed down on a wharf in the small harbour area. We had scant instructions to get us to there - walk down the street opposite the inn, a five minute walk. The street opposite tool us down to the lake, we headed along the boardwalk found nothing and decided we would have to settle for pizza (not a prospect I was looking forward to as I am not a fan). Luckily we decided to ask a local walking her dog along the main road. We walked past the Freight Shed and hadn’t noticed that it was indeed a restaurant. Thought it was an old shed. The food mmm, mmmm.
I will have to find more words to describe beautiful scenery - Baddeck is striking!Read more
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