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North America 2017
  • Danielle and Co travels
Nov – Dec 2017

North America 2017

A 29-day adventure by Danielle and Co travels Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 14, 2017
    Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler

    Glen Waverley

    November 14, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    The final countdown - 2 sleeps left! Tomorrow Angus has his final exam - Physics - and there are a number of things to organise before we leave on Thursday morning. Coco is heading off to Kamp Kitty (Canterbury Tails) in the morning and Ian and I have some final jobs to do and then we have to pack!
    I will try to be disciplined in what I pack - I always over pack and I am determined to only take what I need. The biggest challenge will be to pack a range of clothes for a range of temperatures - there is snow forecast in Montreal this weekend.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Sofitel Bathroom
    Premium Economy - very comfySofitel BathroomOur Room - Angus is next door!Boarding Passes - will have quite a collection by the end of our trip.

    Montreal

    November 16, 2017 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 2 °C

    We have finally arrived at our first destination, beautiful Montreal. What a contrast to arriving in LA - no queues, friendly staff and a clean airport. We are staying at the Sofitel, Golden Mile in downtown Montreal. We plan to tour the city tomorrow as it is the pick of the days for the weather. I have been awake for about 33 hours, but I still feel ok - I find it easier to just adjust to the new time zone if I go to bed the same time I normally would. Snow is predicted to fall overnight - we might wake to a white Montreal!Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler

    LAX - in transit to Montreal

    November 16, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Our flight over was uneventful. When we were waiting to check in we chatted to this guy who was a wrestler - he didn’t particularly look like a wrestler (my experience of wrestling was watching Mario Milano on a Sunday). He was off to Mongolia to compete in some big event they hold each year. He said he was being paid to participate, and felt he was there to make the locals look good! I didn’t sleep at all on the flight, although the boys got a couple of hours. I watched several movies and did a bit of reading. After clearing Customs and Border Protection in the US, we walked around LAX to Terminal 6 for our Air Canada flight - it was nice to stretch our legs in the outside air (it’s LA so I can’t say “fresh” air).

    Now we have two hours to wait!

    I am enjoying the people watching - and checking out the See’s Candy - and the travellers sitting at the bars (which are everywhere) drinking so early in the day.

    Just checked the weather in Montreal - snow is predicted to fall overnight and Friday will be sunny with a top of 0 Celsius - our long johns will be getting a workout over the next few days.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    The McNicols being silly
    Olympic Stadium1Inside Notre-Dame BasilicaNotre-Dame BasilicaJacques Cartier Bridge from Mount RoyalSnow in Mont Royal Parc

    Montreal - sightseeing #1

    November 18, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ -5 °C

    After a very good sleep in very comfortable beds (thanks Sofitel), we treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The boys had an omelette and I had bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon. (I have been advised that Montreal’s bagels are superior to those of NYC - I will post my results after some further tasting!)

    The concierge suggested a 3 hour tour of the major sites of Montreal. The shuttle was late to pick us up and take us to the tour bus, so by the time we boarded we all had to sit separately. This turned out to be a good thing, as both Ian and I sat next to lovely people. I sat next to Yolanta who was visiting from Poland - she was accompanying her husband on a business trip - so while he worked she played the tourist. We chatted like we had been friends for years and she has invited us to visit her in Poland (I also invited her to give us a call if she is ever in Melbourne). Ian sat next to Sandra, who was from Toronto, and had accompanied her husband who was coaching his ice-hockey team in a regional competition. Sandra hates ice-hockey, so she too opted to do the tourist thing.

    The tour itself was pretty good as an introduction to Montreal. We visited Old Montreal, the Old Port, Notre-Dame Basilica, Chateau Ramzey, City Hall, Place Jacques Cartier, a (slow) drive along the F1 race track, McGill University, St Joseph Oratory, the Olympic Stadium, the Biosphere and the Biodome, a drive through a couple of inner city suburbs, and then a lookout at Mount Royal - where there was snow still on the ground from the snow fall overnight. That should give you an idea of how cold it is here! Very bloody cold, but we have the appropriate attire to ensure we remain comfortable and warm.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Saint Joseph's Oratory - Danielle & Yolanta
    1Biosphere from the 1967 World FairView from Mont Royal lookoutSnow up at Mont Royal1Streets of Montreal

    Montreal Sightseeing#2

    November 18, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ -5 °C

    As this app restricts me to 6 photos per footprint the next couple of entries will be fairly brief as I just want to post more photos.

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon
    1PoutineThis burger was so big Angus had to deconstruct it to be able to get it in his mouth!Reubens Restaurant - famous for smoked meat!The Mighty Reuben Sandwich

    Food in Montreal

    November 18, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ -5 °C

    As most who read this would know, the McNicol family enjoys food, and we try to be adventurous and try new and different cuisines. For breakfast I had bagels with cream cheese and salmon. Today we had lunch at Reuben's Deli and Steakhouse. I had a smoked meat sandwich, and Ian had Poutine, a local dish of French fries, cheese and gravy (also with smoked meat). Angus had a burger. It is a good thing we are walking everywhere - we need to so that we can burn off all the food we are eating.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Danielle & aunt Anne
    Ian, Will, Danielle & AngusAnne, Will, Angus $ DanielleAnne & Will with the boys

    Visiting Family

    November 18, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ -2 °C

    Last night was a night of firsts - first time Ian and Angus met my aunt and uncle (Anne & Will Vandenberg), the first time Angus ate duck (Duck a la l’orange), and the first time we used Uber to get back to the hotel (as my aunt didn’t have the taxi number).

    We had a lovely evening at Anne and Will's. My aunt, who is 87 years old, cooked a delicious 3 course meal - vol au vent for entree, duck a l’orange for main, and a croquenbouche for dessert. She wanted to prepare a French inspired meal to reflect her heritage (and dishes my grandmother had taught her). We spent about five hours there - it was great to catch up on what my aunt and her family had been up to. My uncle has been diagnosed with PSP (progressive supra nuclear palsy), which is similar to Parkinson’s in some way, and affects your vision and balance and causes tremors, and there is no cure. Currently my aunt cares for him with minimal assistance, but as the disease progresses she will need to bring in a nurse to assist as she plans to keep him at home as long as possible. Will is in good spirits and coping very well with his condition, and it was nice for Anne to have company.

    The roads in Montreal are in pretty bad condition, and there is so much road works underway that the traffic is a nightmare. The trip out to my aunts that should normally take about 30 minutes took over an hour. Luckily, the Uber ride back took only 30 minutes. Always nice to catch up with family, as they are so generous and welcoming.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Cohen Exhibition
    Great CoffeeSanta Claus ParadeIan trying the Poetry Machine at the Cohen ExhibitionRue Crescent, MontrealLunch at Marche de la Villette

    Leonard Cohen and more

    November 18, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 0 °C

    This morning we headed out fairly early and walked to the Museum of Contemporary Art to see the Leonard Cohen Exhibition "A Crack In Everything". It was a very interactive and moving exhibition. I particularly enjoyed the "I’m Your Man" exhibit - a video installation which brings together a community of ardent Leonard Cohen fans to pay posthumous tribute to the late legend. Each of the eighteen individuals featured was offered the opportunity to perform and record his own version of Cohen’s comeback album, "I’m Your Man", in a professional recording studio in Montreal. The video installation also included the Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue Choir doing the album’s backing vocals. This was an all-male choir representing the Westmount congregation that Cohen belonged to all his life.

    As we left the exhibition we watched a bit of the Santa Claus Parade, before walking down to Old Montreal where we explored the cobbled streets and had a late lunch at a French Restaurant called Marche de la Villette. Here Angus and I had a croque monsieur, and Ian had a croque madame. We then walked across town to find the Leonard Cohen portrait that is on the side of a building. It took us a while to find it, but it was worth it. We also found a great little coffee place - Pigeon - best coffee so far in Montreal, even thought the sign out the front said it was the worst. (The barista said that this was to cover themselves, and was very chuffed when we said that the coffee was up to Melbourne standards.)

    Then, as we were heading back to our hotel along a very upmarket street, I noticed a store that had some lovely costume jewellery on display. It was called MUTT & JEFF. I went in to find out how much they cost, and met the designer/store owner, and so I ended sending Ian & Angus back to the hotel while I stayed to get dressed by Tom in a range of his clothes. It was a great experience, and I purchased a number of pieces. His clothes are beautiful, comfortable and so flattering. I walked out of the store feeling fabulous. On the way back to the hotel I ran into the Toronto Leafs, an ice-hockey team in town to play the Montreal Habs. I only realised who they were because of the fans waiting outside their hotel to cheer them on.

    We are going to stay in tonight as it is cold with rain and snow predicted around 9pm.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Snowing
    On our way to breakfastBreakfast at La Pendularine cafeBest muesli Ian has ever eaten!Interesting clock

    Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

    November 19, 2017 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 1 °C

    We woke today to the “pitter patter” of rain against our window. The forecast is for snow to start falling in about an hour (which it did), and the current temperature of 2 degrees Celsius is as warm as it’s going to get. In fact, they are saying that from 10 am the temperature will start falling, to a low of -7 degrees Celcius!

    🌨☃️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️☃️🌨

    Our plan is to visit the Museum of Fine Arts this morning, and then explore the “underground city” which comprises of over 1,000 stores and 22kms of walkways. So far our cold weather gear has done the trick, but today’s weather will be the real test.

    We had breakfast in a quaint little cafe called La Pendular just around the corner from the Museum, that also sold clocks and Stiff bears, and other animals. We then headed to the Montreal Museum of Fine Art - definitely the right weather to visit a museum. It has a wonderful collection of art work that is beautifully displayed. We saw art from modern avant-garde, Belle Époque and contemporary styles to Baroque and Rococo, Classicism to the Age of Enlightenment including a Napoleon Gallery and much more.

    We then headed to the ‘underground city’ and visited the Barbie Expo, the largest collection of Barbie dolls in the world. Afterwards, we wandered around the underground city, which just goes on and on.

    In the afternoon, my cousin Annick and my uncle Pierrot collected us from the hotel, and we headed to her place for a family dinner and to meet her kids for the first time. My cousin Genvieve and her family also joined us for dinner. It was lovely to catch up with them all and introduce Ian & Angus to the rest of my Canadien family. Ian and Angus went to watch Fred (one of Annick’s kids) play ice-hockey in an under 18's game, which Ian said was very entertaining to watch. After dinner the younger kids put on a show for us that included dancing and a range of gymnastics, all performed to music.

    Tomorrow we head for Washington DC (Trump territory but hopefully we won’t see him!) We will be heading into warmer weather, with Washington expecting a balmy 11 degrees Celsius, which is quite a jump from -7 degrees.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Cousins
    Felicia wearing the tights I got herLeoRagnau the AiredaleExtended familyPierott with Annick, Danielle & Genvieve

    Dinner with the Ollivier's

    November 19, 2017 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    We spent a lovely afternoon and evening with my uncle, cousins and their families. We had a delicious meal prepared by Annick and dessert by Genevieve, plus great wine, lots of laughing and conversations - not always easy when some don’t speak much English and we only speak basic French, but we muddled through.Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Snowing at Montreal Airport
    The White HouseStreets of DC looking up towards the CapitolPennsylvania AvenueWashington MonumentDepartment of TreasuryWoodward TableThanksgiving DecorationsOur gorgeous suite at the SofitelDessert at Woodward Table

    Montreal to Washington DC

    November 20, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Much of today was spent waiting around for flights, taxis etc. Our flight was delayed by an hour, and then we had to wait while they de-iced the wings (not that I am complaining - safety first always). We left chilly Montreal and the snow, and landed in sunny and mild Washington DC. The drive downtown tour hotel was during “rush hour”, so it took a while. We were impressed by how clean and well set out the roads were - especially having just come from Montréal, where there is major roadworks happening everywhere.

    After checking into the Sofitel, we decided to take a bit of a walk to check out the surrounding area, and also build up our steps for the day. We saw the White House (smaller grounds than I imagined), walked past Department of Treasury, The Ellipse, Washington Monument, and the Federal Triangle, and then looked for somewhere to eat. The first couple of restaurants we tried were packed, with 40 minutes waiting time - I was surprised they were so busy for a Monday night. We finally found a place near our hotel - Woodward Table - which was very good. Tomorrow we plan to visit a number of museums at the Smithsonian, and then visit a number of memorials. We are really excited to finally make it to Washington DC.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    McNicols and the Washington Monument
    CabbagesNatural History Museum1Primates!!The Hope DiamondStar Spangled Banner exhibitOcean Hall - Museum of Natural HistoryNeanderthal ManBubonic Plague virusAfrican Elephant

    A Monumental Day

    November 21, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    We awoke to a beautiful sunny day. We headed off for breakfast, and then down to the Washington Memorial, with the intention of getting tickets to take the elevator up to the observation deck. We got there to find it was closed because of structural problems resulting from an earthquake in 2011 (magnitude 7.6). Some repairs were undertaken and it re-opened last year, but the elevator kept breaking down and now it is closed indefinitely. So, after taking photos towards the Capital and the Lincoln Memorial - located at either end of the National Mall - we then headed to the Smithsonian precinct to visit a number of museums.

    We started with the Museum of Natural History, where we particularly enjoyed the mammal exhibition, and one on Human Origins, and I was impressed with the Hope Diamond. We then went to the American History Museum, where we found out about the Star Spangled Banner (flag and song). It only became the National Anthem in 1931. There was also an interesting exhibition on the Presidents.

    After lunch, we went to the Museum of African American History, which was only opened about a year ago. It is a wonderful modern building, and the exhibition is outstanding. It starts with the History Galleries that take you through Slavery and Freedom (1400 - 1877), then Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation (1876 - 1968), and the last history gallery - A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond. The exhibits were very graphic and it was quite emotional to read about the history of the African Americans, especially the personal accounts. There were a further three galleries that cover culture, community and heritage, but we ran out of time, and were feeling quite drained after completing the first three galleries.

    We then headed down the National Mall towards the WW2 Memorial, the reflection pool and the Lincoln Memorial. After this we walked through the parks back towards the White House, and our hotel. The foliage is stunning at the moment, especially against the backdrop of a beautiful blue sky.

    We did see POTUS depart from the White House in his helicopter, with two other helicopters escorting him, and they basically shut down the surrounding streets. We also spotted some secret service staff on the roof of one of the federal buildings. As we walked past the White House the police were clearing Lafayette Park - we're not sure why, they don’t give any explanation. By the time we got back to the hotel we had clocked up 18,218 steps, and felt a bit knackered.

    After a bit of a rest and freshening up we headed out for dinner to Bidwell, a restaurant that we had read about in the Age travel section. It was located in the Florida Avenue Farmers Market. It was recently awarded a Bib Gormand from Michelen for great food at reasonable prices. The meal was delicious and enjoyed by all three of us.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    View from WW2 Memorial back to Wahington Memorial
    Angus in front of Reflecting PoolWW2 MemorialLincolnDanielle & LincolnKorean War MemorialAirforce MemorialJefferson Memorial

    Dynamite Tour of Washington DC

    November 22, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    This morning we were collected by Brian from Bi-Partisan Tour Company, to start our tour of Washington. Although we had visited a number of places the day before, we were happy to return to them. Brian runs an excellent tour. He is passionate about Washington and history, and he tells a great story. We started off at the 2nd World War Memorial, followed by the Lincoln Memorial and the Korean War Memorial. We then briefly passed by Arlington Cemetery, which is located across the Potomac River, the Airforce Memorial, and the Pentagon, which is huge. Around 15,000 staff work there, and about 4,000 contractors - the busiest Starbucks is located at the Pentagon!

    We then crossed back over the Potomac and went to the Jefferson Memorial, which is surrounded by cherry blossom trees and sits on the shore of the Tidal Basin (so it was very chilly and windy). During the construction of the Jefferson Memorial, a number of ladies chained themselves to the cherry trees in protest of them needing to be chopped down for the Memorial. To deal with this, President Roosevelt ordered his staff to prepare tea, coffee and cake for the protestors and, within a couple of hours, the ladies needed to be excused, so that was the end of the protest and construction proceeded. Next we went to the Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jnr Memorial, and we were able to walk between them along the Tidal Basin. Once again we have had great weather - blue sky and sunshine - although a bit nippy!

    After a lunch break we visited the front of the White House, then onto the Einstein Memorial, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial - which is a wall that is cut into the earth and slopes down into the ground. All 58,272 war casualties are listed on the wall in the order they died. There was a competition for the design of this Memorial, and it was won by a recent graduate - all 9 judges agreed on the design from 1,500 entries. It is both a somber and powerful Memorial. We then headed back down the National Mall towards the US Capital Building on the Hill. The view down the Mall to the Washington Monument through to the Lincoln Memorial is quite breathtaking. We also saw the Grant Memorial and the Peace Monument. Brian then drove us through Chinatown and dropped us at the International Spy Museum.

    The International Spy Museum was very interesting and a bit of fun. On entering you are asked to pick an alias that you must memorise the details of and be tested on. I was Gary Wozniak, 25 years, Canadian Citizen, born in Waipau NZ, a teacher who was in Singapore for 90 days for work.

    There were lots of the tools of the spy trade on display, and biographies on some of the most notorious spies through the ages up to current times. There was also a special exhibit - "Exquisitely Evil: 50 Years of Bond Villians" which was very entertaining.

    We then headed back to the hotel and stopped in at "The Hamilton" for dinner. Once again, we had a big day, walking over 13,000 steps.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler

    Thanksgiving Part 1

    November 23, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    Today I woke up with a bit of a sniffle, so the boys headed out to Starbucks for breakfast while I had a bit of a sleep-in. We headed off around 10 this morning, and made our way down to the National Mall towards the National Air and Space Museum. We went through a number of the exhibits including Early Flight, the Golden Age of Flight, Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall, Space Race, America by Air, Great War in the Air, World War 2 Aviation, Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Sea-Air Operations, Apollo to the Moon, Time and Navigation and Exploring the Moon. Once again great exhibits, great spaces and all for free!

    After finishing at the Air and Space Museum we headed out for some lunch. We found a bunch of food trucks and ordered Quesadillas that we ate on a bench in the National Mall.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler

    Thanksgiving Part 2

    November 23, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    After lunch we headed to the National Gallery of Art, where we went to a Vermeer Exhibition, and also saw some wonderful art - they have put together an excellent collection, and it is housed in a gorgeous building. We saw works by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, Renoir, Manet, da Vinci, Goya, Turner, Constable, Pissarro, Matisse, Caillebotte, Bazille, Delacroix, Gauguin and Vermeer.

    After spending a couple of hours in the gallery we wound our way back up to our hotel, to give me a chance to catch up on my blog, and to relax before heading out for our Thanksgiving dinner. We may walk down to the Lincoln Memorial after dinner to see it at night.    Read more

  • Danielle and Co travelsNorth America 2017Traveler
    Set menu
    Roast Turkey - deliciousChocolate MousseHalibutPecan Pie

    Thanksgiving Dinner

    November 23, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 0 °C

    We had Thanksgiving dinner at ICI Urban, Sofitel’s Restaurant. We enjoyed the meal and we had a bottle of red from France. Tomorrow we leave Washington for NYC!

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