Michey_b’s travelling around

So arriving in Quebec City was cool – the train ride again was comfy and seemed to fly by.  Sat next to a lovely lady who lived in Quebec who spent the trip telling me about her family and helping me to remember some important french words that my brain had conveniently stuck somewhere labelled ‘will not need’ 

I cheated at the station having heard that the walk to the hostel was a 15min hike up some pretty evil hills, barely done on their own – and with a 20kg backpack seemed like the easiest way to a heart attack, and got a taxi.

The hostel seems ok – but very regimented but i guess thats the standard of HI hostels in general.  At least the dorm is better – the room is huge and the lockers are great – oh how the small things seem important.

I have spent four very cool days in Quebec which i prefer to Montreal – it seems friendlier somehow and very much reminds me of Paris.  I am struggling to understand Quebec french though – its so different from French in France – but its good herethat most people are bilingual so at least they can speak to me in English!

The weather here is temperamental at best and it has dropped dramatically over the last couple of days and there is even the chance it may snow – which is cool i cant wait to see proper snow – at least that will make up for the fact that i am wearing about 6 layers!

I have done quite a bit of the touristy stuff here and walked about 5 miles today up to the Citadel and along through the the parc de bateilles (may need to check my spelling there) I would have liked to have been here earlier this month when the leaves had changed colour but i can imagine just how beautiful it is here when that happens – now 90% of the leaves are on the ground a sure sign that winter is in fact here. 

 

 

One thing that i love about Canada is the deal they make out of Halloween.  Walking through the park i stumbled across a small playground that was decorated completely for Halloween, with adults in costumes handing out candy to the kids and pumpkins everywhere.  It was good to see families out together enjoying the sunshine and preparing for Halloween.

 

 

I found the Wolfe monument – General Wolfe was english and died fighting for Quebec – well at least im pretty sure he did – but at least now i have heard of him and seen his monument (see Dad i now know who he is!!)

 

 

The Musee de Quebec is here also and decided that i would pay the $15 to see the Picasso exhibition which was im sorry to say so not worth it.  It was his modern absract stuff that i just dont call art.  I know right here’s me slagging off one of the greatest artists of all time but i just didnt think it was good.  However i did happen upon the Rosa Luxembourg by Riopelle which was fascinating.  It consists of 30 paintings that together tell a story – now im not completely sure about what the story is – but the art is good – looks like batik and then acrylic paint over the top.  Im not very good at describing obviously but it was good and by far the best thing in the museum.

I met back up with Elizabeth here in Quebec and together we sampled the delights of a great pub called St Patricks – bet you cant possibly guess where it is from!!  Food was good there and fairly reasonable – restaurants here are not cheap by any means but i guess thats what happens in a majorly tourist city.

I love walking around this place its just so beautiful and fairly quiet – i cant imagine what its like in summer – but it seems to exhude a calmness and tranquility.  It may just be all the history here.  The way the city is set up is weird.  I wondered why there was a funiculor here but then realised that it is set upon a hill and streets go off a different split levels which is very cool and a pain to climb.  Unfortunately the Notre Dame was closed for refurb and photos not that cool as roadworks going on all around.

 

 

I am looking forward to getting to Ottawa.  French Canada is cool but i want to see something different now and im looking forward to spending Halloween here.  All i have to do now is get up at 4.30am to catch a train – nice 😉

So I have been to a hockey game and on a pub crawl through the lively student area so thought its high time i saw some more touristy sights here in Montreal.  Well i guess it would be rude to not.

Headed down to the metro station to Place D’Armes and wandered down the cobblestone street to Montreals Notre Dame Basilica – thinking to myself would it be on  a par with the one in Paris and oh boy was it ever.  Now im not a very religious person but having paid my $4 to go in i was blown away.  The altar glows eerily in colours of blues and purples and just oozes this spiritual pull that washes over you.   Few churches and cathedrals have had the same power one being St Peters in Vatican.  It helped coming at this time of year when crowds are minimal but i sat for awhile in awe.  My pictures just dont do it justice.   At the back is the Sacred Heart chapel which in a distinct contrast is yellows and golds and has a two year waiting list for weddings.  I can totally see why and felt respect for a place that holds power over the people of Montreal. 

 

 

Having had enough spiritual enlightenment i headed back out of the Basilica and down more cobbled streets towards the Hotel De Ville and to the Nelson monument in Place Jacques Cartier.  I can totally see this place rammed with tourists in the summer. 

 

 

Slightly bored with culture for the day i headed down to the riverfront which was rammed with workmen completing a refurb and people out for a stroll.  My first draft of this post was a lot more interesting it has to be said but the stupid computer decided to crash on me as i hit publish grrr and i cannot for the life of me remember what i wrote.

I headed (got to think of a new word) back to the downtown area and on to Rue St Cathrine which kind of reminds me of OXford Street aka a shoppers heaven.  It was here that i set myself the task of finding the Amex building to change my travellers cheques commission free, but have started to think there is a conspiracy at work here.  As in Halifax the Amex building was not where LP said it would be and asking around as in Halifax also people looked at me blankly saying that it had moved but no one seemed to know where.  Sigh.  So as if the rapid strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the Pound wasnt enough i had to pay commission as well.  More sighs.  I hope to god the American dollar doesn’t decide to go the say way.

Back at the hostel i contemplated why i just wasnt sure about this city.   There is just a certain je ne sais pas feeling that i have.  Old Montreal is cool, the Habs hockey team awesome and the bars awesome so why do i feel weird?  Who knows maybe because i absolutely loved Halifax that no where was going to seem as great. 

Having changed my train ticket for a more reasonable time – i mean who wants to get up for a 5am train anyway i settled in with a book and wondered what Quebec was going to be like……………….

So after a killer 20 hour train ride across eastern Canada which commenced at 12.30 AST on sun  - i finally arrived in Montreal at 8am on the monday morning - despite sitting in one place for too long, the ... [Continue reading this entry]

So getting up at 6.30 in not fun even on holiday especially when you have crazy people sitting outside your dorm window until the early hours drinking and singing - urghh wish i had been able to join them its ... [Continue reading this entry]

Well thats it the trip started and i find myself a transatlantic flight later in Nova Scotia.  Flight was good if uneventful - well thats what you want really but aint much to write about.  I recommend flying with Zoom ... [Continue reading this entry]