Yesterday, we spent 9 hours sitting in the car. Today we spent 9 hours walking and visiting the sites of Old Quebec City. It was perfect weather to explore the many Churches, shops, museums and parks.
We started our day with a trip to "Cafe Starbucks". There wasn't much to choose from for breakfast in this area (the cafes cater to more of the night life), so it was good to start the day with something familiar. Quebec City has a very rich history and much of it is connected to the Catholic faith. When Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1608, he planted the cross, as he was claiming the new land for France and for the Church.
We visitied the Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral, the Cathederal Basiilica of Norte Dame, and the Eglise Norte Dame de Victories, which is built upon the ruins of Champlains first outpost.
After lunch, we went on a 2 hour walking tour of Old Quebec. Our tour guide, Denny, took us to many places that we would not have gone to on our own, We walked down side roads and alleys and stood on the sop where Champlain is said to have landed when he arrived by canoe 400 years ago. He told us how the St Lawrence River was much closer to the shore than it is now, and how it has been filled in to expand to create more space for the expanding colony. He talked almost continuously for two hours as he shared the history of the city with us. It was obvious that he loves his city.
After saying au reviour to our guide, Ed and I decided to carry on with our own self-guided tour, and took the Promenade des Gouverneurs that included over 310 steps up to the back of the Citadelle and the Parc des Champ de Bataille.
Old Quebec is divided into two sections - upper and lower - and there are many staircases connecting the two areas. Steep staircases. You can ride the Funicular, which is a cable car for $3.50 a ride to avoid he steps, or you can travel up and down on "break your neck stairs".
After a full day of walking, stair climbing and touring, it was good to get back to our room, and to get there we had to climb one more staircase.
Friday, September 14, 2018
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Bonjour Quebec
It is almost 700 km from St John NB to Quebec City and it took us almost 9 hours, including a stop for gas, a stop to eat our lunch in Grand Falls, NB, another stop at the visitor's information centre in Quebec and then the highlight of the journey at the Accordion Museum in Montmagny, PQ about 1 hour from Quebec City.
The accordion has played an important part in the musical history of Quebec. Apparently, the first accordion was brought over from Austria by a convent in 1843, and in 1895 Odilon Gagne began manufacturing of accordions in his home. Accordion music has been an integral part of the Quebecois musical tradition and culture.
With my brother behind the wheel, Ed and I were able to relax in the back seat and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Like BC, the area between St John and the Quebec border has lots of trees. Closer to Quebec, we are coming into a more agricultural region - the Potato capital of the province. Lays potato chips has a factory here, but no time to stop for the tour today.
Our hotel is located just on the other side of one of the many gates to Vieux Quebec. After settling into our rooms, we set out to find a place for dinner. We found an Italian restaurant with an accordion player, Parmesan. The food was delicious and the atmosphere lively.
I'm looking forward to spending a full day in Quebec City.
The accordion has played an important part in the musical history of Quebec. Apparently, the first accordion was brought over from Austria by a convent in 1843, and in 1895 Odilon Gagne began manufacturing of accordions in his home. Accordion music has been an integral part of the Quebecois musical tradition and culture.
With my brother behind the wheel, Ed and I were able to relax in the back seat and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Like BC, the area between St John and the Quebec border has lots of trees. Closer to Quebec, we are coming into a more agricultural region - the Potato capital of the province. Lays potato chips has a factory here, but no time to stop for the tour today.
Our hotel is located just on the other side of one of the many gates to Vieux Quebec. After settling into our rooms, we set out to find a place for dinner. We found an Italian restaurant with an accordion player, Parmesan. The food was delicious and the atmosphere lively.
I'm looking forward to spending a full day in Quebec City.
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Just Walking in the Rain
We took the Northumberland ferry today from Digby NS to St John NB. The sailing is 2hours and 15 minutes across the Bay of Fundy. The ferry is much different than our BC ferries in many ways. Apart from selling lobster rolls in the cafeteria, they also sell beer and wine. The interior of the boat has lots of room for passengers to relax, including an area set up with monitors along each row of seats to watch a movie that is selected by one of the staff at the start of each sail, and a separate lounge for drivers of commercial vehicles. I was amazed at the number and size of trucks that went on this vessel - many containing seafood. Lobsters & scallops clearly identified on the graphics on the trucks. The waters were choppy, but it was smooth sailing all the way.
The rainy weather has finally found us and what they may think is light rain in St John would be considered a downpour in Victoria. But we are west coasters and a little rain didn't detour us from walking around downtown St John. First stop the St John Arts Centre. It was formally a library founded by Carnegie. It has been well maintained over the years and still has the beautiful hand made tile floor in the foyer. There are 5 exhibits of local artists. (Photo available on Instagram)
From there we walked to the Halifax Public Market. You know that you are in city that has to deal with a lot of snow when you are walking through the underground pedestrian walkways connecting one city block to the next.
St John is the end of the road for our solo road trip. Today we were joined by my brother and sister-in-law. We are leaving our rental car in St John and getting into the back seat of their Honda Accord.
In 1976 they were living in Moncton NB. I had just finished university and they flew me East as a graduation gift. We took a road trip that took us through New Brunswick, the Gaspe peninsula, Quebec City and onto Ottawa. Over the next couple of days, it will be fun to take a trip down memory lane as we drive through New Brunswick to Quebec City and Ottawa.
The rainy weather has finally found us and what they may think is light rain in St John would be considered a downpour in Victoria. But we are west coasters and a little rain didn't detour us from walking around downtown St John. First stop the St John Arts Centre. It was formally a library founded by Carnegie. It has been well maintained over the years and still has the beautiful hand made tile floor in the foyer. There are 5 exhibits of local artists. (Photo available on Instagram)
From there we walked to the Halifax Public Market. You know that you are in city that has to deal with a lot of snow when you are walking through the underground pedestrian walkways connecting one city block to the next.
St John is the end of the road for our solo road trip. Today we were joined by my brother and sister-in-law. We are leaving our rental car in St John and getting into the back seat of their Honda Accord.
In 1976 they were living in Moncton NB. I had just finished university and they flew me East as a graduation gift. We took a road trip that took us through New Brunswick, the Gaspe peninsula, Quebec City and onto Ottawa. Over the next couple of days, it will be fun to take a trip down memory lane as we drive through New Brunswick to Quebec City and Ottawa.
Monday, September 10, 2018
Farewell to Nova Scotia
After yesterday's driving marathon, it was nice to be able to spend a little more time in one place and enjoy the morning in Lunenburg. After a hearty oatmeal breakfast at our B&B, we set off on foot to explore the historic city of Lunenburg. Lunenburg is saturated in history. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. It was recognized for it's preservation of the Old Town, for having the best surviving exampe of British Colonial grid-pattern street layout, and for its authenticity as a working town. What we learned today is that the British recruited people from the Upper Rhine region, promising land, building materials and provisions. On June 8, 1753 a collection of German, Swiss and French farmers landed at Rou'Brook near the start of the harbor to begin a new life.
We walked along the waterfront. And the Bluenose was in port today. We felt lucky to be able to see this beautiful schooner as it is often out traveling up and down the coast. My camera could not take in the immense size of the boat nor the masts, which were over 100 feet tall. (See Instagram/Facebook for photos)
Mahone Bay is another very lovely seaside town 15 minutes from Luneburg, and according to our guide book, is one of the most charming towns in all of Nova Scotia. I don't know if I would go that far, but it is pretty. It is also known for it's 3 churches that can be seen standing shoulder to shoulder across the water. The oldest dating back to 1861.
What we are noticing is how many churches there are in Nova Scotia. We truly are a country with deep Christian roots. I can see how important Church was to the early settlers and how the church still plays a very important part in the communities that we go through.
Today is our last day in Nova Scotia. A much shorter drive than yesterday took us north, across the width of the island to Annapolis Royal in the Annapolis Valley. Annapolis Royal's history spans 4 centuries. In 1605 Samuel de Champlain and the survivors of the bitter winter in New Brunswick moved across the Bay of Fundy and established the fortified Port Royal. It was the first permanent European settlement north of St Augustine, Florida.
We first spent time in the Historic Gardens, then strolled around the grounds of Fort Anne National Historic Site. It was easy to imagine the early settlers on these grounds.
We are spending our last night in Digby, NS. Home to Maude Lewis and digby scallops. I couldn't leave Digby without having scallops, which I had for dinner tonight, and tomorrow we hope to visit a replica of Maude's home before we head to the ferry which will take us across to New Brunswick.
Farewell to Nova Scotia and your sea-bound coast
Let your mountains dark and dreary be
When I'm far away on the briny ocean tossed
Will you ever have a sigh or a wish for me
We walked along the waterfront. And the Bluenose was in port today. We felt lucky to be able to see this beautiful schooner as it is often out traveling up and down the coast. My camera could not take in the immense size of the boat nor the masts, which were over 100 feet tall. (See Instagram/Facebook for photos)
Mahone Bay is another very lovely seaside town 15 minutes from Luneburg, and according to our guide book, is one of the most charming towns in all of Nova Scotia. I don't know if I would go that far, but it is pretty. It is also known for it's 3 churches that can be seen standing shoulder to shoulder across the water. The oldest dating back to 1861.
What we are noticing is how many churches there are in Nova Scotia. We truly are a country with deep Christian roots. I can see how important Church was to the early settlers and how the church still plays a very important part in the communities that we go through.
Today is our last day in Nova Scotia. A much shorter drive than yesterday took us north, across the width of the island to Annapolis Royal in the Annapolis Valley. Annapolis Royal's history spans 4 centuries. In 1605 Samuel de Champlain and the survivors of the bitter winter in New Brunswick moved across the Bay of Fundy and established the fortified Port Royal. It was the first permanent European settlement north of St Augustine, Florida.
We first spent time in the Historic Gardens, then strolled around the grounds of Fort Anne National Historic Site. It was easy to imagine the early settlers on these grounds.
We are spending our last night in Digby, NS. Home to Maude Lewis and digby scallops. I couldn't leave Digby without having scallops, which I had for dinner tonight, and tomorrow we hope to visit a replica of Maude's home before we head to the ferry which will take us across to New Brunswick.
Farewell to Nova Scotia and your sea-bound coast
Let your mountains dark and dreary be
When I'm far away on the briny ocean tossed
Will you ever have a sigh or a wish for me
Sunday, September 9, 2018
The Express Lane
It was breakfast in Baddeck, then back into the car for a marathon drive to Lunenburg, via Peggy's Cove. We had over 500 kilometers to travel today so not much time to linger along the way. The CBC was our companion today. Starting with Acadian fiddlers, then a rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah on the accordion, and Neil Young's, Long May you Run.
This part of Nova Scotia is quite different than Cape Breton. We didn't drive through as many little settlements as on the Ceilidh Trail. We finally arrived at Peggy's Cove just before 5. Before heading to the little village, we stopped at the memorial for the SwissAir Flight 111.
Peggy's Cove is just like all of the pictures and calendars I have seen. I wish that we had more time to explore the lighthouse, but it was another 90 minutes to our B&B in Lunenburg and we were ready for the driving day to be done. Ed has been craving a hot dog since the airport in Montreal, and as luck would have it, there was a hot dog vender, Peggy's Dogs, just waiting for him. Down with the dog, and back in the car we go.
Our B&B in Lunenburg is a lovely change from the room we had in Baddeck last night. It is a restored Victorian home built in 1905. It is the original of of WC Smith, a fishing boat captain who later became the first president of W.C.Smith & Company, and eventually, High Liner Foods. Tonight we are sleeping in the room that would have been his bedroom.
We had dinner at the local pub, The Knot, then back to our lovely room for soak in the big tub (not the Captain's original). Our hosts have even supplied bath salts for their guests. Just what I needed after a long day in the Express Lane.
This part of Nova Scotia is quite different than Cape Breton. We didn't drive through as many little settlements as on the Ceilidh Trail. We finally arrived at Peggy's Cove just before 5. Before heading to the little village, we stopped at the memorial for the SwissAir Flight 111.
Peggy's Cove is just like all of the pictures and calendars I have seen. I wish that we had more time to explore the lighthouse, but it was another 90 minutes to our B&B in Lunenburg and we were ready for the driving day to be done. Ed has been craving a hot dog since the airport in Montreal, and as luck would have it, there was a hot dog vender, Peggy's Dogs, just waiting for him. Down with the dog, and back in the car we go.
Our B&B in Lunenburg is a lovely change from the room we had in Baddeck last night. It is a restored Victorian home built in 1905. It is the original of of WC Smith, a fishing boat captain who later became the first president of W.C.Smith & Company, and eventually, High Liner Foods. Tonight we are sleeping in the room that would have been his bedroom.
We had dinner at the local pub, The Knot, then back to our lovely room for soak in the big tub (not the Captain's original). Our hosts have even supplied bath salts for their guests. Just what I needed after a long day in the Express Lane.
Saturday, September 8, 2018
A Musical Journey
Music has become an added bonus to our travel and today was no exception. We started the day at the Fiddle by the Sea B & B. Along with the delicious frittata, homemade bread and preserves, our host also served up a history lesson on the Port Hood area, complete with pictures from his laptop and followed that by playing a couple of tunes on his fiddle.
With our stomachs full, and a song in our heart we set off on the Ceilidh Trail. This is the part of Hwy 19 that takes you from through Cape Breton before you connect with the Cabot Trail. With a quick stop at the Mother of Sorrows Pioneer Shrine & Gift shop (made a donation, lit a candle, said a prayer - never hurts), it was on to a spirit of a different variety, the Glenora Inn & Distillery. We wondered why a distillery would be in this part of the country. Apparently, it's the water. No time for the tour of the distillery, just the gift shop, where Ed picked up another CD. Buddy McMaster was a Canadian fiddler known internationally and is from this area. This would be the perfect backdrop to take us aroud the Cabot Trail.
We had been told that the Westside Cafe and Bakery was a good place to pick up a sandwich for the trail so that was our next stop. It wasn't too busy and thought we would be on the road in no time. However the gal forgot to put our order in, so we ended up waiting an extra 20 minutes for our sandwiches. The waitress was very apologetic and gave us two extra muffins for our inconvenience.
What I have noticed on our travels so far is that the customer service and the friendliness of the is exceptional.
Back in the car with Buddy and onto the Cabot Trail mode. But then we see another interesting place to stop, Cheticamp. Cheticamp is a fishing village on the Cabot Trail. There is almost 4000 residents, one of the largest towns we have seen so far and a large majority are Acadians. The French in Cape Breton have a very interesting history, which we learned this morning at breakfast. In 1758, thousands of Acadians were deported, known as the Great Upheaval, by the British as part of their military campaign against New France.
20 minutes later, and we are back on the road. Perfect weather again for travel and the scenery along the coast is beautiful.
Upon entering Cape Breton Highlands National Park we decide to pull into the Visitor Information centre to eat our lunch. We no sooner sit down, when out of the Visitor Centre comes Pat, my friend Victoria, who is doing a road trip across Canada and through the States. What are the chances that we would end up at the same spot, same time. Had we not been delayed by a lost order, or taken time at Cheticamp, our paths would not have crossed. What were the chances of our meeting 37 years ago at the Y for post natal exercise classes? As Lucy Maud Montgomery said, "It's a small big world."
The Cabot Trail is a scenic highway with outstanding ocean views. And on a clear day, the blue sky and blue ocean are spectacular.
We arrived in Baddek in time for dinner - Wong's Chinese Restaurant. Not your typical Cape Breton fare, but fresh seafood, reasonably priced and great service.
The highlight of day was attending a Ceilidh at St Martin's Hall. We really enjoyed listeing to the fiddler, piper and piano player playing tradional songs from this region.
We got back to our lodgings and discovered that directly across the street from our room is the local community hall. And tonight, there is a wedding and there is music.
With our stomachs full, and a song in our heart we set off on the Ceilidh Trail. This is the part of Hwy 19 that takes you from through Cape Breton before you connect with the Cabot Trail. With a quick stop at the Mother of Sorrows Pioneer Shrine & Gift shop (made a donation, lit a candle, said a prayer - never hurts), it was on to a spirit of a different variety, the Glenora Inn & Distillery. We wondered why a distillery would be in this part of the country. Apparently, it's the water. No time for the tour of the distillery, just the gift shop, where Ed picked up another CD. Buddy McMaster was a Canadian fiddler known internationally and is from this area. This would be the perfect backdrop to take us aroud the Cabot Trail.
We had been told that the Westside Cafe and Bakery was a good place to pick up a sandwich for the trail so that was our next stop. It wasn't too busy and thought we would be on the road in no time. However the gal forgot to put our order in, so we ended up waiting an extra 20 minutes for our sandwiches. The waitress was very apologetic and gave us two extra muffins for our inconvenience.
What I have noticed on our travels so far is that the customer service and the friendliness of the is exceptional.
Back in the car with Buddy and onto the Cabot Trail mode. But then we see another interesting place to stop, Cheticamp. Cheticamp is a fishing village on the Cabot Trail. There is almost 4000 residents, one of the largest towns we have seen so far and a large majority are Acadians. The French in Cape Breton have a very interesting history, which we learned this morning at breakfast. In 1758, thousands of Acadians were deported, known as the Great Upheaval, by the British as part of their military campaign against New France.
20 minutes later, and we are back on the road. Perfect weather again for travel and the scenery along the coast is beautiful.
Upon entering Cape Breton Highlands National Park we decide to pull into the Visitor Information centre to eat our lunch. We no sooner sit down, when out of the Visitor Centre comes Pat, my friend Victoria, who is doing a road trip across Canada and through the States. What are the chances that we would end up at the same spot, same time. Had we not been delayed by a lost order, or taken time at Cheticamp, our paths would not have crossed. What were the chances of our meeting 37 years ago at the Y for post natal exercise classes? As Lucy Maud Montgomery said, "It's a small big world."
The Cabot Trail is a scenic highway with outstanding ocean views. And on a clear day, the blue sky and blue ocean are spectacular.
We arrived in Baddek in time for dinner - Wong's Chinese Restaurant. Not your typical Cape Breton fare, but fresh seafood, reasonably priced and great service.
The highlight of day was attending a Ceilidh at St Martin's Hall. We really enjoyed listeing to the fiddler, piper and piano player playing tradional songs from this region.
We got back to our lodgings and discovered that directly across the street from our room is the local community hall. And tonight, there is a wedding and there is music.
Friday, September 7, 2018
Our Founding Fathers are Missing
A road trip is a great holiday, but what I have to remember is that a road trip is more about time on the highway, and about less time to visit the local attractions. I always say, it is not the destination, but the journey. We are trying to cover a lot of territory in just a few days, which means that we can't get to everything we'd like to see, so it was a bit of disappointment today when our plan to visit Province House in Charlottetown went sideways. Province House is where the Fathers of Confederation gathered in 1864 to bring together Canada East (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & PEI) and Canda West (Quebec & Ontario). I may not have been a fan of Anne of Green Gables, but I have always been a fan of the Fathers of Confereration and the creation of our country, and I was looking foward to being in that space where it all happened. When we arrived at Confereration of the Arts Centre (Province House) expecting to visit the exhibit, we were surprised to see Province House covered with scaffolding with large panels surrounding the entrance. After wandering around, we eventually found a temporary exhibit. We learned that bricks used to build Province House were made from PEI red sand, and over the 157 years since the building was built, have slowly been turning back into sand. The building is slowly crumbling and it is the scaffolding acting as an ecto-skeleton that is holding the building together while they do the repairs. The building has been closed since 2015, and will be re-opened in 2022. And here cometh the lesson - Do not buy second hand, out of date, travel guides. The Atlantic Canada guide, which we have been using, came out in 2015.
Prince Edward Island is one of the prettiest places I have been to in Canada. The scenery is lovely. The rolling terrain, the ruby red earth, the emerald green potato fields, the golden tops of the corn fields - I could wax on a la Anne, poetically - but what really impressed me was how tidy everything is. It looks storybook clean - not a bit of trash, refuse, garbage, old car, unwanted piece of furniture or debris anywhere. I have to wonder if there is a law against rubbish in PEI. And for someone as OCD as me in the clutter department, Prince Edward Island is Heaven on earth.
We took the Wood Islands ferry to Nova Scotia, and the weather was on our side. Blue skies and sunshine. We put our Atlantic Fiddlers CD on and we were ready to get on the Ceilidh Trail. First stop Port Hood at the Fiddlers by the Sea B & B. Our host will be playing the fiddle for us at breakfast tomorrow! Tonight it was dinner at the Red Shoe Pub, which is owned by the Rankin sisters. This was on Ed's to-do list and we were not disappointed. Delicious food, and Ed bought the t-shirt.
This stretch of the coastline passes through many small villages that I am sure have not changed much in decades. It is the bastion of Celtic music and we have the CD's in the car to take us on our way. Tomorrow we will be looping around the north end of Cape Breton on the Cabot Trail. 311 km, it will definitely be about the journey, not the destination.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)