RU Sitting Down - July 5 - 6

Today we left Montreal to head to Quebec City.  We had breakfast with the Soni's first and then went back to the back site to pack up and head out.  On the way, I saw sign for a cheese factory in St. Guillarme.  We turned off the road and went to it.  What a quaint little place!  They were making cheese so we got to see everything happening.  It was a neat to see and of course, we had to buy some freshly made cheese curds as a treat.

We got to our campsite in Quebec city and decided what to do.  I was in a rush to get a few things done so we could get going when the unthinkable happened.  I dropped the stabilizer bar onto my foot.  The kids were scared but they were good.  There was a lot of blood coming from my foot and it hurt like mad.  But, again, campers are amazing people.  Our neighbours came over and helped me out and helped calm the kids down.  Navras got the campground owner who called 911 and I got my first ambulance ride.  They even turned the sirens on for me!  The neighbours kept Shanti and Arjun at home while Navras came with me to the hospital in Levis.  Thank goodness he came because in Quebec City and area very few people speak English so he was a good translator.  Turns out I broke a bone in my foot and the cut was deep enough to need 2 stitches.  Let me tell you it SUCKS.  My once in a lifetime trip has changed drastically. 

I am now in a boot and can put some pressure on my foot but do have crutches as well.  Papa is coming in later today to help us for the next couple of weeks of the trip.  We have been in the campground for the past 2 days - at least there is a great pool and great people here so that is good.  The owner of the campground picked us up from the hospital both days and drove me to get my boot, antibiotics and food for the kids.  We even met a lifeguard (Audrey) who came to hospital as well and she was great - she took the kids to see LMFAO last night (July 6)!  There was no way I would have been able to walk all that far yet so it was good she went.  The kids had a great time.

Driving to Old Montreal - July 4

Today was a busy day.  We left the house and decided to drive to go to the Oratoire St Joseph.  It is on the top of a hill on the island of Montreal.  It was beautiful.  There is a walk outside the Oratoire showing the story of Jesus’ life with amazing statues.  And, at the end, you come to a pool of reflection.  Inside, there are amazing carvings, paintings and stained glass work.  Hard to imagine this was done so long ago without the modern equipment we have today.

From here we went to Schwartz’s Deli.  This is a deli that has been around the city for over 80 years.  Despite the fact that we arrived at 1:30 (well past regular lunch hour) the line up for a seat inside was over 45 minutes long.  We decided to do the take out line (still 10 minutes) and go eat in the car.  The smoked meat here is worth it!  The kids loved the meat, the pickles everything!  I can totally see why people are willing to stand in line for so long for a seat in a little shop on Saint Laurent Street!

From here we decided to go to Old Montreal.  And, let me tell you, as beautiful as the city is it has TERRIBLE signage.  NEVER drive in Montreal no matter what anyone tells you.  We finally found a place to park in Montreal for $17 for the whole day – but because parking is so tight, they take your keys so you have to return at a certain time or your car will be locked in for the night.  We went to this interesting museum called Pointe-de-Callière – the archeology museum of Montreal.  Underneath they have some original findings from the city but like everything else in the city, the route here was not labelled well either!  Upstairs however, they had a great display of the Samurai.  Authentic gear, swords and headdress were all on display.  The kids loved the fact they connected the Samurai to Darth Vader in a way they had never thought of before.  That exhibit was totally worth the price of admission.

We then went to visit IndiPort – the carpet store owned by cousin.  It was huge.  I don’t know what I expected but this was so much more and this is just 1 of 2 stores they have in the city.  Wow.  She insisted we try the McDonald’s poutine which is very close to her store and surprisingly, it was good!  Maybe we should petition McDonald’s to bring that to Alberta!   Just as we were leaving her store, we got caught in a downpour.  The skies opened up and let loose.  It was coming down in sheets so we had to wait it out and missed getting to the science museum with any decent time to see anything.  Still, we went in and looked around at the exhibits and were shooed out by the security guards!

We then headed to our final stop in Old Montreal – the NotreDame Basilica.  From Tuesday to Saturday evenings they do a light and sound show showing the history of the Basilica and the important role it played in the city.  We got our tickets and went in.  WOW.  The show was amazing.  They put up curtains to keep you from seeing certain parts of the Basilica until they discuss the history of it in the video.  It took my breath away when they parted the curtains and you saw the beauty of the whole church.  I can’t even describe it.  Let’s just say you have to go!

We left in time to pick up our truck before the parkade closed and got on the road.  We parked again and just wandered around a little.  The kids had seen a place offering Beaver Tails (fried dough smeared with sticky gooey goodness) and wanted to stop.  I figured, why not?  But, we quickly found out that Old Montreal is not a place for kids at night.  Everything is a pub or a wine bar so we found a sushi spot, ate and went home.

Going Buggy - July 3

Montreal.  The first things we decided to go and see was the Olympic Park area.  This is where the Biodome, Insectarium, and Botanical Gardens are as well.  It was amazing.  We purchased a package to see all three things and decided not to take the very expensive elevator to the top of the Olympic Tower.  Navras came here last year with my parents and said while it was a nice view it may not be worth the over $50 it would have cost us.  The other three things were worth it though.  The Biodome is four different environments under one roof. The first was a Tropical Rainforest.  It was amazing – the birds and other animals wandering around and the lush foliage was worth seeing.  Next we went to the Maple Forests and then to the St Lawrence area – both under the water and above.  It was fantastic how they made you feel like you were right there.  Lastly, we went to the Sub Arctic and saw puffins and penguins!  It was amazing.

We then had to walk quite a ways to get to the Insectarium which is where they had much information on a variety of bugs.  From honey bees to butterflies to beetles.  Not being a big fan of bugs, this was not my favourite stop but the kids loved it.  We all (yes, I was brave enough to) held a walking stick bug as well.  Sorry the photo is a little dark.

Just outside the Insectarium area the Botanical Gardens.  It was a beautiful place to wander around.  I would have loved to have brought a picnic and sat and enjoyed in one of the many gardens they had featured.  It reminded me of a smaller version of Butchard Gardens in Victoria.

We had driven to the Olympic Park area thanks to an info sheet given to us at the campsite.  We then had to turn around but instead of going home we decided to visit a cousin of mine who lives in the city.  Rammi and her daughter had invited us for dinner and I thought it would be no problem driving to their house.  Our GPS gave us decent directions, but at the last minute we missed the turn.... and, unlike most other places I have ever driven, you couldn’t just turn around – you had to do a 10 minute circuit to get back to the house.  Such poor signage.  The visit, however, was worth it.  Yummy food made by not me was a welcome change for sure!  I have to remember to plan little stops like this to visit friends and family throughout the trip next time!

Where RV? - July 2

Today, the plan was to get to Montreal at a reasonable hour and have a chance to look around the city.  But, as best laid plans go it didn’t get followed.  Arjun was really hoping to see the Cat Sanctuary at the Parliament Hill.  He had overheard someone talking of it during the tour and wanted desperately to see it.  Really, the joy of having very loose plans is they are flexible.  So, we packed up as much as we could and drove back to downtown.  We couldn’t take the trailer cause of parking restrictions but campgrounds are usually pretty good about things like this.  We drove in, found parking close by (no street closures thank goodness), and walked back to the Hill.  We found the Cat Sanctuary but, alas, there were no cats to be seen.  At least we got here.  Again, how many times will we be back when the kids want to do something like this?  We had no plane to catch, we were on our own schedule so it was fine.  We finally got hitched up and left the campsite around noon and headed to the Science and Technology Museum.  Before we left Edmonton, we got memberships for the Telus World of Science because they have agreements with so many other centres in North America that let you in for free.  It was great getting in for free to the Museum.  It was a fun little place to go and see.  I think one of the neatest exhibits was the Crazy Kitchen – I walked in and because it appears tilted your mind and ears don’t agree so you feel sick to your stomach.  What a bizarre experience.   Outside the Museum were some neat little things in their innovation park – a lighthouse, a windmill, train and a rocket ship!

Finally, we were off to Montreal....  We made it near the city OK but then when it came time to finding the campsite our GPS took us goodness knows where.  We ended up on the far side of the city, nowhere close to where we should have been.  Again, and I may have mentioned this once or twice, the people in campgrounds are usually fantastic and this was no different.  Tom answered our call, not once, not twice but four times to get us to the campground safe and sound.  He directed me in past construction zones and after an hour and half of being lost we arrived!  The first thing the kids did was hop in the pool.  I guess it had been as trying a day for them as it had for me.  May as well relax, it’s not like they are getting to do much of that while we are on the road!

Happy Canada Day!

Finally – CANADA DAY!  We wanted to get an early start to the day so we headed out around 9.  Cameras all charged and room on the hard drives to store all the photos and videos we wanted.  We decided to take the OCTranspo into Ottawa to make things easier.  With so many road closures and little parking as is, I figured it would be easier to do it that way.  We also took with us a pedometer to see how many steps we took and how many kilometers we ended up walking.

Our first stop was Major Hill park – this is a park just southeast of the Hill and there were a lot of activities planned in it.  On our way there, we stopped to watch street performers and just look at some of the vendors who had set up shop along the way.  Once we were in the park area there was SO much to see and do.  From another stage area to crafts and food.  It was neat to see how so much of the city was getting into the spirit of things.  The kids decided to make little sacs to hold their electronics and, after only a minor burn, we were off to see more things.  We hopped on the shuttle to go across to Jacques Cartier park – it is a doable walk across the river but I figured with all the walking we would be doing the rest of the day taking the shuttle might be a good, cranky saving measure.  Across the river, in the Gatineau part of Ottawa, were more activities.  The kids got to try cheerleading, playing with the latest Hot Wheels cars and then skating on this amazing sheet of plastic ice!  We even got to experience what it would be like to be a Paralympic athlete with a big display set up in the area.  Then it was back across the river for another stop at the NGO.  We saw a few exhibits which Navras really wanted to check out plus we saw some winning artwork from local, young artists.

After hitting a few more activities, we decided to huddle down and get a spot for the big fireworks display.  We managed to snag a spot just facing the river with a clear view of the Parliament Buildings and the Museum of Civilization.  If you ever go to Ottawa for Canada Day, this is the BEST spot to sit.  I swear it looked like the fireworks were being shot off just for us they were that close and that spectacular!  Over 1000 fireworks in a span of about 20 minutes.  The crowd was amazed and ended the evening with an impromptu singing of O’Canada.  How moving.   

Oh, a couple of funny things:  Remember the exhibit at the NGO of amazing young artists I mentioned?  We ended up sitting next to one of those artists while watching the fireworks.  Josh Tiessen - just a teen and already a professional artist!  And the second - as we were waiting for the fireworks display to begin a friend of Arjun’s from school walked right up to us and said hello.  They just happened to be in the city as well and just happened to stop to look at the river from the same spot!  It really shows what a small world we live in doesn’t it?

Parliament Views - June 30

For as little as we did yesterday, we sure made up for it on Saturday June 30^th.  We left our campsite at 9 AM to get to Ottawa for the Changing of the Guards ceremony.   We drove along the Ottawa Promenade to get to downtown where we found parking.  Free on the weekends!  We got to the Parliament Hill just before the ceremony was to start and managed to get a spot right up front.  We had to move back to allow the guard to come into the grounds so we were quite close!  The ceremony was long and very traditional.  The kids didn’t enjoy it too much because they didn’t know what was going on.  And, there is a lot of repetition.  But, it is one of those things that you just have to do!  From there we signed up for our tour of the buildings.  It was a good thing Navras told us to go do that right away since the next tour we could sign up for was at 1:50 – almost 3 hours away.  As we were taking pictures of the guard, I realized the battery on my camera was almost dead.  I couldn’t believe it – NOW????   Sometimes technology only works as well as the user. 

We decided that since photos would not be allowed in the National Art Gallery of Ottawa (NGO) we would go see the exhibits.  We figured we would have enough time to get from the Hill to the NGO and back in time for the tour.  When we got the NGO there was quite a line up as the feature exhibit was Van Gogh.  How fantastic?  We lined up and managed to get a spot to get in for the noon entrance.  It was amazing to see the artwork.  The kids loved it all reading almost everything in the exhibit.  It was fantastic to see as they had done some artwork based on Van Gogh a couple of years ago and they recognized the works and the techniques that they had been taught.  We got to write a letter to Van Gogh and even try to paint in his style. 

Unfortunately, the painting Shanti and Arjun drew was only for display at the Gallery.  Still a pretty neat thing to do.  From here we left and headed back to the Hill for our big tour.  We lined up and went through security.  Remember, for next time, it's just like the airport and they will hold anything sharp which meant my Swiss Army knife was taken away for the duration of the tour.  I have to say the tour was amazing.  In the West, we rarely see old, historic buildings but out East there is so much history.  The tour guide told us of the significance of the ceilings in both the House of Commons area and the Senate area.  We were also allowed to go into the Library.  This is the part of the building that is original, surviving a fire due thanks to the iron doors being closed.  Then we had a chance to go up the Peace Tower and see the city from high above.  What a sight. 

Once we left the buildings, we decided to go the Museum of Civilization. There was a special exhibit on the Mayans which Navras really wanted to see since he just finished learning about the civilization in Grade 8.  While it was facinating to read some of it was a bit much for the younger kids.  I decided to take them to the Children's Museum while Navras explored other areas.  That was a great idea.  We had two hours to spend there before it closed and we made sure the doors slammed behind us when we left.  It was quite interesting as much of the Museum was preparing for a big event.  When we asked what it was, I was expecting to hear it was a Gala or a big fundraiser but it as a High School Prom!  Shanti loved seeing all the beautiful dresses outside this odd setting.  After a busy day of walking, we decided just to drive to Rideau Hall and then head home.

Laundry Day - June 29

As I said yesterday, we did stop in the morning to get the propane checked out.  It was fine.  Nothing to worry about.  So, we continued on the road to Ottawa.  Really that was all we did today – we left a lot later than we had hoped (about 2 hours) so it delayd everything.  But, even if we had gotten into the city earlier than we had by the time we unhitched the trailer we would have had nothing to go see – well nothing inside anyway!  Instead, we decided to do mundane stuff that has to get done on the road when you are travelling for as long as we are – LAUNDRY!!!  But, even though someone had reminded me to pack change I had forgotten.  I had to find change to do the laundry but it was all good.  I hadn’t used a Laundromat in a very long time and thankfully, I had brought the soap along!  One thing for anyone who is not a seasoned camper to remember - CHANGE.... Something I had to scrounge for the plug the machines!  But, in the end that was all for the day.