My Quebec Trip

[Alastair]

Having arrived in Quebec on Tuesday and this being Sunday evening it means I will be heading back to Toronto tomorrow after breakfast. I've had an outstanding time here and the weather has been great. You can see the pictures I took as well as a few videos at http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...icturesndx.htm

I'll be staying in Toronto for a couple of days then returning home to Chatham either on Wednesday or Thursday.

Alastair

[Alastair]

Re: My Quebec Trip

Well I got back today, Wednesday. I managed to complete the training for Savannah so she can now go on to do her own web site. I also did an update for Nola on her church site. So got back in time to catch up on things here and so now once again up to date with things.

I must say I hate doing computer work on the notebook as it's so slow. I should have taken my external keyboard with me but will try and remember when I go away again. Speaking of which I will be going away a week on Friday to attend the annual investiture of the St James Priory in Toronto on the Saturday.

I really enjoyed my trip to Quebec although it did show me how unfit I've become. Lots of hills in Quebec City so I think I sat on just about every bench. My calf muscles were seizing up on me.

I really enjoyed the trip to the immigration island where all the immigrants had to visit to get themselves and their possessions fumigated. I took part in a little project that demonstrated just how much room the passengers on these ships had to lie down. How they could have coped on a 48 day or longer voyage I have no idea. If you consider lying on your side with no more than a couple of inches between you and the next person then that's the space they had. Also the overhead was only around 5 foot 6 inches so if you were taller than that you'd have to constantly be bending your head.

They had a very efficient method of dealing with the immigrants with them all having to take showers and a system where their possessions where either dry steamed or chemically fumigated. All pretty amazing stuff. While the passengers were getting all that done the ships were also being fumigated as well.

We had to arrange a picnic lunch as there was no food on the island. So when we got the boat to the island and landed there we got around 40 minutes to have our lunch and then our guide took us around the island on a 4 hour trip before returning to board the boat again for the return,

On another day we went whale watching. It was a three hour drive down to that area along the St Lawrence and if you've seen the pictures I put up then you'll know they have some lovely scenery. We got fitted out with a survival suit and hen had 3 hours on the water. You can actually choose between one of the larger vessels or a smaller higher powered speed boat time craft. I took the later and it was a great experience. Enjoyed the sun and the sea breezes and saw quite a few whales but not leaping out of the water.

The Celtic Festival was small but most enjoyable. Quite a few kilts on show, pipe bands and highland dancing but also plenty of other music and dancing as the Irish and Bretons were well represented.

Also had a good walk into the center of the city and saw lots of interesting shops and buildings. Visited the Plains of Abraham where the Battle of Quebec took place. I did cheat a bit as Sandy MacKay, my host for my stay, went down into lower Quebec which is off the tourist part. He took my camera with him and took lots of great pictures. They tell me prices there are around half of what they are in the tourist part of the city and that goes for hotel accommodation as well.

I was accompanied by a number of Sandy's extended family on my stay and they all made me most welcome.

The weather was great the whole time with all but the first day being sunny and so I also got a good sun tan.

Montreal I didn't visit but did have to drive through it and what a mess that city is traffic wise. If you can avoid it do so as you can be snarled up for hours. I hit the quite time so only took me an hour to get through but if I'd have been an hour later I was told that could have easily extended to 3 hours.

So that's my wee report on my Quebec trip.

Alastair

[Glesgalass]

Re: My Quebec Trip

Funny you should mention about your calf muscles cramping up....:frown: That's what's been happening to me too but I've discovered that it may be because I think I can still walk as fast as when I was young, and I can't. I find that if I walk slower, which I find very difficult to do, the calf muscles are OK. One of my girlfriends tells me that I always race along and I can remember my mother being the same. lol!
Glad you enjoyed your time in Quebec.

Elda