We've spent our last day in and around our hotel, which is near the airport in Richmond, Vancouver.
We hopped a bus to the local mall and were immediately surprised that the bus was full of Chinese people, mostly elderly. It turns out almost all businesses in this area are Chinese. The mall was full of "different" shops and we could have easily been transplanted in Hong Kong. Very unexpected.
At least KFC is now called KFC again, no longer PFK!
Helen did some last minute shopping at Best Buy, acquiring an IP camera kit for home. It will be interesting to see how it goes. We are off to a good start because it supports the voltage we have in New Zealand.
We've now returned to the hotel and are sitting in the lobby waiting for the time to go to the airport. Homeward bound!
Today we left Montreal, flying to Vancouver on a flight leaving 6:10pm. The weather was again wet and windy, but slightly more mild temperatures. We couldn't venture too far, in case we get stuck in traffic and can't make it back to the airport in time.
We did a late checkout at the hotel, and eventually stored our bags with the hotel and headed out. There was a bus stop nearby that would take us to another nearby mall, and we had one day left on our bus passes, so why not give it a go?
The mall was actually very large and getting busier as the day moved toward midday. I hadn't mentioned before, but earlier this year Target pulled out of Canada altogether and any mall that had a Target, now has a huge empty store. We can tell them easily because of the red paint inside, and evidence of where the old Target signs have been removed outside (faded bricks, glue in a circle, etc). Anyway this mall had a Target too and they were still dismantling / moving stuff so that confirmed our suspicions.
We had brunch at the foodcourt, before having a wander around and also Dad and I tried these beautiful strawberry smoothies from a store called "Yeh!" as in "yeh it was yummy" I presume.
We headed back nice and early to the hotel, and caught a shuttle with bags in tow, to the airport. After walking forever, we found the checkin counter and queued for ages.
Once we got to the counter, the fun began. You see, originally we were to fly home via San Francisco, except Air Canada cancelled that flight around June this year, so we changed to fly via Vancouver, and then they changed that flight also. Anyhow along the way, only my e-ticket had not been associated with the flight. And did I mention the flight was absolutely full, and they were turning people away at other counters? So we had about 10 nervous minutes before eventually my booking was found, and with it my seat. Phew!
We all ended up sitting "in the middle", jammed in between other people, not the best arrangement for a 5.5 hour flight. I went to the gate and asked nicely if I could get an aisle seat. Eventually my wish came true, yay!
The flight was as expected and we arrived at Vancouver without incident. Arrival time was about 8:30pm but with a 3 hour time difference, that was 11:30pm body clock time. Perfect for going straight to bed. Although we found time to sneak in some McD's first!
After the horrible beds in the last hotel, we had beautiful comfortable beds, with awesome pillows, and we all slept like logs.
We have a day in Vancouver tomorrow before flying out in the evening. Although that probably won't give us an opportunity to venture out too far. So there may not be too much more to report to you all.
Last night was a nightmare, our bedding situation has not improved and I ended up sleeping (well, cat-napping) on the floor using cushions from the couch. I was tired and cranky so went down to reception to complain. An hour later, they replaced the mattress in our room, and offered to refund last night's accommodation. A nice gesture.
Today the weather forecast wasn't very nice. Starting out cool and cloudy, it would eventually turn to heavy rain.
Our travel book talked about the fact that Montreal has an underground pedestrian network, presumably so when it's snowing in winter, people can move about the city without going outside. I will quote the book direct: "The 'Underground City' refers to the vast network of pedestrian walkways below the city. There are 32 kilometres of connecting passageways beneath downtown, with commuter trains and buses also converging here. Approximately 500,000 people circulate daily in this network, where 2,000 shops and restaurants, 10 major hotels, museums, theatres and universities can be found."
So with poor weather forecast, this sounded like an ideal destination. We had an inkling that the underground might be very warm, so wearing too many layers might be a bad idea, but what about when we're above ground? So Helen opted for cooler clothing, while Peter and I took a few layers.
We got the correct bus stop to hop off today, right on a corner where an escalator would take us underground. No sooner were we down there, and I was peeling off my jacket, it was so hot! Helen was right to wear light clothes. Oddly though, people are wandering around in their thick jackets, scarves, hats, quite happily. I don't understand, they wouldn't wear all that during summer, so why wear it underground?
We just happened to arrive in a large food mall. Calling it a food court would sell it short, this place was massive, with so many food vendors, and lots of seating all over the place. I took only two photos before a security guard pounced on me, telling me no photos allowed. So enjoy these teasers. We found a table and individually went for a wander to find the brunch of our choice. It was nearing midday and the place started getting really busy with the city's workers out for lunch.
After that, we ventured through other underground malls. They're all linked up but at one point, we lost track of the tunnels so went above ground. A nice change to get out of the heat, into some fresh cool air. We did find some interesting shops including a huge Best Buy which a great selection of products.
By the time we finished there, the rain had started. So we had to put all the layers back on and wandered back toward the underground.
Once underground again, we kept wandering but after a while it was all a bit the same; shops, shops and more shops. And so hot and stuffy. We had only been going for less than 2 hours, but had already covered around 6km on foot, so decided enough and returned to the hotel.
Although only mid afternoon, the rain meant the traffic was particularly bad, so the bus ride back to the airport was slow going. Also we called the airport to request a shuttle, however when they arrived they drove straight past without stopping! Helen called the hotel again, and although they could not explain why that happened, the shuttle was now stuck in traffic, so they recommended we catch a taxi to the hotel and they offered to refund it later. Instead, we asked a local bus where it was going, so hopped on and then swapped to another bus which was the same one we used last night for our mall outing. The traffic was bad and that ride was also very slow. All up, it took us two hours to return to the hotel. By now, it was very cold, and Helen was wishing she had more layers while outside.
Later we opted to run across the road to Subway for a light dinner. Although only a few minutes in the rain each way, we all got soaked even with our coats on. Shoes, trousers etc all got wet. Not a nice evening.
Tomorrow we are catching a plane to Vancouver late in the afternoon. We've received emails saying our flight is delayed an hour. Hopefully that's the only bad news we receive.
Also here's hoping the bed has improved so we can get some sleep!
Today we ventured out on foot to see Old Montreal (or Vieux-Montréal as it's known). As we're staying in a hotel near the airport, the preferred (ie less expensive) way into the city is to catch the hotel shuttle to the airport, then the aptly named Bus #747 which is an express bus from the airport into the city.
We had not had a good night's sleep, due to poor bedding in the room, so were all a bit lethargic and it was 10:45am when we finally left the hotel. By the time we got into the city, it was near midday. We started by getting our bearings using our smartphones on the bus using free WiFi, and once we were dropped off we headed straight into the underground and caught a train toward Old Montreal.
It was a beautiful day, sunny, and yet cold in the shade or in a breeze. Old Montreal is not contained within city walls like Quebec was. Rather, you are walking in Old Montreal surrounded by old buildings, and take one block too far and suddenly everything becomes modern. So without visual boundaries we had to rely on maps and general senses, looking one block ahead everywhere we walked.
High on the agenda was finding brunch. We found a restaurant, a little touristy, in an old stone building where we walked up rickety steps to get upstairs. Here Helen and Peter had poutine (the local specialty, french fries covered in cheese curds and gravy sauce) while I had a meat sandwhich which is another local favourite. All good and filled us nice and warm before we ventured out again.
We followed our nosed through various streets, taking in old churches and buildings, mingling with gift shops, before making our way down to the Old Port (or Vieux Port) which is actually fairly modern and designed to harmonise urban living during the summer time. Down here, we could see many sights from the river, mainly where we traveled yesterday.
Heading back uphill, we stopped in to admire a very old church, before popping in to lovely local bakery to taste some small treats, the likes of which we had never seen before, and yes they were delicious!
Continuing on, we eventually found Notre Dame but having already been inside many churches, we were't prepared to pay to look inside this one.
Although by now it was only mid afternoon, it was getting cold, and Helen's iWatch told us we had walked about 9km, so we decided to return to the hotel. I was fairly convinced I knew where to pick up the bus, which required a walk of a few blocks, which fortuitously took us through Chinatown. Helen was become increasingly concerned I was lost, but suddenly we turned the corner to familiar surroundings. As luck would have it, the bus was just leaving as we arrived, and hit a red traffic light, so we knocked on the door and the driver was kind enough to let us on.
The ride back to the hotel beat the peak hour traffic, so wasn't too bad. We were also lucky to coincide with our hotel shuttle at the airport to save us time.
We hadn't been in the hotel too long, when Helen researched some of the local bus routes, and found a mall not too far away contained some restaurants and a Walmart. So we ventured out and ended up eating dinner in a restaurant called "Scores" which oddly enough was a family restaurant mainly specialising in chicken meals, which hardly matches its name!
After a wait for our return bus, we made it back safe and sound, ready to face another day.
Today was our last day with the rental car. The plan was to drive from Quebec to Montreal, then while we have the car, make use of it to see harder reach attractions.
We awoke to another heavy frost in Quebec, and after breakfast we packed our bags and loaded them all into the car. As the trip wears on, loading the car becomes more difficult as our bags are heavier / bulkier and we have extra "stuff" on board also. The joys of travelling!
The drive to Montreal is quite straightforward, our Hotel is right near the main highway so within 5 minutes we were across the bridge and on our way. Then it was 2 1/2 hours of driving on a divided highway, which got progressively busier the closer we got to Montreal, especially with lots of large trucks.
Our first destination in Montreal was Mount Royal. We approached Montreal on the other side of the river, and there are a few bridges available to use. The GPS directed us to take a highway exit onto the bridge, except a sign said buses only, so we had to abort. The GPS then directed us up river to the next bridge, adding about 10 minutes to our journey. We drove through the city and made our way up some steep streets to Mount Royal.
Mount Royal Park is a large public park on a hill overlooking the city. There are various paths throughout the park. Once parked, we followed the crowd to Mount Royal Chalet from where there is a large lookout over the city. From there we followed our noses to the Mount Royal Cross, which required more uphill walking and due to some confusion on my part about the cross, a point of frustration from other members of our party! Up there we saw runners, walkers, roller skiers, and of course many squirrels. This is a popular exercise spot for locals. We returned to the car about an hour later, better for the exercise and cool fresh air.
Next we headed to Saint Joseph's Oratory which is Canada's largest church. We took the long way down the hill and then had to double back across town. Once the GPS had us on the correct road, Helen asked "is it on the left, or right?" and then we looked left and realised that's indeed it. The building is huge and could not be missed. Once we paid to get into the car park, we parked up and headed up the many steps. It was only once we were at the entrance, it was apparent we could have driven to the top. More complaints directed at me. Fair enough the steps were steep and plentiful. Once inside, the place could easily be mistaken for an underground railway station, or commercial building, with lots of long escalators, and marble walls everywhere. The building is quite modern compared to those we've seen in Europe. The actual nave is amazing, both modern and ornate. We sat for a while to soak it in. The building is impressively large and as we were leaving, we found another smaller chapel downstairs as well as tombs in behind.
It was now about 2:30pm so we dialled up the hotel on the GPS, based near the airport, and headed there to empty the car and checkin. We got our first dose of how busy Montreal roads are, and also how impressive their roading systems are. The traffic was quite challenging and slow in parts.
After checkin, we relaxed for only a little while before heading out again. I'd noticed Montreal has a casino and for us, casino means buffet! The buffet opens for dinner service at 4:30pm and given we'd not had any lunch (apart from some chippies in the car) we could go for an early dinner. Dialling up the casino on the GPS, arrival time was 4:05pm. Not bad. Except the traffic was bedlam and we crawled along various highways. It was not all bad, some of the roads are elevated very high and afforded great views around the city while we crawled along. Meanwhile the arrival time slowly ticked up. Suddenly we reached the turnoff the casino, and we were the only car! The roads to the casino are long and we had them all to ourselves. It was gone 5pm before we arrived.
The casino is on Notre Dame Island, a man made island, which has also in the past hosted Olympic events, and also has the Formula One track on it. Most of the year, the racetrack is open to the public as a road. I was keen to have a drive around. Following the signs to the casino, it took us right to the parking entry and try as we might, we could not find a way onto the track even though we could see it. Oh well never mind, dinner awaits! The casino was actually nice and clean inside, and no smoking, and we found our way to the buffet easily enough. The food was nice quality, good selection, especially the beef which Helen enjoyed immensely.
Following dinner, and driving off the island, we had the most amazing view of the Montreal skyline with the late dusk in the background. I wish I could stop to take photos but the road did not allow. I did a U-Turn to head back again and try to take another road before hitting the casino. Success! We found the racetrack. By now it was dark. It is possible to drive around the entire track (except one hairpin) although it is strictly signposted as 30km/h and enforced by radar. Approximately 1/3 of the track is coned off and shared with runners/cyclists, and the rest is cars only. The track is complete, lined with armco, passes by the pit lane, has the run-off areas, everything. Very exciting to have the opportunity to drive around, even if only doing 1/10 the speed (or less) the speed of actual Formula One.
After that, we crossed over to Saint Helen's Island for a nosy. This island is home to The Biosphere and also an amusement park with roller coasters etc. We drove around here for a while, taking in the city at night just across the river.
Eventually it was getting late and it was time to return the rental car. So we dialled up the airport and off we went. Just nearby we remembered we needed to fill the car with petrol, so dialled up the nearest petrol. Unfortunately I took a wrong turn which meant we spent the next ten minutes navigating our way through the airport labyrinth. Never mind, we eventually found the petrol station, filled up, then returned the car. Luckily the hotel shuttle was waiting when we arrived, so we jumped in and within a few minutes were back ready for bed. A very exciting day around Montreal by car, and glad we made the casino trip because it enabled us to see a great deal in those last few hours.
Sorry I don't have too many photos from the later part of today, we just didn't have the opportunities when required.
And finally - we covered 6038km in the rental car, a fine effort, if I may say so myself.
Yesterday we had a sleep in, then went for a drive just outside the city. Starting with some shopping, requiring a few detours due to road works, we headed to the nearly Montmorency Falls, which is a large waterfall recommended by all travel websites. They are higher than Niagara Falls.
There are two entrances at the top and bottom. From what I read, the bottom was recommended. However the GPS didn't recognise the address so we ended up at the top. I asked for directions to the bottom and we found our own way there without the GPS directing us.
We had to pay $12 to park which I thought was a bit steep and was double what the website had said. The entrance to the carpark is strategically placed so you pay before you can see the falls. By the time we parked, we could see the falls, and first impressions were disappointing.
No sooner had we parked the car, when Helen called me excitedly, pointing to a TransAm saying "that's that car off that TV show". Actually it was KITT from the show Knight Rider which was popular in the 1980's. We had a talk with the owner, the car was restored by him and made into a KITT replica with a lot of hard work. He acquired, or built, all the KITT specific stuff, including the special dashboard and steering wheel, and of course the red light on the front. Best of all, the car does have a computer on board which he programmed, and it talks and does other cool stuff. Everything on the dashboard works and displays information.
Later on I found some YouTube videos of this car being built, and also receiving signatures from David Hasselhoff.
With that excitement out of the way, we made our way through the gift shop to walk outside to see the falls. Unfortunately the walk that allows people closer to the falls was closed, so we could only view from a distance. Very disappointing, a real tourist trap, and not recommended. At least we got to see KITT, that was more interesting!
Next we headed over a nearby bridge to Île d'Orléans (Orleans Island). This island is only 5km away from downtown Quebec, and is only 34 kilometres long and 8 kilometres wide. We drove around the entire island, taking in the different regions, each with its own village. The island has a very French character with all the farm houses and barns different to what we've seen in most of USA and Canada. The view across the river is also amazing especially when seeing large container ships cruising by.
The roads were very narrow, and few parking places, making photo opportunities very difficult until we reached the northern tip of the island. Here we found a very tall lookout made of wood, requiring some effort to climb up the stairs and enjoy the view.
Once we completed our circumnavigation of the island, we headed back to Quebec. We went to a local CostCo near our hotel, to grab a cheap lunch (which by now was mid afternoon), then headed back to the hotel for a snooze. We didn't require dinner, having a late lunch, so had a relaxing end to the afternoon.
The next day dawned wet, and we didn't have too much planned, so spent most of the day shopping, driving around various malls and stores. In particular, we went Galeries de la Capitale which is a huge mall. When we arrived, the carpark was full and there were queues of cars crawling around. We got incredibly lucky and a car pulled out of a park right near us, so grabbed their park right near a main entrance. Score!!!!
This mall has a ice skating rink inside, plus an indoor amusement park including ferris wheel, spinny things, a roller coaster, a thing that raises you up and drops you, etc. Hence there is a constant yet not overpowering sound of young girls screaming as the rides offer thrills (with no spills).
There is also a foodcourt here, with lots of variety, different to usual. Helen opts to have PFK for lunch. A challenge for the reader - any idea what this might be? Well click this link to find out. We guess it translates to something like "Poulet Frit Kentucky" in French.
After lunch we walked around the mall, for more retail therapy, and also visited another mall after that. Too much shopping for me. By mid afternoon we returned to the hotel for the usual rest & relaxation.
Tomorrow we pack up again, and head to Montreal, which is only a few hours drive away. We will also be returning the rental car tomorrow night and after that our options are bus, train and foot.
Today was our first full day in Quebec City. The weather forecasts were mixed, we knew it probably would not rain, and we knew it would be cold with a high of around 8 degrees, but what we didn't know is exactly how sunny it would be, or how cold or warm it would feel. Time would tell.
We are staying about a 20 minute drive from the Old Town, which is a UNESCO heritage site, and are near a bus stop, so had planned to catch a bus in. We didn't set our alarms, opting to awake naturally. I got up around 7:30am, and after another look at the laptop realised the bus wasn't very regular. It seemed parking was available with day rates ranging between $15 to $18 so thought we would do that instead.
It was about 9:40 by the time we had finished breakfast, and got our stuff sorted for the day. The drive downtown was along mainly leafy residential streets, lined with some very expensive houses and mansions. Very scenic and with little traffic the drive was easy. Then we started passing parks, and old buildings, and eventually the wall for the Old Town loomed ahead. Once we passed through the gate, it was like we were suddenly in Europe except for all the big American cars. The buildings are mostly stone, of French style, paved or cobbles streets, lots of statues, lots of brass, very impressive. We followed the GPS to find our parking, unfortunately due to construction work some roads were closed, so we ended up driving around many narrows streets, with the GPS going berserk. We could see other parking on the GPS so just touched the nearest and selected "Go". A few minutes later, we arrived.
The parking building is completely secure, needing a credit card to enter, and the same credit card to return to the vehicle and then exit the building (and charging money for the privilege). Anyhow the location turned out to be quite convenient. Except we had absolutely no idea where we were initially.
We followed our noses to reach the information centre, where the people were so friendly and helpful, and we received lots of maps and advice for Quebec and also Montreal where we are heading next.
The Old Town is a natural fortress, set upon cliffs overlooking the river. It was further strengthened in the past, with man made city walls, and gates, and a Citadel at the highest point. Therefore the whole town is contained and would have been very well protected by cannons based on the number we saw.
The view across the river is beautiful from up high, and the Chateau Frontenac (which is now the Fairmont Hotel) is both an impressive and imposing structure.
We walked across town to the same part of the wall where we drove through, then followed the wall down toward sea level, trying hard not to get lost. Once at sea level, we followed around to end up below where we started. The narrow streets are lined with restaurants, antique shops, art shops selling the most amazing paintings, and the usual clothing and souvenir shops. It's very well set up to cater for the cruise ship market. Everything here is in French, no English. All the street names sound the same to us. It's all just so beautiful, and we loved every minute of it.
Here's a view of the town through a crenelation in the wall.
Eventually we found a beautiful square, and stopped here for lunch. Nice to thaw out eating warm French pastries. The wind chill has been absolutely freezing, I regretted not wearing an extra layer, and bringing my hat. In the sun, and shelered from the wind, was somewhat warm, but in the shade or wind very chilly. We think it gets cold in Wellington but I can assure you it can get pretty cold in Canada too and it's only autumn here!
After looking around the shops, we caught the Funicular back up to the top. It cost $2.25 each, and the ride only took about 1 minute. It's very steep and I'm glad we didn't have to walk up.
What is amazing, is how compact the Old Town is, and how quickly we had got around. We were all cold so decided to return to the car and have a rest for the afternoon at the hotel. We took a different route back in the car, along the river, which meant we went under the bridges which is interesting.
Tomorrow we will venture out of the city to see the countryside.
Today we drove from Charlottetown PEI, all the way to Quebec City. This is a 920km drive, and we were dreading it, but best to get it out of the way in one day then split it across two. Our only benchmark is the drive from Wellington to Auckland however the highways here are much better so we expected a longer distance in a similar timeframe.
We were up early, had breakfast at the hotel, and were on the road at 8am. It took about an hour to cross Prince Edward Island, and across the bridge, paying a $45.50 toll on the way out. Interestingly PEI charges the same toll leaving the island, either by road bridge or ferry, but it is free to enter the island via either.
Then, we settled in for a long drive. Apart from a couple of stretch stops, a driver swap, and a stop for lunch, we were on the road the whole time. The road was very good, divided highway with 110km/h for almost the entire distance. Try this: look at this photo for 9 hours straight, and you get an idea of what our day consisted of.
Now so far, everywhere in Canada, signs are dual language English and French. However, the minute we crossed the border into the state of Quebec, all signs are in French only! It does make following directions more difficult but we get by.
We gained an hour along the way, crossing a time zone, and arrived at the hotel 4:30pm local time making for a 9.5 hour drive. Phew!
So we now have a few days to look around Quebec city. Tomorrow will no doubt start with a sleep in after today.
Today the weather dawned beautiful and sunny. Still cold and a little windy in places, but a great day for a road trip.
Prince Edward Island has many tourist routes and today Helen especially wanted to do the northern half of the central part of the island. The main destination was Cavendish, where Green Gables National Park is located.
Today there would be no using the GPS, instead Helen was wielding the tourist map and giving directions. The map included many highlights including lighthouses, lookouts, and scenic routes. After heading north and reaching the coast, we meandered along taking in the various stops. The scenery is stunning here.
It became apparent that this area must have a huge intake of visitors during the summer. There are countless restaurants, and accommodations along the way, as well as fun parks and holiday camps. There are also active fishing communities along the coast, and many farms, many of which were being harvested today.
Our tourist map was often misleading in terms of the locations of lighthouses, and the roads were sometimes unsealed, adding to the adventure. The ground here, and the seaside cliffs, are a rich red, not the usual grey/brown.
Eventually we made it to Green Gables. The author of Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Anne Montgomery, visited this house as a young girl, and the books were based on this location and the surroundings provided much of her inspiration. So the actual house is now a restored, and carefully managed, natural treasure.
We went through the house and nearby bush walks including Lovers Lane which really is beautiful with the trees in autumn colours.
There were only a few visitors today, so we pretty much were able to walk around by ourselves and soak it in. So peaceful here, and very easy to see where the inspiration came from for the author.
Following this, we took in some more coastal scenes, and failed to find some more lighthouses (or they were unreachable on private land). It was by now early afternoon, and with an hours drive back to Charlottetown, and not much inbetween, we made a beeline for there to get a late lunch.
The weather is supposed to get bad again tomorrow, and since today was such a beautiful day, and we've seen what we came to see, we've decided to leave a day early. So tomorrow morning, we have a 9 hour drive to Quebec City. We're not expecting much excitement but until teleporting is invented, this is our best option.
Oh and finally - happy Back To The Future Day! Being 21 Oct 2015, this is the date set on the DeLorean in the movie trilogy. Not very relevant to Anne of Green Gables but I had to mention it.
