With weather like this, it must be the maritimes

So a rainfall warning is covering New Brunswick. We knew it was coming so planned indoor attractions for today. We were soaked every time we ran from car to building, and at home, watched the pools of water collect on the golf course - seagulls and ducks have taken over the entire 13th hole!!

We had an interesting tour of the NB Legislature. We've read and heard different stories about how Fredericton was chosen as capital - political maneuvering seems to have entered into it but the politically correct version is that its position away from the coast made it safe from attack from the Americans who were very much a threat at that time. Saint John was the obvious choice for every other reason but the naming the city after the King's second son might have also worked in Fredericton's favour....

I then walked across the street to the Lord Beaverbrook Art Gallery for an hour or so while Bill had coffee in the neighbouring restaurant (favourite of the Members of the legislature we were told).

Our landlady just texted us and hoped we hadn't lost power.... The rain is expected to carry on until early morning and there is a wind now too. But Fredericton is used to being flooded. We've seen many pictures showing people travelling down streets in their boats in past floods. And that doesn't compare to the stories about Hurricane Arthur (2014) that knocked down centuries old elm trees and explains the blow-down we noticed in Odell Park the other day.  A woman in a small store told me about the snow that has been so high the last few years she had to keep raising her OPEN sign from the window sill to the middle to the top of the display window to keep it above the drifts outside. They are a brave lot these Maritimers.

Legislature - renovated to reflect original Victorian decoration

Central staircase built of cherry wood with no supports

One of two crystal chandeliers - fell while being cleaned, it took two years to find replacement crystals.

Saint John pictures

Indoor year-round market

Steepest main street in Canada....

Beautifully maintained 19th Century buildings

Downtown Mall with library in background

Tourism 101 - part 3 Go crazy with the bragging....

So in Saint John we have Reversing Falls (aka tidal bore), third foggiest city in Canada (probably right), largest land mass of any city in Canada (sorry Calgary but you aren't smart enough to include Cochrane, Okotoks, maybe even Canmore....), and the best of all: the steepest main street in Canada. King Street is on a hill but it isn't particularly steep. I can only figure this claim to fame is just to warn all the older cruise ship passengers to avoid this street to get them into the mall.
We toured the beautiful downtown with buildings constructed after the  devastating 1877 fire. It is still warm (24 degrees today) and the flower beds are gorgeous. The streets teem with passengers flowing off the two huge cruise ships in the harbour. Stores advertise big sales especially for them. One sign: Cruise passengers - we offer 75% off: practically free!! There are indoor spaces which must be a welcome relief from the cruel winter storms and take you from one block to another inside and with the escalators you can avoid that dreaded steepest street!
The oldest library in Canada ( here we go again) is located inside the giant mall which has been built inside the facade of the 19th century buildings - it is a super space and would bring people inside in the winter. We also wandered through the market - Open seven days a week, 52 weeks a year!! Okay, okay. We were glad we visited.
Oh yes, we noticed a sign as we left. Something about a Guiness World Record of marigolds planted in a city - explains the boulevards.....

Tourism 101: part 2 The reversing falls, a matter of hyperbole...

Reversing Falls - slack tide through the fog

On our way to Saint John we figured we’d stop at the Reversing Falls. Bill has vague memories of seeing the falls on his hitch-hiking trip across Canada in 1962. Our guide book warns that the falls win the Grand Award for the Most Overhyped Tourist Attraction. True. Turns out that the reversing falls would be better described as a strong ripple - we arrived at slack tide so were able to see the difference between water quietly flowing from the river into the bay, then 15 minutes later, the water starting to churn and swirl on the surface - the reversal was happening! The action on the surface is only a hint of massive water transfer but it helped to know what was happening to appreciate it. The tourists from Texas who stood beside us peered over the edge, looked at each other, peered at the water again, then returned to their van.
It is hilarious to know that the correct scientific term for the phenomenon is tidal bore…….

Reversing Falls - through the fog...

Tourism 101: ask the locals.

East coast seaweed

We set out this morning with the plan of trying to see the big tide change in the Bay of Fundy. This was related to last night's super moon. Saint John, on the Bay of Fundy is just over an hour from Fredericton and we figured we could talk to tourist information about the best place to see all the action. High tide was at 1:10 and low tide at 7:00 pm so we had lots of time to get to the best place to see the change. We realized Nova Scotia is the best place but figured there had to be a place on this side too.
Turns out that there isn’t any place in the region and the fellow was surprised by our need to see the change of tide today anyway. He said there is always a 28 foot difference around Saint John but in fact in Moncton the tide change is always 40 or 50 feet!!
So much for the big event. We followed the Bay of Fundy scenic tour signs through 40 minutes of farm land and eventually found a place to pull over with access to the bay where we sat and had lunch. Maybe just as well - the fog was so thick we might not have seen the water if it was more than a few feet from shore. Turns out Saint John is the third foggiest city in Canada (after St. John's and Halifax). See tourism 101 - 3 for my thoughts about first, second, third.....

Churned up waves hitting the purple sands at high tide

Bay of Fundy Scenic Road

Late night moon and a walk in the park

The day ended with a spectacular sunset over the golf course. 

We met at City Hall for a tour of the old town of Fredericton in the afternoon. No one else showed up so the university student led us on a private hour-long walking tour outlining the history of the city.

Went for a walk in Odell Park today and tried to learn some of the trees new to us - colour is coming. 

We stayed up late last night watching the blood moon from our patio.

Fredericton and slowing down...

Today we drove halfway through New Brunswick heading for Fredericton. Bill had found a vacation rental apartment here and we've decided to stay for a week or possibly two. We'll use it for a jumping off point to visit other spots in New Brunswick and possibly even Nova Scotia. The apartment is modern and is fully furnished. We are moved in, have done our laundry, gone grocery shopping and had a nice supper. Now we are lounging in the living room looking out on the golf course. We are ready for a slower pace but still have lots we want to see. Tonight we'll move the deck chairs out on the lawn and watch the lunar eclipse. And, related to the super moon, tuesday we are heading to St John to watch the highest tidal change in two decades - from -0.7 at 7:00 am to 28 feet at 1:00 pm and back to -0.7 at 7:00 pm! We'll be sure to stand on a hill to watch!

Longest covered bridge in the world - Hartland, NB

Wooden trusses were covered to prevent rot. 

Moose hunters still love their mothers.....

Thoughts of Gaspesie:
The properties were nestled one after another along the entire coast - city-lot-sized spaces between them but giant yards in front and back were almost consistently covered with freshly mown grass. I didn't see one vegetable garden. I guess the focus is on fish (and in hunting season, moose) - not sure where fresh produce comes from. Even flower beds were rare which makes me wonder about length of the growing season. One medium - sized hydrangea in the middle of the lawn seemed to be the extent of gardening.
The yards and houses are immaculate. We can't remember seeing one yard that wasn't tidy or one house that needed painting. Some houses are painted bright colours - blue being a favourite.
And the people? Well, our best example other than our hilarious experience at the B&B was another encounter on the drive out. Bill noticed two middle-aged guys leaning against a row of lobster traps so he made a U-turn on the highway and pulled into the driveway. Opening the window, he said, "Hi! Anglais?" and both guys came rushing over, one of whom stood with his head almost in the car window in order to tell us, in thick Quebecois English about his current plans: going moose hunting this afternoon with a cross bow. He ran inside to bring it out and show it off. Bows and arrows or cross bows are allowed for these two weeks, then guns. He got a moose last year and filled his freezer with 400 pounds of meat and he hopes to do it again. He gave us more detail than you want but was so thrilled to speak English and make jokes that we didn't get out of the driveway for ten minutes!The final comment followed Bill's remark about getting old. "Don't worry, my mother is 100!" says the guy. The other one retorts, "And she's pregnant!"

Moving on to New Brunswick

We stayed in Campbellton, New Brunswick last night - just over the bridge from the Gaspe. French signs are now adjusted slightly with English added after a slash or on the next line. PFK (poulet frite Kentucky) still in bright red on the sign post but KFC on the walls of the chicken fast food outlet. Stores are still filled with sounds of French speakers but clerks all bilingual. And we found a Globe and Mail - thrilling after trying to decipher political news using Le Devoir!!
Campbellton is home of Sugar Loaf Mountain - we stayed not far from the ski hill. Mountain biking is huge too although the hotel was practically empty.

Trip around the Gaspe Peninsula

We made it all the way around Gaspesie as its known to locals. An amazing trip. Houses dot the shore running on either side of the road all the way. But they are only one property deep with wilderness behind. Everything is connected to the sea. Until recently it was all about fishing but now tourism is the hope of the residents. It was already shutting down for the winter - the wind was howling at the tip - and the for sale signs are common.
We stopped at Cap-de-rosier (Cape of roses named by Champlain in the 1600's - the roses still bloom.) Our goal was to see Furillon National Park and the lighthouse. The trees are starting to change colour, the sea was beautiful, and the houses charming.

Sheets off all the beds at B&B's and on the lines for next guests. 

Lighthouse at Cap-des-rosiers - tallest in Canada

Isle Perce. This opening was first remarked on by Champlain in 1608. He said full-sized ships could sail through opening at high tide. It is getting smaller. 

From the other side

A bit of colour showing

Breakfast chez Cap-des-Rosiers

We stayed at a B&B last night at the tip of the Gaspe peninsula. We arrived just at dark and were shown into a three-bedroom house - next door to the owners’s house. Turns out there were six other guests. We had a bedroom and shared the bathroom with another couple. We’ve decided we are getting too old to have to jockey for position for time in the bathroom.

In the morning we realized that Bill and I were the only English speakers in the house (including the hostess). So it was alternatively very noisy around the breakfast table (all six of them chatting and laughing) or very quiet when Bill or I would try one or two words in French. After we tried to say something, an awkward silence would descend upon the table. It would be quiet for a few minutes while we all concentrated on our food and thoughts, then one of the others would say something in French and a riotous conversation would resume.

Ironic that the one main reason I have liked B&B's is the conversation with the owners and guests in the morning...

Quebec to Riviere du Loup

We spent the day travelling the south shore of St. Lawrence from Quebec City to Riviere du Loup. Stopped in a few small villages and were greeted with friendly and bilingual residents. After trying to resurrect our school French we headed straight to a book store in Riviere du Loup and bought a French/English dictionary. Bill is using it right now as we listen to the French debate!!
We are driving to the tip of the Gaspe today - staying at a B&B on the coast. Really looking forward to the drive and hikes when we get there. Although, the temperature is going to be about 8 degrees (we'll find out if we took enough warm clothes!) Not sure what the internet situation will be - may not be able to connect for a day or so.

Dairy Farms, one after another. 

Hydro electricity is a major resource in Quebec - huge towers are seen crossing the river.

Traffic on St. Lawrence. Beginning of the Laurentian Mountains on the north shore.

Long sections of property line the St. Lawrence

Quebec (City)

We spent the day in the UNESCO World Heritage city. The minute you arrive you understand the designation. Eighteenth-century buildings line street after street in the old town and above loom the imposing Chateau Frontenac and Citadel. We wandered the streets, stopped into the Basilique Notre Dame de Quebec, rode the funiculaire up the cliff, walked around the Plains of Abraham, sat in the gardens outside the National Assembly, checked out Le Frontenac lobby and savoured French food in the recommended Saute Lapin. I had French Onion Soup and Bill tried the specialty (see the name...)
We felt we had dropped out of Canada and landed in Europe. A wonderful day.

Yesterday part 2 Drive from Montreal to Quebec City

We left Montreal around noon and meandered our way along the northern shore of the St. Lawrence. We found out we were following Chemin du Roy (the royal road established in the early 1700's to encourage French settlement) It starts in Repentigny (say it, I dare you!) a suburb of Montreal and ends in Quebec (city is taken for granted). We passed through lovely villages and long, narrow properties that line the river -  from the seigneurial system - again to encourage French settlement. The church steeples can be seen first - the tin roofs shine in the sunlight (in smaller towns the silver is paint rather than tin)

The St. Lawrence River accompanies us but islands hide its real width for the first while. Suddenly a huge ship reveals its depth and importance. 

We stopped in Trois Rivieres for supper. And I decided it was time. My first poutine! So that's done. As you probably know, it is what it is. Chips, seasoned gravy and curds. We have already been bitten by the love of curds when we stopped at Montebello Fromagerie - salty and squeaky.

Yesterday now that internet is working part 1

There was a big conference in the hotel yesterday which might account for the deadly slow internet. Tonight it is very quiet...

So to catch up,

We did a bit more touring of Montreal before leaving. We loved the residential area close to the plateau district and wanted to check out a few of the streets. 

We loved our short visit in Montreal - the ethnic mix, the character of the neighbourhoods, the old mixed with new, and the immersion in French (a gentle immersion admittedly - everyone could switch to English the minute they heard our first attempt at French). Bill is back in love with French after a bit of a personal cold war during the separatist days but his Spanish is sabotaging his brave attempts.

Pont Pierre Laporte over and over again

No blog last night. Internet oversubscribed here so I gave up. We had trouble for the first time finding our hotel - even with the GPS. We crossed Pont Pierre Laporte three times before finally hitting the right exit! As Bill said, by the third time it was getting to be less fun....

Thinking we were being wise a couple of nights ago, we decided to book places ahead. So we are booked for the next three nights ending with a B&B at the tip end of the Gaspe peninsula. Good idea, eh? Except yesterday morning we wondered why we were leaving Montreal…. 
So we’ve decided tol start playing it by ear. We’ve heard things get booked up as the leaf peepers arrive but we really prefer to be flexible. I’ll let you know how that turns out. 

We are off this morning to tour Quebec City. It looked fabulous as we drove around old town trying to find our hotel - let's see how we do today...

Rest of the day

Once filled with bagels and smoked meat sandwiches, we stopped off in a French games shop in the Plateau then drove out to the Olympic Park. We'd heard it wasn't worth the visit but we wanted to see for ourselves.
It is a long drive out, then you are greeted with a $16 charge for parking. Once you get past that shock you wander the grounds and while the dome and tower are spectacular, you begin to see signs of decay. The albatross continues to hang over Montreal.

We ended our day back in Vieux Montreal (old town) sitting in a sidewalk cafe with beer and cafe lattes thinking about our holiday so far and watching people go by.

On our way to Quebec City tomorrow. 

Church in the morning then pretty much eating for the rest of the day...

We walked to the Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montreal and joined a tour of the neo-gothic church. Our French-Canadian tour guide spoke quickly and with great charm for 20 minutes and left us informed and entertained.

As the carillon chimed noon we stopped by the lovely little tea house around the corner and had the most exotic cups of tea after a lesson in preparing it.

We then walked back to the hotel and picked up our car and started our food pilgrimage. First stop in the plateau district was the original bagel factory - opened in 1929. Smoke from the wood-fired oven was pouring out of the chimney when we pulled up. We chose the original sesame seed after an entertaining description of the process of making them. Did you know the reason bagels are boiled before being baked is to kill the yeast? The baker assured me that otherwise I'd get fat eating them. Reassured, we walked out with our bag of bagels and starting eating them before the car was started.

Next stop, Schwartz's for a smoked meat sandwich. Don't ask me why - we certainly weren't hungry, we just had a list and had to check things off!! And if you want a heavenly sandwich, I have the address! The meat actually does melt in your mouth!