Rest of French Canada

6^th June

We got to sleep in today for the first time in a while feels like we have been waking up at 5 or 6am forever, ok maybe just a few too many late nights. So slept until 9:30am and finally got up. Packed our bags which are significantly lighter and less full J Checked out and caught a taxi to the train station. We get to check in our baggage for this train ride. Found some brunch and then boarded the train. It’s about a four hour journey today to Quebec city. So far lots of waterways, trees and farms along the way. Catching up on photo stuff and the diary. Arrived in Quebec city, found a map of the city and figured our hotel wasn’t that far away plus the taxi line was very…… long. Well it was a short distance to the hotel but mostly uphill! After a 10 or 15 minute walk with all our baggage we arrive at the hotel. Get rid of our bags in our room and decide to go for a walk. We are staying within the old city so the fort walls surround us. They are huge and very thick with a couple of bridges to allow traffic between the old and new city. Decided to stop for a gelato at an ice-cream parlour where we got to sample a few before choosing a mocha for Sandy and a raspberry and chocolate for Chris J Decided to follow the wall along the city to the citadel. Stopped in front of the parliament building with a huge fountain in front of us apparently given to the city for it’s 400^th anniversary according to a postcard – not sure about this. Decided to go down to the street level and closer to parliament, there are huge flower pot plants that line the sides of the park near parliament, almost the same size as me J A few horse and carriages around which you can hire to see the old city, but for a whopping $80 so we didn’t decide to do this. Although watching the horse and carriage parallel park was rather interesting, and he did it really well J A walk along one of the streets with loads of restaurants. It feels like you are in Europe with all the flower pots by the restaurants and cobbled streets. Really pretty! We walk down to the Fairmont Chateau Frotenac a huge hotel which sits by the river, walk past the cathedral and then down another quaint street before deciding on a French restaurant. Had a wonderful dinner including snails, steak and lamb – yum!!! Found out where the post office was to send home some more DVD’s. Went to the Chateau to take some night photos as it really looks more spectacular at night. Then walked back towards the hotel, but got distracted by a creperie and had to indulge in a chocolate and banana crepe with a hot chocolate. The crepe was a bit dry but still really good. At the hotel we called Sandy’s mom and tried to contact her gran but it didn’t go through. Burn’t the last of the DVD’s and sorted out photos on the net. Watched a bit of TV before going to bed at about 2am!

7^th June

Pretty lazy morning and finally got out and about at lunch time. Found a bakery that did sandwiches and salads and got ours to go. Walked to the park and had our lunch, saw a marmot running around the gardens. Really hot today and we are stupidly wearing jeans. Decide we better send the DVD’s before they close, off to the post office which is very empty. After lots of discussions it lands up the cheapest way to send them is via to envelopes with a total cost of $15 which will take 10 days max to arrive in NZ. After the post office we walk down to near the port decide to skip the funicular, lots of little shops but mostly souvinour shops and small restaurants. Walk along the outside of the wall this time and decide the heat is too much and walk back to the hotel to change. Outside again and feeling a bit better, Sandy disappears into a shop and doesn’t come out for half an hour while Chris has a coke at the pub next door J Back along the wall and we decide to walk all the way to the citadel which appears to be just a huge fort on the side of the river. Really high walls that in NZ would be screaming OSH – however this would kill it if they put up rails. Anyway walked along the plains of Abraham the big park on the side of the old city. Found a boarded walkway that takes you between the citadel and the river. We come out near the Chateau and walk back along the main street to the hotel. Sandy stops for some more retail therapy – the bag has just got heavy again L Will have to send some more stuff home in New York. The bags aren’t overweight but can’t wear any of the stuff I bought on a daily basis but the clothes are really cheap and really different. In the hotel we get changed and head downstairs for dinner in the hotel. Food is expensive in the old city and we found our hotel had a good deal for dinner. Really crap service but the food is very good. Phoned Chris’ parents tonight and watched a bit of TV before going to bed at about 1am.

8^th June

Got a sleep in until about 9:30am. Packed our bags yet again – becoming a pro at this rearranging and making everything fit. Anyway posted my postcards, paid the hotel bill and walked down to the train station, but this time its downhill. Check our bags in and chill out in the lounge before boarding our train to Montreal. On the train Sandy tried to figure out what we could do in the UK. Arrived in Montreal about half an hour late. Picked up our bags from the carousel and made our way over to the lounge. Didn’t even get to sit down before we were off again to board our train to Toronto. The weather is gorgeous at the moment very hot. Currently catching up on diary while on train J Arrive in Toronto at 10pm. Just miss an opportunity to go up the tower as it closes at 10pm. A bit hungry so head to the bar in the hotel – didn’t realise this when we came in but our hotel is part of a baseball stadium! We have a view from the bar straight onto the pitch – similar to having a box at a stadium. No games are currently being played but still amazing to see. We jump on the internet and started chatting to Dan and Mehreen while eating some chicken wings and having an OJ. We have to get up at 3am for our flight tomorrow so not looking forward to a lack of sleep. We go to bed at midnight but we don’t really sleep before hearing the alarm clock to get up again.