Here I am sitting in the hostel in Quebec, making the most of the free Internet and planning my next move.
The train seemed like a much better option then the bus for the journey here to Quebec City, I really could not sit on the bus for another 20 odd hours. What a difference it is, you get your own sit meaning that no one can sit next to you and feel the need to talk to you for hours about anything and everything when all you want to do is sleep. You get a cosy little blanket and pillow to curl up to and even coffee brought to you. So much better then the stops every two hours, freezing air con blasting out at you like they think they are carrying peguins and someone squashing you to the corner on the Greyhound bus.
After getting over the fact that my waist clip on my backpack had broken and just tying it around my waist hoping it would hold, I got to Quebec at seven in the morning to find that the train station had no luggage storage and I could not check in until five in the evening. Lugging the broken backpack around for hours in the heat did not seem like the best idea and luckily the light shone on the bus station and its hidden lockers.
I soon discovered that Quebec is split into towns, one part being up what sometimes feels like a thousand steps. Plus it is this bit that has all of the tourist type things. I have walked up those steps about 50 times I swear and I think my legs are just now on auto pilot because I can't actually feel them there anymore.
It is the 400Th birthday of Quebec so there are lots of random happenings around the town. Lots of street entertainers, shows, bands etc. Canada seems to be full of statues so naturally there is a statue on every corner.
A beautiful city with a romantic feel, cobbled streets with lots of old looking buildings stretching down small streets occupied by art shops - worlds about from the rest of the country, sometimes I really did feel like I was in Europe. One thing though, I really wish I had paid more attention in my French classes, I feel like I look blankly at every person that speaks to me.
Matt, who I mention to have met in Victoria, was staying here to which is when we discovered Quebec City by night and realised you could actually walk for hours. Yes more walking the next night too. I must have walked around the city so many times and could probably tell you the position of any place.
One thing about this place is the religion. There are plenty of Cathedrals around, but they are all like tourist spots with guided tours and leaflets to give out. Somehow it doesn't seem right, when you see people actually worshipping and then others busying around like little bees with cameras chattering away.
Tonight, its a couple of drinks at the hostel with a few of the people here and then an early night as it is a six am start for me. Off to Montreal to stay with friends from home. Claire tells me I have a room over looking the mountains of Montreal. A little bit of paradise awaits I feel.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Scotland, Lobster and the Titanic!
Halifax - right on the east coast. A beautiful town seeped in history and a touch of glam; oh and a very Scottish influence! Bagpipes everywhere, even men in skirts, sorry kilts!
My trip to Halifax didn't start of too successful. After a 22 hour journey on the bus, my back was clicked into one position and I looked like I had just stepped out of bed on a very bad morning. I walk into the station ask how to get to my hostel and just get a stern response, a response stating: "Don't go there." There was no, 'maybe you shouldn't, I wouldn't', it was straight forward don't. Apparently the hostel I had booked is in a really rough area and you never walk around alone at night. After some deliberating I decided to got to the cleaner, better located HI down the road from the station, deciding that to be safe was better then loosing a little cash and I went with my gut instint, which is usually the correct one.
Well I'm glad I stayed there because straight away I met Anna from Germany and we arranged to go for a drink and a bit to eat and we met Sonja and Anna in our room, arranging to met with them later. After a couple of cocktails and fish and chips, (nothing like the ones from a good old English chippy though), we went to a pub with a band playing, a band that reminded me of a wedding band which obviously means great cheesy tunes to dance to and we twisted the night away. Unfortunately they were all leaving on a tour the next day so I set out to check out the town.
The harbor is beautiful with a tourism vibe, much like Victoria, but this place has lots of seafood. The words 'Lobster Roll' jumped out at me from a board and my instant thought was yum. Now I would like to know where the hell the lobster was in my lobster roll! They should have really called it lettuce roll with a smidgen of lobster meet you can barley taste tucked in the top!
Making breakfast one morning I turn around to see a girl staring back at me. At first I thought, 'oh great random weirdo, just smile', then it clicked that it was Anya who I'd met in Regina. I'm so glad I changed hostels, does make you wonder about the 'what's meant to be theory' hey? If I had gone to the other place I would never have seen these people.
So we decided to be tourists for the day and had the funniest time on the bus that turns into a boat and the guide that should have either been a model or a stand up comedian! Good looking and funny, so we giggled like little girls at all his jokes.
I never knew that the Titanic sunk so close to Halifax, in fact Halifax was the first to get boats out to retrieve the bodies. There's obviously a museum dedicated to this and after the amusement of looking at each other in 3D glasses we were taken round a trip of the wreck. Reading the facts though, things like the myth of women and children being saved first shocked me - still more men from first class were saved then women and children in the second and third classes.
One thing I must mention about Halifax at this time of year is Shakespeare by the Sea. At first I was a bit weary about a bunch of Canadian actors doing Shakespeare, but this was amazing. A small setting right in the middle of a huge park; you couldn't have asked for a better place for 'A Midsummer's Night Dream'. The woods were prefect for the fairyland story and provided the likes of Puck with the ideal place to jump around in. Mixing a little contemporary, they really brought the play to life in a great funny way - the way it is meant to be. Although I did get picked on as being the Essex girl in the pre-performance warm up! Typical.
That's the short story of Halifax. An amazing town with great things to do, history in every corner and a bit of bonny Scotland to make you feel at home, just without the snow.
Next Quebec for a little touch of French. Bonjour!
My trip to Halifax didn't start of too successful. After a 22 hour journey on the bus, my back was clicked into one position and I looked like I had just stepped out of bed on a very bad morning. I walk into the station ask how to get to my hostel and just get a stern response, a response stating: "Don't go there." There was no, 'maybe you shouldn't, I wouldn't', it was straight forward don't. Apparently the hostel I had booked is in a really rough area and you never walk around alone at night. After some deliberating I decided to got to the cleaner, better located HI down the road from the station, deciding that to be safe was better then loosing a little cash and I went with my gut instint, which is usually the correct one.
Well I'm glad I stayed there because straight away I met Anna from Germany and we arranged to go for a drink and a bit to eat and we met Sonja and Anna in our room, arranging to met with them later. After a couple of cocktails and fish and chips, (nothing like the ones from a good old English chippy though), we went to a pub with a band playing, a band that reminded me of a wedding band which obviously means great cheesy tunes to dance to and we twisted the night away. Unfortunately they were all leaving on a tour the next day so I set out to check out the town.
The harbor is beautiful with a tourism vibe, much like Victoria, but this place has lots of seafood. The words 'Lobster Roll' jumped out at me from a board and my instant thought was yum. Now I would like to know where the hell the lobster was in my lobster roll! They should have really called it lettuce roll with a smidgen of lobster meet you can barley taste tucked in the top!
Making breakfast one morning I turn around to see a girl staring back at me. At first I thought, 'oh great random weirdo, just smile', then it clicked that it was Anya who I'd met in Regina. I'm so glad I changed hostels, does make you wonder about the 'what's meant to be theory' hey? If I had gone to the other place I would never have seen these people.
So we decided to be tourists for the day and had the funniest time on the bus that turns into a boat and the guide that should have either been a model or a stand up comedian! Good looking and funny, so we giggled like little girls at all his jokes.
I never knew that the Titanic sunk so close to Halifax, in fact Halifax was the first to get boats out to retrieve the bodies. There's obviously a museum dedicated to this and after the amusement of looking at each other in 3D glasses we were taken round a trip of the wreck. Reading the facts though, things like the myth of women and children being saved first shocked me - still more men from first class were saved then women and children in the second and third classes.
One thing I must mention about Halifax at this time of year is Shakespeare by the Sea. At first I was a bit weary about a bunch of Canadian actors doing Shakespeare, but this was amazing. A small setting right in the middle of a huge park; you couldn't have asked for a better place for 'A Midsummer's Night Dream'. The woods were prefect for the fairyland story and provided the likes of Puck with the ideal place to jump around in. Mixing a little contemporary, they really brought the play to life in a great funny way - the way it is meant to be. Although I did get picked on as being the Essex girl in the pre-performance warm up! Typical.
That's the short story of Halifax. An amazing town with great things to do, history in every corner and a bit of bonny Scotland to make you feel at home, just without the snow.
Next Quebec for a little touch of French. Bonjour!
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Stories to tell
When you think of a capital city you are bound to conjure up images of buildings sky high lined up one after the other and busy, stressed businessmen and women rushing around the streets, but Ottawa is a complete contrast. There's a different statue around every corner each with a different story to tell, beautiful buildings dating years back and Parliament Hill that can be viewed from the river where the buildings pop out from the trees creating an almost magical castle like scene. Why is it that everything looks more incredible from the water, what is it about a little stretch of blue in front of a place that makes you think 'wow'?
Speaking of the Parliament Buildings, I couldn't help but laugh at some of the stone carvings. As you walk underneath the doorway you look up and are greeted with faces bulging out. The only way I can describe these faces is like something from the Muppet's, the Marley Brothers in The Muppet's Christmas Carol to be precise. Continue to walk around and you spot more faces, creatures and random figures jumping out at you.
The view from the top of the hill is amazing, looking out over the Ottawa River to the rest of the city you can quite easily get lost in the sights - or being a typical Essex girl just get lost on the hill. After meeting some people back at the hostel myself and Kyle went up there at night. The lights of Ottawa is a beautiful view and, if you're anything like me who is slightly like a moth and drawn to pretty lights, you would find this pretty spectacular.
There's loads to check out in the town, including a cute market that sells anything from fruit to necklaces, different monuments and the changing of the guard - although they look like Beefeater soldiers and I was wondering who is guarding Buckingham Palace! I was later informed that they are Canadian soldiers and not a rip off of our guards. Looked pretty similar to me.
At nine o'clock every night they play a light show on the front of Parliament. It takes you through the history of the country, obviously mentions the natives, whales and hockey, then right at the end, as the national anthem plays, they show numerous clips of the country. To be totally honest it was good to see, but it slightly reminded me of one of those tourism adverts you see on TV and expected it to finish with the words 'visit Canada, a country like no other' splashed across at the end.
My time drew to an end and a thunder storm hit, in which myself and my backpack got stuck in, I nearly missed my coach to Halifax as the taxi didn't turn up and then sat on the bus for 22 hours, yes that's right 22 hours, to arrive in Halifax which is right in the East. I'll let you know how it goes.
Speaking of the Parliament Buildings, I couldn't help but laugh at some of the stone carvings. As you walk underneath the doorway you look up and are greeted with faces bulging out. The only way I can describe these faces is like something from the Muppet's, the Marley Brothers in The Muppet's Christmas Carol to be precise. Continue to walk around and you spot more faces, creatures and random figures jumping out at you.
The view from the top of the hill is amazing, looking out over the Ottawa River to the rest of the city you can quite easily get lost in the sights - or being a typical Essex girl just get lost on the hill. After meeting some people back at the hostel myself and Kyle went up there at night. The lights of Ottawa is a beautiful view and, if you're anything like me who is slightly like a moth and drawn to pretty lights, you would find this pretty spectacular.
There's loads to check out in the town, including a cute market that sells anything from fruit to necklaces, different monuments and the changing of the guard - although they look like Beefeater soldiers and I was wondering who is guarding Buckingham Palace! I was later informed that they are Canadian soldiers and not a rip off of our guards. Looked pretty similar to me.
At nine o'clock every night they play a light show on the front of Parliament. It takes you through the history of the country, obviously mentions the natives, whales and hockey, then right at the end, as the national anthem plays, they show numerous clips of the country. To be totally honest it was good to see, but it slightly reminded me of one of those tourism adverts you see on TV and expected it to finish with the words 'visit Canada, a country like no other' splashed across at the end.
My time drew to an end and a thunder storm hit, in which myself and my backpack got stuck in, I nearly missed my coach to Halifax as the taxi didn't turn up and then sat on the bus for 22 hours, yes that's right 22 hours, to arrive in Halifax which is right in the East. I'll let you know how it goes.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
So I met this guy...on a rock...whilst tresspassing
I must quickly mention Winnipeg. I say quickly because I don't really have too much to say on the place. It's quite a sweet little town with a nice market by the river and cute little bars nicely placed with a view. The one thing I did love about Winnipeg was some of the paintings on the buildings, some made me think of how I imagined a gang land scene in an old crime novel. Whilst here their festival was on, where dances from all over the world preformed. I went to the Chinese one and to be totally honest it reminded me of one of the variety shows I used to drag my poor parents to see me in whilst I was at school, but the lion dancing (as in people in the loin costume) was pretty cool.
Off I went to Thunder Bay thinking I would only stay a couple of days as it is a small town. Five days later I'm sitting in the library writing this. If you ever come here then you must stay in The Sleeping Giant Hostel. As soon as you walk in the homely atmosphere hits you and instantly you feel comfortable. Gail, the owner of the hostel, is amazing and creates such a great vibe between guests as everyone hangs out in the living room or the kitchen - I don't think I have felt so chilled out in ages.
Thunder Bay has a beautiful marina, but outside of the town lays hidden beauty. Mount McKay has gorgeous view points and the carved Indian figures you find at the top are gorgeous to see. I'd like to think they hold some kind of romantic story as they look out to sea!
There's nothing like swimming in a lake with amazing natural views surrounding you, there's also nothing like watching people nervously jumping of the rocks into the waterfall. As I told them it would be fine, I backed away and walked down the rocks! As if I was going to jump in to the bottom of a water fall!
Gail so kindly took us across the border to the Pow Wow. One thing that jumps out for me is seeing generations of people in one place, ranging from the tiny tots to the elderly and I found myself memorised by the happiness that surrounds them. Oh I must quickly mention the Moose burger. Yes yummy at the time, but so rich lets just say it didn't agree with me. It had to be tried though!
So here's a story for you. I met this guy, on a rock, whilst tress passing. Intrigued? I was told to check out these rocks, they're kind of a hidden secret and some of the paintings on them are amazing. However no one is actually supposed to be there. So when some random guy, Greg, shouts at me from the top of the pile my first reaction was to think I had got caught. Anyway some how this lead to pancakes, apparently the most amazing and I will now make it my mission to try out as many as I can to compare - I think I owe it to the pancake world.
So that's the short story of Thunder Bay and as I am writing this I am both slightly hung over and still full from the huge dinner and drinks we had last night back at the hostel, actually sad to leave such lovely people behind and a place that I have felt so comfortable. But Ottawa is calling and the 22 hour bus journey is ahead of me!
Off I went to Thunder Bay thinking I would only stay a couple of days as it is a small town. Five days later I'm sitting in the library writing this. If you ever come here then you must stay in The Sleeping Giant Hostel. As soon as you walk in the homely atmosphere hits you and instantly you feel comfortable. Gail, the owner of the hostel, is amazing and creates such a great vibe between guests as everyone hangs out in the living room or the kitchen - I don't think I have felt so chilled out in ages.
Thunder Bay has a beautiful marina, but outside of the town lays hidden beauty. Mount McKay has gorgeous view points and the carved Indian figures you find at the top are gorgeous to see. I'd like to think they hold some kind of romantic story as they look out to sea!
There's nothing like swimming in a lake with amazing natural views surrounding you, there's also nothing like watching people nervously jumping of the rocks into the waterfall. As I told them it would be fine, I backed away and walked down the rocks! As if I was going to jump in to the bottom of a water fall!
Gail so kindly took us across the border to the Pow Wow. One thing that jumps out for me is seeing generations of people in one place, ranging from the tiny tots to the elderly and I found myself memorised by the happiness that surrounds them. Oh I must quickly mention the Moose burger. Yes yummy at the time, but so rich lets just say it didn't agree with me. It had to be tried though!
So here's a story for you. I met this guy, on a rock, whilst tress passing. Intrigued? I was told to check out these rocks, they're kind of a hidden secret and some of the paintings on them are amazing. However no one is actually supposed to be there. So when some random guy, Greg, shouts at me from the top of the pile my first reaction was to think I had got caught. Anyway some how this lead to pancakes, apparently the most amazing and I will now make it my mission to try out as many as I can to compare - I think I owe it to the pancake world.
So that's the short story of Thunder Bay and as I am writing this I am both slightly hung over and still full from the huge dinner and drinks we had last night back at the hostel, actually sad to leave such lovely people behind and a place that I have felt so comfortable. But Ottawa is calling and the 22 hour bus journey is ahead of me!
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Living in a ghost town...
Off i trotted to Calgary from Edmonton. I can see what people mean about the city, the outside isn't appealing, but when you find the city centre it is completely different. With a park and a long street full of restaurants and bars with tables outside creating that city buzz that I love so much. People sitting around with friends, sipping on a glass of wine and chatting about the world, or more likely the guy they met last night or that fabulous pair of shoes they splashed out on the day before!
I can say that I saw the whole of Calgary - impressive for a day hey? Well I took a trip up to the top of the Calgary Tower which allows you to over look the whole city in a glance. It is quite amazing to see the built up city on one side and then the 1998 Olympic mountains on the other.
I had time to kill and hanging around the bus station didn't seem like the best idea, so with no idea what was going on I took a trip back to the park to discover some drama school putting on a production of 'Grease'. Yes, I admit I know every single word and was holding myself back from running onto the stage and breaking into a chorus of 'Summer Loving'. I have to say though that they cast Danny all wrong - who can live up to John Travolta in his day? No one!
After a long overnight trip I arrived in Regina. On first impressions I thought it was a nice little town, clean, relaxed and chilled out. I soon discovered that chilled out isn't how to describe it, I think the word 'dead' is more appropriate. Everything closes at around five and doesn't open until 10am to midday. It must be great to work around here, what a short working day, beats the 9:30am until 6pm I was doing. There was my trip to 'the home of the Mounties'. It took me a hour to walk there and once I was there and nicely glazed in sweat from the beating sun it was closed. So I decided to get a coffee, it was closed - are you getting the picture?
Every person I've spoken to in the hostel has asked me if I have found anything to do and my answer every time has been no, in which they respond exactly the same with a bemused look on their face. I did meet a girl my age, Anya, the day I got here and we had a couple of drinks, but unfortunately for me (not for her) so had planned her escape from ghost town and was leaving later that night.
There is the Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Being a hockey fan I thought I would check it out (and it was free). I think the description maybe wrong - it's more like bits of laminated paper stuck to the wall with a few photographs.
I did however discover a huge park today, with a massive lake and a swimming pool - I was expecting to get to the pool and find it closed, but to my surprise it was open!
Tomorrow I run as fast as I can to the bus station and go to Winnipeg for a couple of nights and then over to Thunder Bay and start my mission around the East. I can't wait as that is where I've always wanted to go. Just hoping the money holds out as it seems Greyhound (the bus company) are eating my savings!
I can say that I saw the whole of Calgary - impressive for a day hey? Well I took a trip up to the top of the Calgary Tower which allows you to over look the whole city in a glance. It is quite amazing to see the built up city on one side and then the 1998 Olympic mountains on the other.
I had time to kill and hanging around the bus station didn't seem like the best idea, so with no idea what was going on I took a trip back to the park to discover some drama school putting on a production of 'Grease'. Yes, I admit I know every single word and was holding myself back from running onto the stage and breaking into a chorus of 'Summer Loving'. I have to say though that they cast Danny all wrong - who can live up to John Travolta in his day? No one!
After a long overnight trip I arrived in Regina. On first impressions I thought it was a nice little town, clean, relaxed and chilled out. I soon discovered that chilled out isn't how to describe it, I think the word 'dead' is more appropriate. Everything closes at around five and doesn't open until 10am to midday. It must be great to work around here, what a short working day, beats the 9:30am until 6pm I was doing. There was my trip to 'the home of the Mounties'. It took me a hour to walk there and once I was there and nicely glazed in sweat from the beating sun it was closed. So I decided to get a coffee, it was closed - are you getting the picture?
Every person I've spoken to in the hostel has asked me if I have found anything to do and my answer every time has been no, in which they respond exactly the same with a bemused look on their face. I did meet a girl my age, Anya, the day I got here and we had a couple of drinks, but unfortunately for me (not for her) so had planned her escape from ghost town and was leaving later that night.
There is the Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Being a hockey fan I thought I would check it out (and it was free). I think the description maybe wrong - it's more like bits of laminated paper stuck to the wall with a few photographs.
I did however discover a huge park today, with a massive lake and a swimming pool - I was expecting to get to the pool and find it closed, but to my surprise it was open!
Tomorrow I run as fast as I can to the bus station and go to Winnipeg for a couple of nights and then over to Thunder Bay and start my mission around the East. I can't wait as that is where I've always wanted to go. Just hoping the money holds out as it seems Greyhound (the bus company) are eating my savings!
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