Summer spins

I have suddenly found myself away from Waltham again!  On Tuesday, just after returning from Quebec, I met with my old boss, Dr. Hayes, at Brandeis.  He wanted to see if I would be interested in working for him again, this time as something of a Lab Manager.  Not sure what this will entail, but all I know is that once I start working I can kiss my long holidays good-bye!  To make the most of my final week or two of "freedom," the next day (yesterday) I flew out to NC to visit my folks.  Next week I will head back out West to see Monica in Albuquerque, NM.  Unfortunately I will miss her 30th birthday party (Ninja Turtles themed!), but at least I can see her stomping ground, as promised :o)

Canada + England + France = Where in the world are we?? Quebec City!

After 3 nights in Montreal we packed our bags and headed a couple hours northeast to Quebec (City).  We found Quebec to be a bit more European and the English language even less common, but everyone was still super nice.

Since we were driving in and couldn't find a reasonable pay lot in the city to leave the car, we stayed a few miles outside of the downtown area in a residence hall at Laval University.  This was a great idea, except they didn't provide any cookware.  Our simple meals were made to be even more simple...  :o(  At least it was still easy to get downtown. 

We had a picnic lunch stop in the cute town of Ste-Anne de la Perade.  It was looking more European already!

Since we were a little early, we spent a couple hours checking out the sights just outside of town.  The first of which was Chute Montmorency.

Chute Montmorency

We next took a little drive around the Île d'Orléans.  It looked strangely familiar, like Upstate New York...

The island was packed with little specialty farms and vineyards (agriturismos).  We almost wished there were more tourists so that it wouldn't be so awkward walking inside the empty shops!

It was very beautiful!

The next morning we went running along the Promenade Samuel de Champlain, a sunny path along the St Lawrence that was full of pieces of art.

For some reason quite a few buildings (mostly homes) were topped with this strange, shiny metal that resembles aluminum foil.

Our place of residence for these three days

Artsy rue St-Jean

The stone fortifications wrap around the entire city.

In the heart of the Old City: Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Quebec

Artists lining rue du Tresor

The Chateau Frontenac looming over the city

Along the Terrasse Dufferin

 

The Plains of Abraham, just outside the walls

Standing on the wall and looking towards Parliament Hill

It was actually fairly chilly (highs in the mid 60s and very windy!) so we took refuge (and a nap) inside the beautiful Morrin Center, a prison-turned English library.

Back at the Chateau Frontinac

Looking over the "Breakneck Stairs" into the Basse Ville (Lower City).  I loved that tall mural on the right.

Rue du Petite Champlain, supposedly the oldest neighborhood in North America

Petite-Champlain District

You can't visit France without having crepes ;o)

The next day we walked to the city via the peaceful and eerie Joan of Arc Garden

The Old Port Market

Local produce at the Old Port Market

Right next door at the Old Port was BBQ Fest!

An outdoor performance at the very old Place Royal

Back on campus: our dorm room, just like college!

The residence hall where we stayed at Laval

Our last morning jog through the neighborhoods

Good god it was sunny.  Being so far north the run rose at 4:50 am and set at 8:40 pm.  It was also the solstice!

On the way back home we wanted to check out the Canadian/American border that awkwardly divides the town of Stanstead.  We pulled over (into the parking area, nonetheless) to take a photo of the goofy border inspection area but then the officer came out waving and yelling at us for stopping.  I suppose no one told him there is a gas station adjacent that allows cars to pull right through the border without stopping.  What a lovely welcome back into the USA! 

I think that trip just about does it for my summer travels!  After 5 weeks since Graduation and being on the road this entire time, I have to deal with the fact that I am back in Waltham and no longer a student... and am officially unemployed... at least I have my RD exam prep to look forward to ;o)

Meeting our neighbors to the north: Montreal

When we left NY for MA we took a wide, northernly detour.  Our first stop was Montreal.  While I had been to Niagara Falls and Toronto for a band trip back in high school, I really haven't seen any other part of Canada.  As much as I love travelling, it is a shame to have never visited our neighbors to the north.  Plus, I had come to realize that I probably will not be going to Europe this summer, so this was a cheap and easy compromise.  Quebec is practically France anyways, right??

Canadian Border Control

We stayed in a hostel in the Latin Quarter, aka the gay part of town.  Not only was it colorful, but it also had an evening passeggiata (a street stroll), just like in Italy!

Just down the road we found the FrancoFolies festival of French music.

In the small China Town we stumbled on a movie set!  Montreal is becoming a hot spot for the film industry.

On our first morning we went for a run along the canal.  Since it was almost the solstice it was super sunny, even by 6:30 am!

Spotted on the McGill University campus

Montreal is a cool mix of old and new. 

A creative statue outside the Musee des Beaux-Arts (Museum of Fine Arts), where we spent the early part of the afternoon

The rest of the afternoon was occupied by a tour of the Old City.  Here is the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours (the "Sailors Church"), where the Virgin Mary outstretches her arms to welcome ships into port.

The Old Port

Our tour guide giving an overview of the vast Underground Network that runs below most of the city

Louisiana Guy making a pot of gumbo to share with all us hostel people.  I am shocked we didn't wake up with some food borne illness (seriously, there was raw chicken juice everywhere, but hey, it was tasty!).

Jogging towards the canal while the city was still asleep

   

Public art displays in Place Jacques-Cartier

Back up in McGill Uni, we stopped by the Redpath Museum of Natural History

We took the steep, but shady, road up Mont-Royal

The view from Mont-Royal park

After all that walking we need a carbo break!  Montreal's bagels are "original recipe", and in the Mile-End neighborhood, the heart of Hassidic Jewish Montreal, the bagels are supreme. 

We got caught in the Mont Royal Metro Station Market during a brief rainstorm.

Heading back to the hostel, we had a poutine break!  These are a Montreal specialty: fresh-cut fries with cheese curds and gravy.  Rich and delicious, always order the smallest size. 

Mr. Squirrel was a fan of poutine, too!

After our poutine we had a *light* dinner out on gay rue Ste-Catherine

These wheelchair guys also enjoyed nightly passeggiate

We had a 4-person room in the hostel.  Thankfully, the roommates stayed out late, so it was like having a hotel room to ourselves for a couple hours in the evenings.  This was the only hostel we have stayed in that has a TV and mini fridge in the room.  It also had a private bathroom.  It really was like sharing a hotel room with 2 strangers... 

Our final jog, this time along shady--and historic!--rue St-Paul

Checking out of our hostel and carrying on to our next stop!