Oh Canada

We crossed into Canada at Sault- Ste. Marie, across the spectacular International Bridge, three miles of breath taking flying! It was a rainy day, so we drove on a bit further than planned, and by late afternoon we pulled into Samuel du Champlain Provincial Park, near Mattawa. It is a very large park filled with lakes and streams, a beach, and some small rapids. We camped in a tree -filled spot between the iver and a small lake. We thought it was so lovely that we should stop for a couple of days and enjoy this quiet forest! We walked along the lake, read, napped and visited with a local fireman. He and his family have travelled over most of Europe and a great dal of the U.S. He and his wife also own a restaurant, and he builds kiosks, or small dining encosures -- they have bugs up here, you know! Busy, busy people, but enjoying life to the fullest.
On our last evening it drizzeled and then it urned to serious rain, so we fixed our dinner in the van and ate, all then cozied up while the rain drops pitter-pattered on our roof. It's a crazy thing, but it was such a fun evening, just us in our small spot, secure and comfortable, enjoying a simple meal.


Now we are ready for the city. We had reservations at a lovely boutique hotel, sleek grey and white room with Egyptian cotton bedding. And a bathroom in the room! What luxury! At 5:30 out came the sparkling wine,complimentary, served at the front desk. It was great having it there, because we were working on the computer in the adjoining lobby, thanks to their WI-fi, making contact with Montreal for our next reservations. Ottawa, Canada's capitol, is a sparkling, bright city, highlighted by Parliament Hill. We strolled through a park that overlooked the Ottawa River, but we missed the Parliament tour. We were able, however, to access the building and saw the wonderful areas that were open to the public. The Parliament is on vacation, like the US and Iraq.

Then we had a nice lunch in Byward Market. This was the market square, but now, while there still is a market of fresh fruits and vegetables, there are many restaurants and shops as well.

Now off to Montreal, and a real shift, since everything is in French. In Ottawa it was both English and French, but in Quebec French is the offical language, though almost everyone we met also spoke English. We stayed for three nights at Casa Mateo, a small hotel above a Mexican restaurant. The room was large, the bathroom just down the hall, and the location in Old Town was just perfect. This is a walking town. Our feet will attest to that!. We explored the Old Town, Downtown, McGill University, Mount Royal and the waterfront. Glorious Notre-Dame Cathedral was just around the corner from our digs, and we bathed in its beauty as we watched the conclusion of a big wedding there. Celion Dion was married there, but at another time! What a spectacular setting. Horse drawn carriages clip-clopped down our street every little while. We had a terrific dinner at Algarve, a Portuguese restaurant in a cobble-stoned square off of Place Jacque Cartier. The food was fabulous, complete with live music, very good Portugese wine, and a bit of Fado music in the background.

A special treat was an exhibit of Inuit Art at the Fine Arts Museum. Most of the art items were carvings from stone, tevertine in particular. The flowing lines of the carved, sculpted pieces were pleasing to the eye, with a beguiling softness and elegance that was captivating. Two nights of French cuisine topped it all off! The first night Jon ordered grilled liver and accailmed it the best he had tasted in over twenty years. The second night was at Les Pyrenees, a place obviously featuring food from that region. A nice wine from Minervois, a dish of 12-hour slow cooked rack of lamb, and duck in pear sauce -- ahh, to die for! Now back to life with Peg and Vermont...