Itinerary (for our really brave-at-heart readers):
Sept 2-3: Montreal
St. Joseph's Oratory, Stroll through Mont Royal, Jardin Botanique and Insectarium (a hit with the kids), funicular ride up Olympic Stadium tower.
Notre-Dame and her Light Show. Dinner at Bonaparte. They kindly hid our stroller behind a silk curtain and hid us in the back room. We whispered the entire meal. That kind of restaurant.
Sept 3-7: Quebec City.
Lower Town, Musee Civilsation, and a free Cirque du Soleil performance under the freeway overpasses. It was FREE!
Montmorency Waterfalls, my first taste of putine (Q: What's unhealthier than french fries? A: Gravy, cheese, and french fries), fireworks over the St. Lawrence.
Church (in Quebecois; I understood almost as much as Briton), Upper Town, Expensive Ice Cream on Famous Ramparts near Chateau for Demanding Wife, Image on the Mill (this will sort of give you an idea. Sort of.), Talking travel and politics with very friendly lady on bus home.
Sept 1: Albany, NY
Sept 2-3: Montreal
St. Joseph's Oratory, Stroll through Mont Royal, Jardin Botanique and Insectarium (a hit with the kids), funicular ride up Olympic Stadium tower.
Notre-Dame and her Light Show. Dinner at Bonaparte. They kindly hid our stroller behind a silk curtain and hid us in the back room. We whispered the entire meal. That kind of restaurant.
Sept 3-7: Quebec City.
Lower Town, Musee Civilsation, and a free Cirque du Soleil performance under the freeway overpasses. It was FREE!
Montmorency Waterfalls, my first taste of putine (Q: What's unhealthier than french fries? A: Gravy, cheese, and french fries), fireworks over the St. Lawrence.
Church (in Quebecois; I understood almost as much as Briton), Upper Town, Expensive Ice Cream on Famous Ramparts near Chateau for Demanding Wife, Image on the Mill (this will sort of give you an idea. Sort of.), Talking travel and politics with very friendly lady on bus home.
The next day, the kids and I went to the aquarium while Briton spent the morning retrieving the backpack (avec car keys) we'd left on the city bus the night before.
One of several long, scenic morning runs for Briton: this time along the St. Lawrence River.
Sept 7-9: New Brunswick
Playgrounds, Longest covered bridge in the world, hiking and exploring Fundy National Park, walking amongst touristy Hopewell Rocks, where you can observe the 40-foot tide-change.
Drive to Anne of Green Gables Land.
Sept 9-11: Prince Edward Island
Lover's Lane, the Haunted Wood, Green Gables. I was deep into Book Three by now. It was difficult for me to remember Anne was fiction. Even the presence of tacky, parasitic tourist traps could not mar my experience in Avonlea, I mean, Cavendesh. Briton not only cordially obliged me by honoring his pre-PEI pledge to not make fun of Anne of Green Gables the entire time, but went above and beyond the call of duty by taking the time to read the first book cover to cover. A true kindred spirit ;).
Immaculately-mowed, expansive lawns. Lots of them.
Gorgeous sunset stroll in Greenwich over Bowley Pond's floating boardwalk.
Sept 11-13: Novia Scotia
Ferry to Novia Scotia. Drive to Cheticamp - thus to get an early start at Cape Breton. Skyline Hike. Waterfalls. Praising the gas mileage of the Prius when the "empty" gas gauge lit up and we couldn't find an open gas station for 40 miles.
Church in New Glasgow (in English). Toured through That Old Dutchman's cheese factory and talked to That Old Dutchman himself. He makes Gouda the old-fashioned way and has a wry sense of humor.
Back to New Brunswick. Spent the night in the Hampton Inn. They had an indoor waterslide - the twisting, enclosed tube kind. I dutifully took each kid down, which terrorized each, in turn.
Sept 13-15: Saint John and St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick
The Saint John Market is like an indoor, year-round Farmer's market. St. Andrews-by-the-Sea is as romantic looking as its name implies. Even their city water tanks are beautiful. On to Portland. Maine.
Sept 16: Travel Home.
Briton flew out of Albany with Sydney. I explored the Portland, Maine Children's Museum with Talmage until our afternoon flight. Why did B&I fly separately out of different states? It's a long story.
How did the kids do? Both kids traveled exceptionally well. But we were all glad to sleep in our own beds again. And not have to drive anywhere far away for a week (next Post: Trillium Lake).
One of several long, scenic morning runs for Briton: this time along the St. Lawrence River.
Sept 7-9: New Brunswick
Playgrounds, Longest covered bridge in the world, hiking and exploring Fundy National Park, walking amongst touristy Hopewell Rocks, where you can observe the 40-foot tide-change.
Drive to Anne of Green Gables Land.
Sept 9-11: Prince Edward Island
Lover's Lane, the Haunted Wood, Green Gables. I was deep into Book Three by now. It was difficult for me to remember Anne was fiction. Even the presence of tacky, parasitic tourist traps could not mar my experience in Avonlea, I mean, Cavendesh. Briton not only cordially obliged me by honoring his pre-PEI pledge to not make fun of Anne of Green Gables the entire time, but went above and beyond the call of duty by taking the time to read the first book cover to cover. A true kindred spirit ;).
Immaculately-mowed, expansive lawns. Lots of them.
Gorgeous sunset stroll in Greenwich over Bowley Pond's floating boardwalk.
Sept 11-13: Novia Scotia
Ferry to Novia Scotia. Drive to Cheticamp - thus to get an early start at Cape Breton. Skyline Hike. Waterfalls. Praising the gas mileage of the Prius when the "empty" gas gauge lit up and we couldn't find an open gas station for 40 miles.
Church in New Glasgow (in English). Toured through That Old Dutchman's cheese factory and talked to That Old Dutchman himself. He makes Gouda the old-fashioned way and has a wry sense of humor.
Back to New Brunswick. Spent the night in the Hampton Inn. They had an indoor waterslide - the twisting, enclosed tube kind. I dutifully took each kid down, which terrorized each, in turn.
Sept 13-15: Saint John and St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick
The Saint John Market is like an indoor, year-round Farmer's market. St. Andrews-by-the-Sea is as romantic looking as its name implies. Even their city water tanks are beautiful. On to Portland. Maine.
Sept 16: Travel Home.
Briton flew out of Albany with Sydney. I explored the Portland, Maine Children's Museum with Talmage until our afternoon flight. Why did B&I fly separately out of different states? It's a long story.
How did the kids do? Both kids traveled exceptionally well. But we were all glad to sleep in our own beds again. And not have to drive anywhere far away for a week (next Post: Trillium Lake).
[Too bad the video is kinda small here on the blog; lots of photos posted here]
