The twelve days of Christmas

In the twelve days of Christmas, friends and family gave to me ...

Twelve Mandarin oranges
Eleven Welsh cakes
Ten mince tarts
Nine bottles of wine
Eight frozen grapes
Seven kinds of cheese
Six dinners out
Five dryer balls
Four Rogers' chocolates
Three different patés
Two pairs of socks
And a cold from Napanee.

Happy New Year!

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain

I'm dreaming of a green Christmas.

You see, it snowed here on Monday night.  Now, we do get snow on occasion in Victoria, but it's usually just a brief, laughable visit.  This time, though, Mother Nature sent a blast of cold Arctic air after the 2 cm of snow, just to wipe the smug look off the faces of us Wet Coasters.  That means that the sanded, salted, plowed, shovelled, partly-shovelled, or not-shovelled-at-all snow froze into a crunchy slippery mess.  And it stayed!

This state of affairs was not uncommon when we lived Back East.  However, life is different for us here: we walk everywhere. Rain may be an irritant at times, but it's easy to deal with - up pops the umbrella and on our way we go.  If it gets particularly heavy, on go the yellow rubber boots.  Singing in the rain ...

But snow!  As bonafide west coasters, we no longer own winter boots.  And walkers don't come with snow tires.  I had to take the bus to the grocery store!

So, bring on the rain. Lots of it.  Wash that nasty white stuff of the streets and sidewalks and bring back the lawnmowers. Enough of winter already.  Bah, humbug.

Light my fire

I made lamb chops for dinner last week and set off the smoke alarm three times.  Harrumph ...  Now, anytime I cook anything in the oven, the smoke alarm goes off.  Every time I use the oven now, I open all the windows, just in case ...  Not that it does any good ....  Harrumph, again.

I guess I'm going to have clean the oven ...

New tricks 2

I have been going to exercise classes at the Y the last two weeks.  This is the first time ever in my life that I have gone to exercise classes.  They call it Senior Cardio,  but I'd like to know how they expect this senior to move feet,  move hands, smile, and breathe, all at the same time.

Maybe if I had some cool exercise duds ....

Orange is the new snack

I ran into a neighbour at the front door of the building the other day.  Under her arm was a bag of Cheezies. 

"The World Series is on," she said sheepishly.  "You can't watch the World Series without Cheezies."

"Hah!" I said, "No need to explain.  I ate Cheezies while watching the first Presidential debate."

"Eeewww," she said.  "I'd need more than Cheezies to convince me to watch that debate.  I might even have to start drinking again."

"Well," I said, "there might have been some beer involved, too."

Home

Arrived in Vancouver about noon today, three hours late.  The expectation was that we would make up the four hours we were late in the leg of the journey between Kamloops and Vancouver.  Sadly, we ran into track repairs on the way.

As it turns out, that worked quite well for us.  Our bus to Victoria didn't leave until 1:30 pm, so it meant less waiting around in the station.  Were home in our own place about 5:30 pm.

And that wandering suitcase, the one that was misdirected in Toronto ...  picked it up as planned in Vancouver.  Sometimes things just work out!

Time travel

Sept 2: London, forward 8 hours = noon local time, 4 am in Victoria
Sept 6: Bergen, forward an hour (9 hours ahead) = noon local 3 am in Victoria
Sept 9: Lerwick, back an hour (8 hours ahead) = noon local time, 4 am in Victoria
Sept 12: Akureyri, back an hour (7 hours ahead) = noon local time, 5 am in Victoria
Sept 15: Reykjavik to  ....  Reykjavik,  back an hour (6 hours ahead) = noon local time, 6 am in Victoria
Sept 17: Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean,  back another hour  (5 hours ahead ) = noon local time, 7 am in Victoria
Sept 18: Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean again,  back another hour  (4 hours ahead ) = noon local time, 8 am in Victoria
Sept 20:  Boston,  back another hour (3 hours ahead) = Eastern Daylight Time!!
Sept 25:  Saint John, forward an hour  (4 hours ahead) = noon local time, 8 am in Victoria
Sept 30: Somewhere in the St Lawrence, back another hour (3 hours ahead) = Eastern Daylight Time again!!
Oct 8: Manitoba, back  another hour  (2 hours ahead ) = noon local time, 10 am in Victoria
Oct 9: Alberta, back  another hour  (1 hour ahead ) = noon local time, 11 am in Victoria
Oct 9: BC, back another hour = Pacific Daylight Time  (yay!)

Getting there slowly

Left Winnipeg two hours late.  Go figure.  This morning when we got up, we were in Wainwright instead of Edmonton, a full five hours behind schedule.  And it's snowing!  Made up only a half hour at Edmonton.  By the time we got to Jasper, we'd made up another half hour.  At this rate, we may not be home for another week!

There's a Road Scholar (formerly ElderHostel) group on the train, mostly Americans.  This morning at breakfast we overheard one woman ask another, "Do you know if you can drive from Montreal to Vancouver?  I mean, on a four-lane highway?"  I think they may need to rename the group. 

We've had meals a couple of times with a couple from Brazil.  Their English is remarkably good, which is great, as our Portuguese is nonexistent.  Interestingly, they have some French, too, so we've been using some of that to get over the occasional language hurdle.

I am so tired of wearing these clothes.

Clickety - clack

Friday, Oct 7

By the time we got to bed last night, it was 12:45 am.

I love sleeping on the train.  The mattress is firm; the sheets are smooth and cool; there's a little tray behind the pillow for my glasses and my phone; and there is webbing to stop me from falling out of bed if there is a particularly exuberant bounce.  Granted, climbing down the ladder in the middle of the night to use the bathroom is a bit of a challenge.

I awoke sometime in the night to what sounded like Room Service pushing a cart along the corridor outside our room.  It took me a few seconds to realize that it was simply the sound of the train on the tracks.  

Sitting in our room watching the trees and the water go by is a little bit like being at a cottage in the woods. Tom says it feels like camping.  In both cases, there's less freedom to move around, but better food.

There's also no WiFi, so it may be days before I post this.

Fresh air stop at Hornepayne about 4:45 pm, still two hours behind schedule.

Saturday, Oct 8

Arrived in Winnipeg this morning a half hour ahead of schedule!  And there's WiFi!

00:01

Train #2 from Vancouver arrived in Toronto this evening, eight hours late.  As a result, Train #1 to Vancouver is leaving two hours later than scheduled, just into tomorrow.  Way past our bedtime ....

Only 4,900 km to go

Here we are, sitting in the Business Class lounge in Central Station, waiting to board the train to Toronto, where we'll catch the Vancouver-bound Canadian tonight.

The last three days we've been having breakfast at the Deli Planet in the station, always sitting at the same table, always with the same waiter, a 40-something whirling dervish.  In true Quebec style, we speak to him in French and he speaks to us in English.  He remembers us, even in this short acquaintance.  Today he greeted us with, "Coffee later, orange juice now."

Later, as we rejected a second cup of coffee, he said to us, "You're going home today.  You'll miss this coffee; have some more!"  So we did.

Sometimes, only a beer will do

Today we walked from la Gauchetiere and Mansfield to Pine and Durocher.  We climbed hills, traversed cracked pavement, and walked through construction zones, throngs of people, and clouds (and I mean clouds!) of cigarette smoke.  Three hours later we had stripped down to t-shirts and were hungry and parched! 

Aaaaaahhhhhh  ........

Ding a ling ling

Had a call from Go Transit in Toronto yesterday morning to say that our Vancouver-bound suitcase was in their Left Luggage department.  Nobody is quite sure what happened, but everyone worked to fix it.  The Go Transit guy physically took the bag over to the VIA Rail baggage people.  I called VIA Rail Customer Service, and that man called the baggage people who confirmed that the bag was in their possession.  It should now be on its way to Vancouver  ...

The unionized staff at the Hotel Bonaventure are on strike, so 32 management staff are working 15 hour shifts to cover the work of the 200 striking workers.  The restaurant is closed, except for a breakfast buffet, the bar is open only from 5 -7 pm, and the housekeeping is not quite up to standard.   The good news is that Tom is enjoying breakfasts at the Deli Planet, a Rowley favourite in Central Station for many years.

We went up to the McGill bookstore Monday to replenish Tom's wardrobe.  He has been enjoying the conversations he's been having with total strangers, generated by the McGill logo on his winter jacket, and wanted to expand his seasonal reach.  Sad to say, the bookstore is in the process of relocating, so their meager offerings could only be found in a trailer on the lower campus.  Just bought a single golf shirt.  However, we did have a nice lunch!

Off to Mum's yesterday for a good visit.  Mum tested out Tom's walker, Tom tested out Mum's reading glasses, and I borrowed knitting needles. 

And we had dinner!  Putt, putt, putt ...

A senior selfie

So, we arrived in Montreal this afternoon.  Some slight issues ...

First, as I may have mentioned before, we may have overdone it a bit on the souvenirs.  Not that we bought too many, you understand, just that our suitcases are too small.  We were really lucky in Quebec City:  they booked our "souvenir " suitcase right the way through to Vancouver (yay!), so we only had to manage one suitcase, my red bag, Tom's CPAP, the Princess bag full of stuff that won't fit in the suitcase, and the walker.  Because we're staying at the Hotel Bonaventure, which is just across the street from Central Station, a taxi is out of the question.  So we loaded up the walker (the "truck", I call it), and dragged the suitcase to our destination.

Secondly, I booked the hotel at the travel agent rate, before I stopped being a travel agent, and was a little concerned about misrepresenting myself at check-in.  (My dad would understand.)  So when I got an envelope from the receptionist, and read the contents, my first reaction was "Oh, crap", they want to give me a tour so I can sell the hotel to my clients.

But then I felt a familiar tickle at the back of my brain. There is a 25-year old joke we have with the Griffiths about Mr Loof Lirpa, which, if you are slightly dislexic like I am, reads very clearly as "April Fool" spelled backwards.  Hah!  I get it!  We're to call Pat and Jim.  There was some discussion that they might meet us in Montreal, but nothing had come of it.

Had barely made it to the room, when there was a knock at the door.  "Room Service!"  Room service?  I opened the door and, low and behold, it was Mr Lirpa!

It turns out that Jim had been stalking us, Pink Panther style, from the time we got off the train.  He hid behind a newspaper, getting odd looks from other travellers, as he watched us come up the escalator, get our luggage, wait for the walker, then lost us as we walked to the hotel.  He watched me pick up up the note and puzzle over its contents.

Went out for dinner, a few drinks, and lots of laughs.  Proved that people over 60 should not try to take selfies.

What fun!  Too bad Pat couldn't make it, too.

Pot-bellied suitcases

Since I didn't expand the suitcases on the outward bound trip, thought we'd be able to get away adding some souvenirs on the way back.  Looks like we may have understimated the purchasing power of the Canadian dollar.   Think we may buy an extra suitcase in Montreal  ....

27 days

Arrived in Quebec City this morning, the last stop on our cruise.  

I think it's hard to take a bad picture of Quebec City.

After 27 days on the ship, we were beginning to get into a comfortable groove.   Disembarkation tomorrow,  then off to Montreal for a few days. 

Money laundering

If I spent 70 USD, that I bought when the Canadian dollar was equal to 1.05 USD, and won 77 USD on the slot machines,  when the American dollar is worth 1.25 CAD, does a tree fall in the forest?

For Wickie

Guess where we are today!

Nova Scotia

In Halifax yesterday.  Without any pre-planning, we called our friends, Leslie and Bill, who dropped everything to meet us for a drink.  Nice visit!

In Sydney today.  Lovely harbour walk.

Popcorn in the bed

Stayed up late, very late, last night watching the first US presidential debate.

Ahhhhhhh  ...  nice to be Canadian   ...

Lobster rolls

It was the perfect fall day in Saint John.   The air was crisp, the sky was blue, and our dear friends, Linda and Brian, met us at the dock.

Linda and I went to high school together,  but in different grades, and met up at our high school reunion several years ago.   Since then we've cruised with her and Brian a couple of times and, it looks like, maybe a couple more in the future.

Linda and Brian drove us out to St-Andrews-by-the-Sea to a restaurant they knew that made the best lobster rolls.  No disagreement here!  (Tom says that the rhubarb pie was pretty fine, too ...)

Bar Harbor

We almost didn't go into Bar Harbor this morning.   We've been there before, and my recollection of it was a steep uphill street full of t-shirt shops.  Besides which, it was only 6C, and there was a north wind blowing.  But I was trying to get in touch with a friend to arrange our get together in Saint John tomorrow, and had no cell service on the ship, so onto the tender we went.

We had discussed the need for gloves and toques, but decided they weren't necessary.  We were wrong - it was freezing!  So we hightailed it up that steep street, past all the tourist traps, around the corner and out of the wind.   What a great decision that turned out to be!   It was sunny and warm(er), I got cell service, and there was the most fabulous store  ...

We left with a much more favourable impression of Bar Harbour, a bag full of linens, and a date for tomorrow.

Boston

Much different weather today in Boston from that in Newport yesterday:  had to dig out the long pants and sweaters. 

There was a great outdoor market on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway that occupied quite a bit of our time (and, we must confess, we made several purchases there), before we wandered over to the Faneuil Hall and Quincy Marketplace  (where we bought nothing!).

Newport

We were waiting at a crosswalk and a car with Ontario plates stopped and waved us through.  I waved at him, and he rolled down his window and gave me a "What's up?" gesture.  I yelled, "British Columbia! ", and he said, "Great place  but it's nice to get away sometimes!", and we all went on our ways.

The last time we were in Newport we went on a tour of its mansions.  It left me with an impression of old perfume and ostentatious wealth.   This time we left the mansions to others and walked the city.  Here we saw old New England buildings of the more traditional kind.

Several people mentioned how glad they were that the temperature had dropped.   Hah!  To us Icelanders,  the warmer the better!  We had a lovely lunch on the balcony of our room, watching the sailboats go by ....

Tum around

We sailed under the Verazzano Bridge into New York about 5 this morning.  Shortly after, about 2,800 people disembarked from the Caribbean Princess and the crew started preparing for an influx of new passengers. 

We had to change cabins, unfortunately (long story), but our "packing" was significantly less onerous than those who were leaving the ship - it's just 5 doors away.  The only complaint about our new cabin is that it's backwards from our previous one.  It'll take some adjustment!

We have a wonderful view of New York from our room - the Statue of Liberty,  Governor's Island, Manhattan.   

Pizza and beer

We arrived in Boston this morning to  ... warm  and humid weather!

Because we're back in Boston in another 4 days, we decided to stick close to the seaport this time and just walk around and enjoy the fresh air.  After the first few blocks, off came the sweaters.  We passed a brewery and numerous bars on the Harbourfront Walk, none of them open.   We must have walked about 3 klicks all told.

By the time we got back to the ship we were parched. 

(Would I be considered an uncool traveller if I complained that the humidity makes my hair go flat?)