Day 13 Mount Royal! 9/26/24

We slept in and were surprised that street sounds didn't wake us as it was busy below with foot and bike traffic mainly. It felt good to not be in a rush with time for showers and  dressing for the warm weather here. We picked a recommended coffee shop to start with and made plans from there. Cafe Neve was about 1/2 mile away and it was nice to walk the mix of quiet neighborhoods with wide sidewalks, separate bike lanes, street construction and a steady stream of bustle. Most everything was in French but I did hear English being spoken too. The waiter at the cafe switched over immediately with a few good jokes to go with excellent coffee and food.

We headed off to look for McGill university and the redpath museum with biodiversity and natural history exhibits. We skirted around Mount Royal but hope to get up there soon for the views.

It was easy to find McGill but the construction made it a bit of a maze to get to our destination. We had hoped to buy a multiple day museum/transportation pass but couldn't find anyone to help with that. The old building had 3 floors and a vast collection of specimens and we greatly enjoyed exploring it for hours. We had to leave after mostly skimming the surface which still excited us to refresh our zoology and more. 

Laurie needed to call Jonathan and work with him on issues involving his caregiver. I had a melt down of sorts over wanting her to play a more secondary role in matters like this back home. Awkward and unnecessary but clearly there was some baggage on this issue and we aren't completely switched over to vacation mode yet. We regrouped with some down time while getting cash and food. Always a good idea.

We went back to the McCord museum with a history of the first people of Canada and the city of Montreal. Very well done exhibits with many thought provoking displays and statements. We stayed until closing time and loosely backtracked to the apartment on a balmy evening full of relaxing people. We ate a light meal mostly of leftover bread, cheese, fruit, and veggies out on the balcony overlooking the quiet activity on the street below. 

As dusk arrived here we moved inside the warm apartment and continued to do the things we spend our spare time on. I'm looking forward to another good day in Montreal with so many options before us. 

Very effective use of parking space for better public uses

More creative public space on streets in Montreal 

Interesting McGill campus buildings in front of Mount Royal

Redpath museum was full of fossils and biodiversity materials

Laurie enjoyed the Urban forest art exhibit at McCord Museum
 

 

 

 

 

Day 12 Off to Montreal 9/25/14

We had set the alarm for 7 and were up before that and soon ready to check out of our short stay at the Planet Traveler hostel. This was a good experience and allowed us to spend our short time in Toronto in a central location for exploring yesterday.

We dressed quickly and secured the last few things before turning in our bedding and checking out. We had a 1 km walk to the subway for a short ride under crowded commute conditions to the train station. It was a bit of work, especially with Laurie's heavier bag with smaller wheels. We hit the subway maze with many commuters and construction underway. A few questions later we were in the waiting area relaxing with time to spare but no breakfast strategy? I did get a cup of coffee at the hostel in my travel mug which helped. We boarded with minimal fuss in spite of not being able to check bags. 

We enjoyed wireless-and a food cart throughout the five hour train ride. We have clean clothes for our three night stay coming in Montreal and a nice AirBnB in a great location. We had some difficulty communicating with our host along the way via Skype which was probably due a lag. We used the time to catch up on news and activities and even a brief FaceTime with Elle.

We didn't have any problems at the Montreal station and were quickly on the subway for a few stops. I like those short easy directions. 

I was surprised to hear or see so little English but navigation was still easy we enjoyed a short walk to our AirBNB but had to call for instructions on how to get in as our host didn't meet us as planned. She had tried to send a text message we couldn't get that her baby was sick and she was at the doctors. She gave us quick directions to get in using a lockbox after we put Laurie's phone off airplane mode to make a call. 

We found a lovely small apartment up over 20 outside steps whichever is the common entry method in this plateau neighborhood. We took a walk and picked up bread, cheese, fruit, cucumber and such for a meal outside on the balcony which is a great part of the apartment. The sun was setting on a balmy evening as we settled in full and slightly tired from the day's travels. We both ended up staying up late reading and catching up on things while planning for our next few days here. It feels very good to be in Montreal!

All packed to leave the Planet Traveler Hostel

Oil cars were seen too often as we rode trains

Laurie testing the many steps to our Montreal AirBnB

A little neighborhood shopping

Dining on the balcony was a balmy treat!

 

 

 

 

 

Some Photos from the Trip so far

Here are some photos to go with the trip so far, at least as far as we have had time to write about. There is much more to come too!

A family meal, Fiddlehead Farm style

More quality time with baby Ella Luna

Waiting for the bus we missed in Seattle

Laurie and cousin Julia enjoying a visit and meal in Vancouver

About to ride around Stanley Island on a drizzly day

Laurie at the lighthouse

Waiting for the train to Toronto at the end of our stay in Vancouver

Celebrating the start of our train ride across Canada

The hostel in Toronto was fine but not an AirBNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Day 11 Grand Tour Toronto! (9/24/14)

The morning hostel scene was mostly a young one with a few older folks like us in the background. From the looks of the rooftop venue, the hostel may be a party place at times but was very quiet during our stay. We slept in and started slowly with a look at the hostel breakfast options but we decided to go find a coffee shop to plan our only day in Toronto. A short walk solved that need and we planned our day there. We walked downtown and visited the first post office in the city which is still working. The history of the place was quite interesting and Laurie was able to mail cards to friends. 

We continued down towards the waterfront in search of the mysterious unmapped Inuit Museum. We got to the waterfront where lots of construction is underway probably for the Pam Am games coming in 2015.we were able to thread our way through a maze surrounded by equipment and workers. It is clear Toronto is having a building boom but we don't know if it has to do only with the Pan Am games or other factors too.

We needed a break and snack and found a spot that seemed close to fast food standards but promoted their "green" and healthy fare. It was refreshing and we pressed on with our quest. We eventually found the museum by asking inside the building we tracked the mysterious museum down to and it was well worth the effort and we greatly enjoyed our time there. We nearly had the place to ourselves although it is located inside a busy mall. 

We made a travel loop today and just as our feet were getting tired we spotted the trolley that would take us close to the hostel on College Street again. That also put us near an Ethiopian Resturant for an early dinner. We were clearly hungry and finished everything on the serving tray. Back at the hostel we had a few Skype calls to make and packing for an early start back to the subway and train station in the morning. We know the drill pretty well by now and got things ready with time to relax with notes, photos, and reading.  We would certainly like to explore Toronto and the general region in more detail later.

Tomorrow we need to be up early to check out with our sheets and pillow cases turned in. We have just over a kilometer to walk to get to the subway and hump our way down the stairs and revolving doors to the under construction subway below. We decided that we need to be at the station by 8:30 at the latest if we are to pick up any food, check bags if possible and catch our breath before the 5 hour ride to Montreal. 

Laurie found "her" moose!

A popular and creative use of parking space in Kensington Market

We saw lots of melanistic black squirrels like this one

The mysterious Inuit Museum was well worth finding

The waterfront was under major construction 

Dinner, Ethiopian style!

Day 10 Grand Tour Bonus Day

The train fell further behind last night due entirely to frequent forced stops as long freight trains of grain, potash, oil and other things moved by. We are now 9 hours behind and sitting again so that another train can pass.

We are now on Toronto time and expect to see the big city before dark. Our short time there will be less now but the time on the train is full of interesting people and their stories with amazing views of lake country like we never see. The sky is overcast and a light rain may have fallen. We are seeing a little less color now too.

Our breakfast partner worked on the railroad near here and is celebrating his 60th wedding anniversary. He had good info and perspective to share along with a gruff exterior. His wife rested in their room.

We have our system down now. I'm sure other strategies are used too. We get our clothes out the evening before. Showers are down the hall and taken opportunistically. We eat earlier meals and have our room made up then. There are observation and activity cars and the train can be wandered down its twisting hallways and space is shared as needed. Reading, viewing, socializing are the primary activities. People on trains tend to be older and well traveled but there are many variations and quite a few are regional or infrequent train riders.

When the train stops the sound of its engines and wheels fade away. Hums, room sounds and occasional hallway chard become clear. The window view allows for a closer look at the diverse vegetation when the train is stopped. Jack pine, popular, brown ferns, green or yellow shrubs and a little bare ground are dominant other than occasional rock outcrops covered in rusty looking lichen. 

A brief stop in Capreol gave time to stretch our legs and get some fresh air while taking a few photos. We learned that the train had waited earlier for the two longest trains in Canada, Number 1 and 2, to pass. Each was about 200 cars long. We expect to make up some time and may still get in by dark.

We have 8 hours of running time to reach Toronto but are behind a large freight train. Like in the US, CN owns the tracks we are so freight comes first. Via will give us a 50% discount on a future ticket for our inconvenience which made us happier than we already were. Maybe we will use it to go to Churchill to look for polar bears and northern lights?

We had an awkward time at lunch with a retired Alaska lodge owner and his wife. He dominated the conversation all about himself and directed at me. Laurie wanted to see Margo at another table but I couldn't stand up. She was unhappy about that. This is an extra unplanned meal with fewer options but the chef did a good job again. We didn't get dessert for some reason and left the dining car early and grumpy but it gave me things to think about later as we rolled on to Toronto. 

We learned from Via staff that Ontario province has about 25% of the worlds fresh water and seems to collect old Canadian rock stars and hockey players in their retirement. 

We got to the large and under construction Toronto station about 7 pm and Laurie had a nice visit with Elsbeth and Douglas from Scotland while we waited for baggage. We had to search a bit but were soon on the right subway for a few stops. The walk to the Planet Traveler hostel, our next lodging, was longer than expected but not too far. The hostel staff were friendly and helpful and our private room was adequate for our needs. We were able to do laundry on site which gave us time to relax, visit with family and do some reading. I was able to clean up and post a few things on the blog. We are down to one day in Toronto and plan to relax and enjoy wandering about.

We stopped here for quite a while waiting for a long freight train to go by.

 My abstract view out the window

Capreol train station was a good fresh air & stretching stop

An array of solar panels seen near Toronto from the train

Day 9 Somewhere in the middle of Canada

I'm not sure whether this day includes our 1:30 am stop in Winnipeg but we went out in search of wifi and got a good look at the interesting station and more. The train is running around 6 hours late due to all the freight traffic.

Winnipeg has some interesting attractions right around the renovated station. We couldn't visit any of them but are especially interested in the brand new Human Rights museum that is just about to have a grand opening. Two rivers come together near the station and their are a collection of attractions and activities there to explore. This is where another train goes up to Churchill where polar bear viewing is possible around seasonal ice flow formation. That trip takes several days and is on our list for a future trip.

We spent more time at the station in the middle of the night than expected but I enjoyed the stop and it was hard to say what time zone I was operating on then. It also provided the only chance to send messages to family and friends for several days.

Getting up at 8 am was more work as was keeping track of the time zone. We had breakfast with a reserved couple that had been married for 60 years and had some good stories to share. We went back to relax next but Laurie was soon off again for a few workshop. I continued to study the scenery going by the window. We are out of the plains and in Manitoba with many lakes, forested woods and thin soil with basalt rocks. The birch and popular are turning yellow and some of the ground cover is bright red. Hey, that was a moose in a lake with its head submerged. In many places the pole-like conifers look Kedest burned in some small to very large patches.

Lunch came early due to another pending time change, our third of this trip. Ron and Margo gave us tips on a Toronto and other places over lunch and they will be in Halifax while we are. They participate in a curling league that involves margaritas and we have been invited to come by for watching and drinking I think.

More rest with some napping after lunch as we catch up from our late night in Winnipeg. Laurie went back for more felt work and is learning quickly while she enjoys the company there. I'm back in an observation car looking for white Pelicans and enjoying cloud shapes. The discussion there focuses on the train running late, FOOD, other trips and similar chatter. Some folks prefer to knit, read, nap or lookout the windows. Often this is combined with moving around the train n looking for the right combination.

Tomorrow will be our last day on the train as we should reach Toronto at some point

but not in the morning as scheduled. This won't affect our plans much but will impact others that have connections to make.

Earlier today the shimmering sun across the frequent lakes ringed by birch, popular and conifers has provided post card type views everywhere. We crossed the Jack Fish River bridge where white Pelicans are sometimes seen but if you blinked you could miss it. I didn't. I also saw s lone kingfisher flying far out over a larger lake.

The dark rugged rock outcrops and infrequent bare areas starkly contrast with the forest, meadow and open waters that cover most of the landscape. It appears the soil is shallow at least in these exposed areas.

We had dinner with Ron and Margo who we had lunch with. They live in Victoria and volunteer to help ship medical supplies to other countries. We talked more about curling, pickleball and other fun things too. Ron is from Finland and speaks it as we saw when a waiter overheard and gave him the opportunity to demonstrate. We exchanged contact information in case we someday might travel to Churchill for a polar bear curling event! Dinner was another rich treat.

We ended the day reviewing the schedule ahead as we will move on to Toronto for a shorter visit as the train continues to fall behind due to heavy freight traffic. It will be good and necessary to move around more between meals soon but this trip continues to be FUN.

Laurie nearly had the Winnipeg station to herself late at night

A map of attractions near the Winnipeg station

One of Laurie's felt making workshops

Beaver lodge

A typical shimmering lake view

A window view in the afternoon

Day 8 Grand Tour on to Winnipeg

Today started slower as brunch was served mid morning. We had time for showers first. We had earlier snack options but I settled for coffee and headed for an observation car. My first try failed as the panorama car was no longer part of the train. It was there when I went to sleep!

I enjoyed a higher perch in one of the bubble view cars and watched the many migrating birds swirling in the clear skies. This is the first day of fall and it seems many of the waterfowl are still here with the mild weather and ample water sources. I made a bird list but it was hard to be sure at train speeds and clear but wavy glass. We saw a pair of coyotes hunting in tall grass and later I noticed a herd of buffalo that were certainly domesticated. I enjoyed thinking about how this vast area supplies the central flyway. There are huge fields similar to what we have in the Central Valley but also a lot of water and patches and edges of habitat as far as the eye can see on such a bright clear day. The sunlight shimmered across these small to large ponds as the train rolled by eating up the kilometers in our mobile hotel which is now 22 cars long.

There was lots of time for reading and writing notes and we continued to have good discussions with others over meals and other informal opportunities. We crossed another time zone sometime during the day and the train is now hours behind due to high volumes of freight traffic. We got off for a few moments in one small town and have roamed around the train. Winnipeg was supposed to be an early night stop where we change crews but it is past midnight and we had yet to reach it. We were looking forward to the planned break of nearly two hours to download some news. We are two hours ahead of our normal time zone but that would still be very late. We'll see.

Laurie joined another felt workshop and is increasing her skill. We both finished a book today and immediately dug into another one with the extra down time we have now. As we get closer to finishing this leg of the trip we partly wish it wold last a little longer. There is so much more to see and do ahead though and today has been a near perfect start to fall as the grand tour is now well underway.

Can this really be a low carbon high calorie trip? It feels that way with long stretches of sitting mixed with wobbly frequent trips to the dining car. News of the climate march in NYC, Scotland's vote and various routine activities are less available. The main sources of news comes from a few old papers and station stops where wireless networks are available with more reading, thinking, talking, EATING, photo taking and such make up for these "deficiencies". It takes a few days on a trip like this to make the change to the slower pace.

This is our last day with the friendly crew that accompanied us from Vancouver. They had a good attitude about the late schedule even thought reduced their rest before going back to work on the returning train. Laurie has a good cash tip planned for Johan who covered our coach and she leaves tips with each meal which is optional but deserved.

Long freight trains of grain and some oil trains like this one slowed our progress

Large flocks of waterfowl in the distance

Laurie was nearly alone in the Winnipeg station at 2 AM

Day 7 Grand Tour Vancouver to Edmonton

We had a fine night on the train and woke up before 7 as we rolled through beautiful British Columbia. We were served sparkling champagne in the panorama car soon after the train started last night. Our room was made up for sleeping with minimal fuss or disruption too. We woke up in the middle of the night to dark skies full of stars and a sliver of a moon low on the eastern horizon. We would never seen this normally due to all the light around us. A very special treat!

Via rail has some differences from Amtrak and seems to be higher quality at least on this major route. The beds are wider and top bunk has more head room. We weren't expecting a bathroom but have one. Our luggage fits but rearranging things allowed us to have the bigger bags checked in route. Breakfast was tasty and fresh and the first of many meals that we would be scheduled for. Laurie enjoyed a felt craft workshop where she made a flower. I did some catching up on notes and sightseeing. We can roam this 20 car train too. We didn't see many signs of fall color but there is some yellow in the lowlands. We meet different people with each meal and have learned more about DC, Montreal, and other locations while dining. Waterfalls, glaciers, tallest mountain in the Canadian Rockies, bears, mountain goats, the continental divide and much more were all seen today.

We were full throughout the day but wouldn't think of missing a meal. We did enjoy time in Jasper where I got in a couple of miles walking and collected some local information and color. Jasper is a town within a national park and I saw lots of sign of bear management and elk visits to town.

We are trying to reconstruct when we were last here which seems to have involved a bike and train trip more than 35 years ago. There are some gaps in our details remembered. Hopefully more of that story will come back and I can write it up. The time is changing each day as we head east and that seems to pack the meals in closer. Dinner was early and I enjoyed a mix up my grilled duck for the rack of lamb ordered by another person at our table. No harm done there and we saw three white mountain goats while eating.

We also saw some vast areas of Alberta torn up as we passed through while dining. Lots to think about as these vast areas of Canada are exposed to energy development pressures. There was s lot of discussion about climate change, train travel, and exotic locations as we rolled along today. Quite a bit of discussion also on the Scottish separation vote but not a lot of insight from those of us here. We stayed in the panorama car til past sunset and were up late in our car reading. The long night of travel would take us out of the Rockies and into the prairie.

We are starting to get the hang of being offline while on this train. I think a term is needed for those of us addicted to online communication like the "fresh air" break that smokers take when the train stops. I did find some free wireless in Jasper but at least spent more time walking than reading tweets or emails.

Tomorrow we will be in the vast plains or pothole country that makes up the middle of this huge northern country.

Pyramid Falls

Laurie's first felt flower

Lots to see at all times

Getting ready to re-board in Jasper

Bears out the window

Part of Jasper National Park

 

Grand Tour Still Chugging Along

We are having a great time on our grand adventure including crossing Canada from Vancouver to Toronto. Most of the time on this part of the trip we also have been enjoying being off the internet and without cellphones. We should be back online soon after arriving in Toronto this evening. We will have much more to say soon.

This post iriginally came from a short stop in Winnipeg well after 1 am local time. 

Signing off for now.

Day 6 Grand Tour Last Day in Vancouver

We finished packing early and made contact with our AirBNB host Linda. She came over and chatted while giving us some good outing tips on this drizzly morning. She also gave us a lift to the station where we were able to leave our luggage ($6/bag). We next headed out for the nearby Skytrain station to get to Stanley island. We only got one of the two all day passes we paid for out of the machine but found staff who helped by writing on the ticket that we'd had a problem. Good solution that worked all day.

We got to Stanley and found a bike rental shop. A few minutes later we were on the island bike trail heading out to circle it. It felt good to ride even though the bikes were basic hybrids. The separated trail gave us an easy path and great views of the water and city beyond. We still hadn't had any food and it was past 2 pm so we stopped for lunch at the Tea house as recommended.The meal was great and so were the views. We finished the 12 km ride and headed for Granville island which has many popular shops and food. We managed to miss a direction and took a long way around to get there but found and enjoyed it. We couldn't find a ferry to take us back so the Sky Train did. The ride downtown was crowded but got us back to the right station. As we were about to board a light rail we learned that ongoing construction required a special train. Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get there.caught that detail in the nick of time!

Laurie had picked up a light meal for later so we waited in the special area set aside for sleeper car travelers. I nearly lost my glasses while looking for a wireless signal. We got on the long train about 7:30 pm and enjoyed a peaceful and comfortable evening on-board in our cozy sleeper (with bathroom!). The next leg of this Grand Tour is underway!

Note that classy helmet from home!

 

Having a good time on Stanley Island

Another 35th anniversary

Outside the train station

Time to board for our trip across Canada

Our cozy cabin before checking our luggage.

It made into two comfy bunks too.

Day 5 Grand Tour In Vancouver

Our cozy AirBNB was a short taxi ride last night instead of our preferred public transportation or self propelled. It was late and drizzling then and the cabbie made it quick and our hosts had left the lights on and snacks. We enjoyed the fast wireless to catch up news and I downloaded the new Apple iOS 8 so that I could practice with it while traveling offline later.

We had a slower start this morning and I needed coffee badly by time we headed out. We got in a good walk and found the "Matchstick" a fine coffee stop. We also had small skillets of hash which were rich and savory and full of veggies. The coffee was great and they took visas for payment. We headed off next to catch a bus for the nearest Apple Store to see what our local SIM card options were. First we learned that getting all day passes took a bit of work to find so we walked about half the distance to our destination. We used the sky train for a couple of stops underground to find the mall. We quickly learned that Apple didn't provide SIM cards for our used unlocked iPhones but we got good advice and bought an SD card reader for Laurie's camera. This was the day before the new iPhone 6 was released and lines were forming already. The local cellphone vendors couldn't sell us what we needed for our short stay. We also found that Laurie's wallet was missing!

We made a quick return home and found the wallet. Google voice let us call brother Jon Litman back home. This may be our main tool for calling when email won't handle our communications. After a rest we were off again to use our still invalidated day passes to get to UCB to meet Julia Gold. The campus looked big and worth exploring including the anthropology museum when we have more time. We took a bus to Julia's apartment for a great visit. Much has happened since we last met in England. Lots of health, work and travel news to catch up on. Afterwards we walked down to the "Yak and Yeti" for a great dinner and much more visiting. Julia gave us some tips for tomorrow and a ride back in her "new" car. A great visit! We stayed up late for packing and organizing for our next and last day in Vancouver. It would be a long one too.

A dark view of Julia and Laurie coming out of

the Yak and Yeti where we had great Himalayan food.