Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
more beer and transit
you cannot drink beer on the bus in almost all places. don't try it. this post is not an endorsement of such activity (unless you get away with it)
beer (start with the better stuff0
in quebec city, there is a worker owned brewery (it's like anarchist heaven) called La Barberie. Their beer is good, nothing tastes better than the revolution
also there is a little brewery on the Ile D'Orleans, i forget their name not worker owned, damn good beer
there's the usuals, b'oreale, those folks who put too much alcohol in their beer (fin de monde and such). Much like the scotish, there is a mistaken idea that the taste of too much alcohol makes beer yummier, this is incorrect, stop it
transit, i forgot to mention that in quebec city they have cute arrows on the bus stops telling you which direction the bus will go in
,montreal, i sung their praises, but they do the toronto thing, no buses for thirty minutes then three in a row. like WTF? and instead of frequent service (FS on your toronto schedule, really means fairly seldom). they do this : ">>", which also means "fairly seldom"
however their trains use rubber tires. what a great idea, you can sleep on the platform. reminds me of washington DC for some reason. also, there is a cote tard in one station selling beer. my god, finally civilization
ottawa - nice bus drivers (also got to talk to some posties we are screwed for strikes now), the bus in its own lanes specially made, great mid range idea until you can get a subway. on the other hand, what the f++k is the "O" train? it's weirder than the original Vancouver sky train and goes less places. however, it takes my best friend from grade school home from work so it's ok with me
north bay has buses, and their bus stop signs are neon yellow, which is cool because every worker in london england wears it (a lot of british people are short sighted). they don't run often, but the only mall seems to be at the bus station so every bus goes there. they also charged sidney (who is six) a full fare. In quebec we kept saying "he's six" and they'd say "yep he's five, don't pay any money" (plus all day on fete nationale they didn't charge for the bus)
on other news, we have suddenly seen or talked to so many people we love: jordan and jared (a man needs a maid, oh and youtube "go the f++k to sleep" parents), moose, john h, meg (the leitolds are stalking us across canada), sarita (only by phone), bita, fiegehen, karen, and the wifey. it's nice to seem friends and comrades
there are a lot of dead flies here in north bay, lesley likes them, she'll tell you about them
mac
beer (start with the better stuff0
in quebec city, there is a worker owned brewery (it's like anarchist heaven) called La Barberie. Their beer is good, nothing tastes better than the revolution
also there is a little brewery on the Ile D'Orleans, i forget their name not worker owned, damn good beer
there's the usuals, b'oreale, those folks who put too much alcohol in their beer (fin de monde and such). Much like the scotish, there is a mistaken idea that the taste of too much alcohol makes beer yummier, this is incorrect, stop it
transit, i forgot to mention that in quebec city they have cute arrows on the bus stops telling you which direction the bus will go in
,montreal, i sung their praises, but they do the toronto thing, no buses for thirty minutes then three in a row. like WTF? and instead of frequent service (FS on your toronto schedule, really means fairly seldom). they do this : ">>", which also means "fairly seldom"
however their trains use rubber tires. what a great idea, you can sleep on the platform. reminds me of washington DC for some reason. also, there is a cote tard in one station selling beer. my god, finally civilization
ottawa - nice bus drivers (also got to talk to some posties we are screwed for strikes now), the bus in its own lanes specially made, great mid range idea until you can get a subway. on the other hand, what the f++k is the "O" train? it's weirder than the original Vancouver sky train and goes less places. however, it takes my best friend from grade school home from work so it's ok with me
north bay has buses, and their bus stop signs are neon yellow, which is cool because every worker in london england wears it (a lot of british people are short sighted). they don't run often, but the only mall seems to be at the bus station so every bus goes there. they also charged sidney (who is six) a full fare. In quebec we kept saying "he's six" and they'd say "yep he's five, don't pay any money" (plus all day on fete nationale they didn't charge for the bus)
on other news, we have suddenly seen or talked to so many people we love: jordan and jared (a man needs a maid, oh and youtube "go the f++k to sleep" parents), moose, john h, meg (the leitolds are stalking us across canada), sarita (only by phone), bita, fiegehen, karen, and the wifey. it's nice to seem friends and comrades
there are a lot of dead flies here in north bay, lesley likes them, she'll tell you about them
mac
Back out on the road.
Montreal and Ottawa were sort of a hiatus from our road trip. We know people in both places, and got to stay in the apartments of friends, or friends of friends. The plus side of all this is obvious – we get to see our friends, we save money, we chill out. The negative side is minor – we aren’t really ‘travellers’ in the same way. We see the cities more like the locals do. In Montreal we ate well, drank good beer, went to a fundraiser for Mustafah’s trip to the Philippines where I got to chat with Bita, Cristoff and Freda. Sidney and I did sneak off to go to the Jazz Festival for a couple of hours. We saw a French acappella group 1234 that did versions of Ramones songs in a strong French accent. “Beat the brat, with a base-a-ball bat, Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah!” But the highlight was really the street performers. Trapeze artists, hoop spinners, acrobats. We were both quite enthralled.
And then there is Toys R Us. Sidney has somehow negotiated with Mac that he will get a toy every two weeks. Given that currently, he is obsessed (and I mean obsessed) with Lego Star Wars, that toy is definitely going to fall within that stream. We read about Lego Star Wars every day as he plots his next purchase. Lucky for him, that purchase was due to take place in Montreal, rather than Kapuskasing, where the selection might be slimmer. So J and J drove us out to the box mall (they’re everywhere, these damn box malls) and purchased a new 321 piece set of Lego Star Wars. He carries his Lego himself its true. But we’re going to have to start sending some home. It's getting to be a mighty heavy bag.
On to Ottawa, and a bit of blessed relief from our lousy French. But not much - we'll get more opportunities to speak it in northern Ontario. In Ottawa, we were welcomed by the stellar Karen C. and Leslie R. Karen is currently packing to move to Toronto. Speaking of which, so are Jared and Jordan. I have to state for the record, that the fact that we’re visiting people who are all planning to move to Toronto is just a coincidence. Of course we’ll be delighted to be able to see them when we’ll share a city on a longer term basis. But I do worry about the magnet effect of large cities on political movements in the country. To say nothing of the dispersed hospitality. If the left all moves to a few neighbourhoods, its kind of doomed to become more irrelevant, no?
Ottawa was hot and pretty. Hott and pretty? Perhaps. We wandered around the Parliament buildings and observed how easy it would be to hang a banner. We saw the walls being built and security being increased. We saw the cats that live in a wee cathouse (!) there. Watched the locks operate. Saw the Algonquin teepee that reminds us of whose territory this actually is.
Mac and Sid visited the Mint while I bought some underwear – having lost most of mine somewhere along the way. I went to the library and printed off a Masters thesis I have yet to read. We ate burgers at an amazing place called the Works. My burger had onion rings on it. And chipotle mayo. And brie. Yumm. We also ate a lot of chocolate croissants or chocolatines. Yum. Seriously the quality of such things far surpasses the offerings in Toronto. Mac got to hang out with his childhood friend John. They wandered the leafy streets of the Glebe. All was well.
And now we wont know anyone for a week or so. We’re on the bus to North Bay for a couple of days, then to Kapuskasing, and then to Thunder Bay.
Apparently the Shad flies are in North Bay. I’ll report back!
Xo
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Montreal...
Yesterday was La fete nationale here in Quebec. aka Jean Baptiste day. No one I've spoken to knows exactly why its called Jean Baptiste Day. I mean we know roughly who John the Baptist was, but what he was doing in Quebec is as yet unclear. We're staying with the lovely Jordan and Jared and their wee lad Mischa - our favourite place to stay. They really are some of the best hosts I know. We've been fed, watered and tidied up (access to laundry is precious). As I write, there is lego being constructed, painting being painted and a chill vibe throughout the place.
I was curious about going to Fete Nationale yesterday - curious about the Quebec sovereigntist movement since I spent time in Chicoutimi years ago. At that time, I did research on the 70s anti-imperialist roots of the movement. But everyone I've spoken to tells me that these roots have withered, and really, its xenophobic nationalist current incarnation is well worth skipping. We didn't end up going in the end. But we did get to see the talented Meg Leitold do a really cool modern dance piece in an alley in Hochelaga, and wandered the streets, chatting to Jordan, and creating long jump competitions in parks.
I was curious about going to Fete Nationale yesterday - curious about the Quebec sovereigntist movement since I spent time in Chicoutimi years ago. At that time, I did research on the 70s anti-imperialist roots of the movement. But everyone I've spoken to tells me that these roots have withered, and really, its xenophobic nationalist current incarnation is well worth skipping. We didn't end up going in the end. But we did get to see the talented Meg Leitold do a really cool modern dance piece in an alley in Hochelaga, and wandered the streets, chatting to Jordan, and creating long jump competitions in parks.
Friday, June 24, 2011
transit - being without a car
so, being without a car is harder than i thought. Many places have no or limited public transit. Campsites think you're crazy when you walk in, even though they're supposed to have sites just for walk-ins.
We have taken five different transits systems, here are my comments:
1. St John's - buses have the same ads as toronto, but with more military recruitment! Bus does go to the airport, runs somewhat regularly on main routes. Only issue - if you call something a transit hub, mark it as one! if these hubs only exist on the transit map, then they are very hard to find
2. Sydney Nova Scotia - very very irregular, only five buses a day to north sydney, but they do use those mini buses, which I think is brilliant!
friendly drivers and a very good map - in pamphlet form
3.Halifax. they have ferries as part of the transit, their transit hubs look like hubs. But you can't buy beer in the corner stores
4. Quebec City - ok why can't you get a transit map anywhere in this city? also, on the map why are all the bus lines the same colour?
5. Montreal - such a good system, a real subway that goes everywhere not just to rich and middle class neighbourhoods (like toronto)
Our transit adventures and woes will continue, but we are still devotedly "car-less"! I think the sierra club ought to give us money, can someone look into this?
We have taken five different transits systems, here are my comments:
1. St John's - buses have the same ads as toronto, but with more military recruitment! Bus does go to the airport, runs somewhat regularly on main routes. Only issue - if you call something a transit hub, mark it as one! if these hubs only exist on the transit map, then they are very hard to find
2. Sydney Nova Scotia - very very irregular, only five buses a day to north sydney, but they do use those mini buses, which I think is brilliant!
friendly drivers and a very good map - in pamphlet form
3.Halifax. they have ferries as part of the transit, their transit hubs look like hubs. But you can't buy beer in the corner stores
4. Quebec City - ok why can't you get a transit map anywhere in this city? also, on the map why are all the bus lines the same colour?
5. Montreal - such a good system, a real subway that goes everywhere not just to rich and middle class neighbourhoods (like toronto)
Our transit adventures and woes will continue, but we are still devotedly "car-less"! I think the sierra club ought to give us money, can someone look into this?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Attentive attendants
We just spent three days in the Beauport Campground, just outside of Ville de Quebec. It was very pretty, but more importantly for Sidney, had a terrific playground and a swimming pool. The end of our second day there Sid had met a couple of cute kids - Charles and Alexandre Gaston. Although they spoke only french, and Sidney only english, they got on pretty well and so he wanted to stay another day. Alas, the next day he had lost interest in playing with them. So we hung out by the pool. The pool was cold, the day was hot, and the lifeguards were everywhere. Most of the time, we'd be the only ones at the pool - the three of us. There were four lifeguards. They would sit as close as possible to you when you were in the pool and if you moved to another part of the pool, one or another would move their chairs accordingly. It was a bit intense.
In other news, I left my camera in the playground and it got swiped. I"m annoyed with myself and frustrated. That was definitely not in our budget. But we'll probably buy a new one. It seems simply wrong not to be able to photograph the world as we pass through it. After all, thats what one does in the 21st century, non?
Now its on to Montreal, in time for the Fete Nationale/Jean Baptiste Day, the Jazz Festival (I think!), and many friends.
A bientot!
In other news, I left my camera in the playground and it got swiped. I"m annoyed with myself and frustrated. That was definitely not in our budget. But we'll probably buy a new one. It seems simply wrong not to be able to photograph the world as we pass through it. After all, thats what one does in the 21st century, non?
Now its on to Montreal, in time for the Fete Nationale/Jean Baptiste Day, the Jazz Festival (I think!), and many friends.
A bientot!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Anarchist fashion in really Quebecois fashion
We've been staying in the Quebec City hostel for a couple of days and its been really sweet. Its right in the old city and comfortable - not as fancy as the Bear on the Lake, but whatever.
For those of you who didn't know, Mac is a serious fan of history, especially military history and the history of warfare. He can identify planes, formations and 18th century battlements. And so we went to the Citadel here. Quebec has experienced siege six times - from the British, and from the Americans - that is if you don't count the last time we were here - being chased by the cops at the Summit the Americas in 2001. And the defensive structure of 'Cap Diamond', with its cliffs, ditches and high walls usually succeeds. This weekend at the Citadel, the historical details were somewhat overshadowed by the show of force by the Van Doos, a contemporary military unit based here. They were showing off all their toys here - missile launchers, tanks, communication systems, the works. It was impressive and yet gave me such a sick feeling in my stomach. There was even a display on the culture and people of Afghanistan. Erm. I have some photos I'll put up in the next day or so.
Anyway, yesterday there was a music festival on Rue St Jean and after doing a number of Fathers Day type activities (Museum of the Fort, a funicular, and a brew pub), we wandered around there. Super-bon. During the day I somehow promised Sidney that we would wander the streets that night together. And so we did. He was delighted as we strolled around, up and down massive staircases, and checking out the bands. Mac had gone to bed already. What we found out during the day is that most Quebecois youth look like anarchist punk rock kids. So there are two possibilities. They are, and that means the revolution is nigh. Or everyone just dresses like this, so we can't tell anyone's politics from the way they dress.
And now we're off to go camping in the suburbs. xo xo
For those of you who didn't know, Mac is a serious fan of history, especially military history and the history of warfare. He can identify planes, formations and 18th century battlements. And so we went to the Citadel here. Quebec has experienced siege six times - from the British, and from the Americans - that is if you don't count the last time we were here - being chased by the cops at the Summit the Americas in 2001. And the defensive structure of 'Cap Diamond', with its cliffs, ditches and high walls usually succeeds. This weekend at the Citadel, the historical details were somewhat overshadowed by the show of force by the Van Doos, a contemporary military unit based here. They were showing off all their toys here - missile launchers, tanks, communication systems, the works. It was impressive and yet gave me such a sick feeling in my stomach. There was even a display on the culture and people of Afghanistan. Erm. I have some photos I'll put up in the next day or so.
Anyway, yesterday there was a music festival on Rue St Jean and after doing a number of Fathers Day type activities (Museum of the Fort, a funicular, and a brew pub), we wandered around there. Super-bon. During the day I somehow promised Sidney that we would wander the streets that night together. And so we did. He was delighted as we strolled around, up and down massive staircases, and checking out the bands. Mac had gone to bed already. What we found out during the day is that most Quebecois youth look like anarchist punk rock kids. So there are two possibilities. They are, and that means the revolution is nigh. Or everyone just dresses like this, so we can't tell anyone's politics from the way they dress.
And now we're off to go camping in the suburbs. xo xo
Friday, June 17, 2011
Waving to the Russians
Yesterday afternoon in a Fredericton Tim Hortons we met an interesting fellow. Big and burly, arms covered in tattoos that referenced the Springhill Mine Disaster, and about 60 years old, he struck up a conversation about the fires in Slave Lake. His daughter and grandkids were there - got out fortunately, after putting their valuables in the freezer, which kept them safe (note to self, this is a good idea). They're going to rebuild, and he's greatful for all that. The kids are making serious money on the Tar Sands of course, as so many do around here. When I wondered whether the environmental costs were too great, he mused that the whole world is falling apart, and people want to make money while they can. He told us his story. A child of a coal mining family, some of whom died in the 1956 Springhill Mine Disaster, he signed onto the Canadian Armed Forces through attending RMC in Kingston. We chatted about Kingston and then he told us a story about being in charge of a company of troops up in the Arctic in the 1970s. They were there to watch for Russians, up near magnetic North. Apparently each morning he would look through the telescope and wave to the Russians. Apparently they waved back. (NB - Mac questions this part of the story due to the curvature of the earth or something) One day, the helicopters were airdropping in the food and stuff and almost dropped it on him - "made me shake for days". No doubt. That would be a terrible way to go! At the end of our chat, he offered to drive us anywhere we wanted. What a sweetheart.
We didn't spend enough time in New Brunswick. Despite my lovely New Brunswick housemate - honestly I know little about the province. It really doesn't have much of an image. When I think New Brunswick I think - bilingualism, Irving, and forests. And indeed, all three seem in evidence. But its really a friggin gorgeous place, from what I can see. Lots of rivers, mountains, forests and rock. We stayed with Kelly's mum and stepdad last night - as Mac mentioned. Hung out with her brother George and his partner Alana and swam and relaxed. It really was idyllic. The food, amazing. We saw a deer and massive number of june bugs. I wrestled Sidney and did cartwheels on their giant lawn. I think I could market it as an exercise regime. Seriously, wrestling a six year old is good exercise.
All this seemed particularly sweet after the never-ending rain of Halifax. We had a good time there, especially due to the punk rock magic of Pierre and Andrea, and the other superstars I've mentioned earlier. But don't get me wrong, but I don't believe it stopped raining one second of our four days there. Okay, maybe for a few seconds. While we were asleep.
But now we're on our way to La belle province. First stop Riviere de Loup (Wolf River?)!
We didn't spend enough time in New Brunswick. Despite my lovely New Brunswick housemate - honestly I know little about the province. It really doesn't have much of an image. When I think New Brunswick I think - bilingualism, Irving, and forests. And indeed, all three seem in evidence. But its really a friggin gorgeous place, from what I can see. Lots of rivers, mountains, forests and rock. We stayed with Kelly's mum and stepdad last night - as Mac mentioned. Hung out with her brother George and his partner Alana and swam and relaxed. It really was idyllic. The food, amazing. We saw a deer and massive number of june bugs. I wrestled Sidney and did cartwheels on their giant lawn. I think I could market it as an exercise regime. Seriously, wrestling a six year old is good exercise.
All this seemed particularly sweet after the never-ending rain of Halifax. We had a good time there, especially due to the punk rock magic of Pierre and Andrea, and the other superstars I've mentioned earlier. But don't get me wrong, but I don't believe it stopped raining one second of our four days there. Okay, maybe for a few seconds. While we were asleep.
But now we're on our way to La belle province. First stop Riviere de Loup (Wolf River?)!
beer (my favourite)
les pointed out that i have not been informing all of you of my educational work regarding local beers across canada.
So far:
In Newfoundland, tried various beers from "Quidi Vidi" a local brewer in St John's, by far my favourite was their 1862, a spiced ale. However, their beer is generally very good. Also tried a beer called "Eric's Red" which bit.
In Nova Scotia, found a halifax brewer called "Garrison", their nut brown is the best i've had (sorry amsterdam) and their other beers are good. Also had some propeller, the bottles are nice, the beer ain't. Had some keith's but that don't count and went to a pub called the "Hart and Thistle" near the ferry to dartmouth which had a lovely spicy beer called "Tony Danza" (ah pop culture references, they never get boring)
Will be trying some local NB beer tonight, will let cha know
Hung out with George and Alana from T.O. last night and kelly and george's mom and step dad, they are perfectly lovely sweet folks and we swam in front of their house! (I want a lake in front of my house)
met with a nice fella from NOII halifax and saw lots of cannons while there, lol!
So far:
In Newfoundland, tried various beers from "Quidi Vidi" a local brewer in St John's, by far my favourite was their 1862, a spiced ale. However, their beer is generally very good. Also tried a beer called "Eric's Red" which bit.
In Nova Scotia, found a halifax brewer called "Garrison", their nut brown is the best i've had (sorry amsterdam) and their other beers are good. Also had some propeller, the bottles are nice, the beer ain't. Had some keith's but that don't count and went to a pub called the "Hart and Thistle" near the ferry to dartmouth which had a lovely spicy beer called "Tony Danza" (ah pop culture references, they never get boring)
Will be trying some local NB beer tonight, will let cha know
Hung out with George and Alana from T.O. last night and kelly and george's mom and step dad, they are perfectly lovely sweet folks and we swam in front of their house! (I want a lake in front of my house)
met with a nice fella from NOII halifax and saw lots of cannons while there, lol!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Dartmouth/Halifax and meeting the parents.
We're on a coat to coast parental reconnaissance trip.
But I'll explain that in a moment.
We got to Halifax the day before yesterday, picked up at the bus stop by the lovely Pierre, a friend of our adored Bernie - who had relocated east a year ago to study ASL. Bernie returned to Toronto on June 1st, but has graciously allowed us to stay in his one bedroom apartment in Dartmouth - a short ferry trip from Halifax (covered by public transit!). I teased Pierre that he was simply conforming to the stereotype of friendly Maritimers. He drove us to Bernie's place - and will hang out with us while we're here. Bernie's place is terrific - its always interesting to see the way friends build their nests when they leave collective houses. So I have to report - bright bright colors to counter the grey outside, lots of windows, masses of music and sound gear, a great big monitor and a comfy bed. And some rather provocative pics on the walls - that so far, Sidney hasn't asked any questions about - thank goodness. But I've come up with my explanation in anticipation.... Its so nice to be able to spread out for a few days. To have our own space. Aahhh. I know its been less than two weeks, but it feels much longer. In a good way.
Yesterday we drank a lot of tea and coffee - and dashed around in furious and cold rain.. After a few errands, we visited our friend Alexis Shotwell's mum and brother at the Trident bookstore in Halifax. Alexis and Chris let us stay with them in Sudbury last fall - and I find when I meet parents of friends, the friends sometimes make a bit more sense. She looks like Alexis and was wry and warm. She recommended a rather intense book about a true story of a man adrift that we'll read to Sidney. Apparently Alexis liked it at his age. "Adrift on the sea for 78 days!" something like that. There is a chapter on death. Also picked up the Hobbit and a sci fi book for Mac. I am personally not allowed to read fiction until I finish editing my manuscript. Because you know what I'm like when I get into a good piece of fiction (even a lousy piece of fiction). I won't do anything else.
Then we had a good visit with Alex Khasnabish, his partner Candida and their kid Indra. Alex teaches out here at Mount St. Vincent. Sid was delighted to play with toys that weren't the ones he can fit into his backpack.
Finally we met up with the Leitold clan. Many of you know the infamous Leitolds - central and solid figures in the Toronto and Montreal activist communities - Mike the lawyer, Matt at Dufferin Grove, Meg the dancer in Montreal. We can confirm that the fourth Leitold sibling - Jane, does actually exist! We met her yesterday, the day of her convocation from an occupational health program, and had coffee with her, with Matt, his partner Sarah and the Leitold mum Margie, who has recently started a booming catering business. Again, more pieces into place. Supernice to see them out here.
In the interests of my project of asking people about their perception of the Harper majority, I asked Jane. She told me that her profs basically told the whole class that they should vote Tory if they wanted jobs - because there is some promise of a big infrastructure project here that would bring 7000 jobs to Halifax. And that people didn't trust the Liberals, because they were arguing the project should go to Quebec. So people were voting strategically, but cynically. Now that's what I call a widespread attitude!
Now I'm going to do some work while mac and Sidney go to see the Citadel. If I get enough done today, I get to go to the Maritime Museum tomorrow that apparently has a display on gay sailors, and refers to a secret language they developed. I love secret languages. That sounds amazing. Will report back.
But I'll explain that in a moment.
We got to Halifax the day before yesterday, picked up at the bus stop by the lovely Pierre, a friend of our adored Bernie - who had relocated east a year ago to study ASL. Bernie returned to Toronto on June 1st, but has graciously allowed us to stay in his one bedroom apartment in Dartmouth - a short ferry trip from Halifax (covered by public transit!). I teased Pierre that he was simply conforming to the stereotype of friendly Maritimers. He drove us to Bernie's place - and will hang out with us while we're here. Bernie's place is terrific - its always interesting to see the way friends build their nests when they leave collective houses. So I have to report - bright bright colors to counter the grey outside, lots of windows, masses of music and sound gear, a great big monitor and a comfy bed. And some rather provocative pics on the walls - that so far, Sidney hasn't asked any questions about - thank goodness. But I've come up with my explanation in anticipation.... Its so nice to be able to spread out for a few days. To have our own space. Aahhh. I know its been less than two weeks, but it feels much longer. In a good way.
Yesterday we drank a lot of tea and coffee - and dashed around in furious and cold rain.. After a few errands, we visited our friend Alexis Shotwell's mum and brother at the Trident bookstore in Halifax. Alexis and Chris let us stay with them in Sudbury last fall - and I find when I meet parents of friends, the friends sometimes make a bit more sense. She looks like Alexis and was wry and warm. She recommended a rather intense book about a true story of a man adrift that we'll read to Sidney. Apparently Alexis liked it at his age. "Adrift on the sea for 78 days!" something like that. There is a chapter on death. Also picked up the Hobbit and a sci fi book for Mac. I am personally not allowed to read fiction until I finish editing my manuscript. Because you know what I'm like when I get into a good piece of fiction (even a lousy piece of fiction). I won't do anything else.
Then we had a good visit with Alex Khasnabish, his partner Candida and their kid Indra. Alex teaches out here at Mount St. Vincent. Sid was delighted to play with toys that weren't the ones he can fit into his backpack.
Finally we met up with the Leitold clan. Many of you know the infamous Leitolds - central and solid figures in the Toronto and Montreal activist communities - Mike the lawyer, Matt at Dufferin Grove, Meg the dancer in Montreal. We can confirm that the fourth Leitold sibling - Jane, does actually exist! We met her yesterday, the day of her convocation from an occupational health program, and had coffee with her, with Matt, his partner Sarah and the Leitold mum Margie, who has recently started a booming catering business. Again, more pieces into place. Supernice to see them out here.
In the interests of my project of asking people about their perception of the Harper majority, I asked Jane. She told me that her profs basically told the whole class that they should vote Tory if they wanted jobs - because there is some promise of a big infrastructure project here that would bring 7000 jobs to Halifax. And that people didn't trust the Liberals, because they were arguing the project should go to Quebec. So people were voting strategically, but cynically. Now that's what I call a widespread attitude!
Now I'm going to do some work while mac and Sidney go to see the Citadel. If I get enough done today, I get to go to the Maritime Museum tomorrow that apparently has a display on gay sailors, and refers to a secret language they developed. I love secret languages. That sounds amazing. Will report back.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Bear on the Lake Guesthouse, Cape Breton, NS
Some ‘Youth hostels’ have become pretty fancy over the years. My parents first met at the Toronto youth hostel back in the day and they tell me stories of hostels as cheap, spartan places that were rustic and simple, which prioritized people on foot or bike, you lay your sleeping bag on a bunk in a dorm room and where you were assigned a chore as part of the deal.
Today hostels, even Hostelling International (HI) hostels vary much more. The one we stayed in for the last two nights for instance, the Bear on the Lake Guesthouse (a HI hostel) – was so clean, and luxurious that it could market itself as a mini-resort. Although virtually impossible to get to without a car, and fairly pricy ($96 for the three of us), it had shiny wood floors, complimentary tea and coffee, a perfectly outfitted kitchen for us to use, free wi-fi, ensuite bathrooms in some dorm rooms, family rooms, soft sheets and fluffy duvets, a firepit where the fire was laid each evening, board games to play, laundry facilities, a gorgeous big wooden table to eat at, and a super-charming and hip host who shared travel stories and a glass of wine with us, found a nightlight for Sidney, called ahead to bus companies, made the beds perfectly and kept the music playing and made people happy. The clientele included retirees on vacation, hitchhiking German high school students, tour groups and ourselves. They named us collectively the ‘traveller of the week’ at the hostel. Apparently we're being profiled on some website. We swoon at the compliment! I could seriously stay here for longer. But we’re off to Halifax today.
Friday, June 10, 2011
the fog
there is a lot of fog out here. having missed activism, i met with a refugee advocacy group in Newfoundland (lesley says you have to emphasize the "land"). I have now decided to try and meet with similar groups every city we stop. Unfortunately NOII halifax is thwarting my plans by not replying to my emails. I wanted to email them again the day after my first but thought that might seem creepy.
People are very friendly, i have to say i do like the east coast. The nice thing about buses and camping is you meet great friendly people. As well, i like the screech, it really wakes you up. The miner's museum in glace bay by the way is awesome if you are ever out there, and it is pretty much as if it were sponsored by the United Mine Workers of America. Not a nice thing to be said about management anywhere in the museum which seems like the most realistic way to tell the story. They also had a wonderful monument to an organizer in the middle of glace bay which included a poem written for him when he was jailed for organizing.
I wanted this trip to show sid the history of this country - a history of theft and genocide, but also a history of people fighting for dignity and justice, and often winning. A history of a physically beautiful and varied place, stolen out of the hands of First Nations, built with the sweat of persecuted immigrants. A land which has been regularly and systematically stripped of its resources, with the profits proliferating in the hands of a very few Europeans.
We have seen some of this, my next hope is that we can explore some of the themes of genocide and theft, we talked about the Beothuk, but maybe a little more along the way
did i mention the cod? almost as good as the screech! (less effective at paint removal)
People are very friendly, i have to say i do like the east coast. The nice thing about buses and camping is you meet great friendly people. As well, i like the screech, it really wakes you up. The miner's museum in glace bay by the way is awesome if you are ever out there, and it is pretty much as if it were sponsored by the United Mine Workers of America. Not a nice thing to be said about management anywhere in the museum which seems like the most realistic way to tell the story. They also had a wonderful monument to an organizer in the middle of glace bay which included a poem written for him when he was jailed for organizing.
I wanted this trip to show sid the history of this country - a history of theft and genocide, but also a history of people fighting for dignity and justice, and often winning. A history of a physically beautiful and varied place, stolen out of the hands of First Nations, built with the sweat of persecuted immigrants. A land which has been regularly and systematically stripped of its resources, with the profits proliferating in the hands of a very few Europeans.
We have seen some of this, my next hope is that we can explore some of the themes of genocide and theft, we talked about the Beothuk, but maybe a little more along the way
did i mention the cod? almost as good as the screech! (less effective at paint removal)
lucky is going to get a dog
When i get back lucky is going to get a dog. He is going to take care of it with shannon.
i looked at lego star wars yesterday
sidney
i looked at lego star wars yesterday
sidney
Travelling without a car
Honestly, we should be sponsored by the Sierra Club or something - trying to travel without a car. Its harder than it should be. Two days ago we got to North Sydney. To get to the camping site, we had to take a taxi to the Sobeys, then another one to the campsite. That's 20 bucks. The next morning we decided we wanted to go to the Cape Breton Miners Museum - over in Glace Bay. To catch the bus, we either got a taxi or walked to the Sobeys in the mall. We thought - hell, what's five km? So we walked it.
For those who knew Sidney a couple of years ago - they couldn't imagine that he could do it. He was the most fervent stroller rider. But he walked it - all five km - mostly singing and throwing rocks into the ditch. We saw a red fox and a heron on the way as we trudged beside large homes, with big grassy lawns. (Seriously everyone here was engaged in riding lawn mowers around - maybe its the first nice day or something!). We finally got to the Sobeys and we had missed the bus. So we took another taxi - $30 to Sydney. There we caught a city bus, for an hour to Glace Bay. When we got off there, we had to walk for another km. At this point, tears started to fall, and whining begin. He wanted an ice cream cone - but not the ice cream. I had unfortunately, not figured this out. I ended up having to eat the ice cream. There was a bit of a scene beside the highway. As you can imagine.
But finally, finally, we arrived at the Miners Museum - at 3 pm - too late for the underground mine tour. But frankly, going under the ocean down a mine shaft might have been a bit much for himself.
The people at the Museum were terrific - one retired miner presented Sidney with a piece of coal from the mine. We went through the exhibits and learned about the amazing struggles here of the miners. The riots and strikes of the early days. The story of the 1925 strike, where the company closed the company store (the only source of food), and shut off electricity and water. The strikers that fought back and the company that shot at the crowd. That day, June 11th is still remembered locally - and apparently the miners never worked for a company again - instead forming a sort of government owned consortium thing (the last mine was shut down in 1999). The story of JB. McLachlan, a militant labour leader who was imprisoned for a year. There is a big statue in town that quotes him saying:
"I believe in education for action. I believe in telling children the truth about the history of the world. That it does not consist of the history of kings or lords or cabinets. It consists of the history of the workers. A thing that is not taught in the schools. I believe in telling children how to measure value. A thing that is not taught in any school."
And yes, the feller was a commie.
We took two transit buses and a taxi back to the campsite - deciding that 6 kms of walking in one day was enough - at least for me.
Today we're taking the bus to Baddeck - to go to the hostel. it turns out that you can't get to the hostel without renting a car! We found this out after booking and they have a strict cancellation policy. I'm a bit frustrated with this. Hitching makes so much sense. But we're reluctant to do it with Sidney - for obvious reasons. So we're renting a car again.
But its still blooming beautiful. The people are friendly. The campsites are lovely. And hopefully we'll be able to catch some good music.
For those who knew Sidney a couple of years ago - they couldn't imagine that he could do it. He was the most fervent stroller rider. But he walked it - all five km - mostly singing and throwing rocks into the ditch. We saw a red fox and a heron on the way as we trudged beside large homes, with big grassy lawns. (Seriously everyone here was engaged in riding lawn mowers around - maybe its the first nice day or something!). We finally got to the Sobeys and we had missed the bus. So we took another taxi - $30 to Sydney. There we caught a city bus, for an hour to Glace Bay. When we got off there, we had to walk for another km. At this point, tears started to fall, and whining begin. He wanted an ice cream cone - but not the ice cream. I had unfortunately, not figured this out. I ended up having to eat the ice cream. There was a bit of a scene beside the highway. As you can imagine.
But finally, finally, we arrived at the Miners Museum - at 3 pm - too late for the underground mine tour. But frankly, going under the ocean down a mine shaft might have been a bit much for himself.
The people at the Museum were terrific - one retired miner presented Sidney with a piece of coal from the mine. We went through the exhibits and learned about the amazing struggles here of the miners. The riots and strikes of the early days. The story of the 1925 strike, where the company closed the company store (the only source of food), and shut off electricity and water. The strikers that fought back and the company that shot at the crowd. That day, June 11th is still remembered locally - and apparently the miners never worked for a company again - instead forming a sort of government owned consortium thing (the last mine was shut down in 1999). The story of JB. McLachlan, a militant labour leader who was imprisoned for a year. There is a big statue in town that quotes him saying:
"I believe in education for action. I believe in telling children the truth about the history of the world. That it does not consist of the history of kings or lords or cabinets. It consists of the history of the workers. A thing that is not taught in the schools. I believe in telling children how to measure value. A thing that is not taught in any school."
And yes, the feller was a commie.
We took two transit buses and a taxi back to the campsite - deciding that 6 kms of walking in one day was enough - at least for me.
Today we're taking the bus to Baddeck - to go to the hostel. it turns out that you can't get to the hostel without renting a car! We found this out after booking and they have a strict cancellation policy. I'm a bit frustrated with this. Hitching makes so much sense. But we're reluctant to do it with Sidney - for obvious reasons. So we're renting a car again.
But its still blooming beautiful. The people are friendly. The campsites are lovely. And hopefully we'll be able to catch some good music.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
on the boat
I never make much of a sailor. When I'm on a boat, I get all sleepy, nauseous and dopey. We're travelling across to Nova Scotia on the ferry. The trip is about 6 hours and we haven't seen a thing the whole way. Full fog on all sides. Sidney is I think the only kid on board and has been enthusiasticly singing the song 'Titanic' in full throat all day. He wants to play Lego Star Wars, pretend adventures, farm vs. car vs. something or other. Mac has been very stern and makes him do reading, math and writing every day. I'm pretty impressed. We both wonder whether it will last. I sneak off to work on my computer and feel like I'm neglectful.
We're hoping to go to Cape Breton but there may not be any way to do this without a car. Instead we might just take the transit to Glace Bay and take the tour of the mine with the 'retired' miners. Its kind of weird to turn industries like mining into tourist attractions. But its the state of the nation I suppose.
BTW - I asked two Newfoundlanders about federal politics. Both argued that while Ottawa may care aboutr oil in St. Johns, they don't care about the rest of the province. No great shock there.
It looks like picasa pictures work better with blogger than flickr, so i'll be using that from now on.
xo L.
We're hoping to go to Cape Breton but there may not be any way to do this without a car. Instead we might just take the transit to Glace Bay and take the tour of the mine with the 'retired' miners. Its kind of weird to turn industries like mining into tourist attractions. But its the state of the nation I suppose.
BTW - I asked two Newfoundlanders about federal politics. Both argued that while Ottawa may care aboutr oil in St. Johns, they don't care about the rest of the province. No great shock there.
It looks like picasa pictures work better with blogger than flickr, so i'll be using that from now on.
xo L.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The bus
That hostel I wrote about a couple of days ago was indeed interesting. It was inhabited by a couple of teenagers - Paul and Paula, and their puppy (which I suspect was a pit bull). They seemed kind of at home - like - this isn't a hostel, its my home - and were quite alarmed when I mentioned that the manager had said they had tour groups in this summer. I wonder how that's all going to work out.
I spent yesterday working furiously in the university library while Mac and Sidney checked out the Fluvarium - some sort of river oriented science centre. And then today was our first long bus ride - 13 hours across Newfoundland from St. John's to Port aux Basques. (Basques were here? Really? I had no idea). We did it. And it wasn't horrendous - although we were in the 'punk rock' back row seats, that were a tad close to the loo.
Last night, we were the only tenters in a St. John's campground (Pippy Park - I enjoy anything named that reminds me of ms. longstocking) - and woke at dawn to trudge to the bus. The ride allowed me to get a lot of work done and when I looked out the window - frankly it was pretty stunning. This island is WAY bigger than I thought it would be. And way less developed. It felt like we rolled for hours through forested mountains, some with snow still on top. We ate mozzerella sticks, with fries and grilled cheese for dinner (I can just feel the grease oozing out of my skin), and arrived in Port aux Basques somewhat dizzy from the bus.
We then totally confused Sidney by telling him that we were going to our hotel, and arrived at a B and B. He froze when he saw the friendly Newfoundlanders who welcomed us into their living room. You could just see him radiating the question - 'who are these people?' and "Mum, this isn't a hotel." Nonetheless, in fifteen minutes he was showing them how he could make a volcano with his science kit. He warms up fast sometimes.
Tomorrow we leave Newfoundland, and while the weather kind of blows, I'm sad to be leaving. But its off to Nova Scotia we go.
I spent yesterday working furiously in the university library while Mac and Sidney checked out the Fluvarium - some sort of river oriented science centre. And then today was our first long bus ride - 13 hours across Newfoundland from St. John's to Port aux Basques. (Basques were here? Really? I had no idea). We did it. And it wasn't horrendous - although we were in the 'punk rock' back row seats, that were a tad close to the loo.
Last night, we were the only tenters in a St. John's campground (Pippy Park - I enjoy anything named that reminds me of ms. longstocking) - and woke at dawn to trudge to the bus. The ride allowed me to get a lot of work done and when I looked out the window - frankly it was pretty stunning. This island is WAY bigger than I thought it would be. And way less developed. It felt like we rolled for hours through forested mountains, some with snow still on top. We ate mozzerella sticks, with fries and grilled cheese for dinner (I can just feel the grease oozing out of my skin), and arrived in Port aux Basques somewhat dizzy from the bus.
We then totally confused Sidney by telling him that we were going to our hotel, and arrived at a B and B. He froze when he saw the friendly Newfoundlanders who welcomed us into their living room. You could just see him radiating the question - 'who are these people?' and "Mum, this isn't a hotel." Nonetheless, in fifteen minutes he was showing them how he could make a volcano with his science kit. He warms up fast sometimes.
Tomorrow we leave Newfoundland, and while the weather kind of blows, I'm sad to be leaving. But its off to Nova Scotia we go.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Camping at Chance Cove
Wow, I spend a lot of time making enthusiastic murmurs about Lego Star Wars. And I'm a bit tired right now. Sidney is sitting on the top bunk of a rather eccentric hostel back in St. John's.
It's been a fantastic few days. We rented a car and left St. John's - traveling the "Irish Loop" the south east of the island. It was predictably stunning and wonderful. We have learned a few things however.
1. We're out of practice of living on a budget. Our budget is about $120 a day. Which would have been the lap of luxury when I was traveling twenty years ago - but now we're finding that if we rent a hostel family room ($80), eat ($50), we're already way over - and that's before we've seen anything, had a beer, or traveled anywhere. So we've found solutions - solutions that I'd nearly forgotten - sandwiches, and camping rough. The last two nights we stayed at Chance Cove - a bona fide Provincial Park. But one that, at least at this time of year, doesn't charge a cent. It was friggin gorgeous. We had a campsite in some trees, overlooking the Atlantic. And for the first night, we were the only campers there. There was an outhouse with toilet paper and everything. Sheer decadence. Fortunately, we've brainwashed Sidney for years so he actually enjoys camping. And so we had a good few days. During the day we visited the Avalon Colony archaelogical dig - fascinating.
2. We've arrived between iceberg season and whale season, as it were. So today, we just saw fog. And vistas. And some goslings. But that's another story.
So this hostel. Its a tad sketchy. I'll call it charming. We called to see if they had a room, and the fellow who answered didn't know, and told us to call John, at another number. We did, and he said, sure come on by. So we arrived at a crooked row house and John was having a brew at the kitchen table. He took our cash, gave us a key and headed out. Told us to call him on the cell if there was a problem. The floors are crooked, there is an 8 track stereo and I'm kind of convinced that we've just been booked into some kid's house, who's away for a few days. Regardless, its dry and Sid's happy. All good.
Okay, I'll get better at this. The photos are http://www.flickr.com/photos/7581497@N08/
It's been a fantastic few days. We rented a car and left St. John's - traveling the "Irish Loop" the south east of the island. It was predictably stunning and wonderful. We have learned a few things however.
1. We're out of practice of living on a budget. Our budget is about $120 a day. Which would have been the lap of luxury when I was traveling twenty years ago - but now we're finding that if we rent a hostel family room ($80), eat ($50), we're already way over - and that's before we've seen anything, had a beer, or traveled anywhere. So we've found solutions - solutions that I'd nearly forgotten - sandwiches, and camping rough. The last two nights we stayed at Chance Cove - a bona fide Provincial Park. But one that, at least at this time of year, doesn't charge a cent. It was friggin gorgeous. We had a campsite in some trees, overlooking the Atlantic. And for the first night, we were the only campers there. There was an outhouse with toilet paper and everything. Sheer decadence. Fortunately, we've brainwashed Sidney for years so he actually enjoys camping. And so we had a good few days. During the day we visited the Avalon Colony archaelogical dig - fascinating.
2. We've arrived between iceberg season and whale season, as it were. So today, we just saw fog. And vistas. And some goslings. But that's another story.
So this hostel. Its a tad sketchy. I'll call it charming. We called to see if they had a room, and the fellow who answered didn't know, and told us to call John, at another number. We did, and he said, sure come on by. So we arrived at a crooked row house and John was having a brew at the kitchen table. He took our cash, gave us a key and headed out. Told us to call him on the cell if there was a problem. The floors are crooked, there is an 8 track stereo and I'm kind of convinced that we've just been booked into some kid's house, who's away for a few days. Regardless, its dry and Sid's happy. All good.
Okay, I'll get better at this. The photos are http://www.flickr.com/photos/7581497@N08/
Thursday, June 2, 2011
wind on the rocks
sid and i almost got blown off signal hill today. I oughta have known something was wrong when the nice guy from the hostel who dropped us off asked us if we'd be ok. i really oughta have known something was wrong when the fort at the top was closed "due to the weather". Missing political work. we are going to drop by the social justice centre in town, we went by today but it was closed at 4:30 (you have to love this city).
my big political action was when we went to this geo centre exhibit, that sidney loved, all about the geological history of the area, a great exhibit on the titanic, and a wonderful exhibit on oil drilling, funded by exxon! not to mention that the section on the people of Nfld gave one line to the First Nations, one of which was entirely whipped out by colonialism of course. So i wrote a mildly nasty note in the comment book.
anyways, the people are lovely, the local beer is great and the geography spectacular. i miss my friends and organizations but look forward to hitting the road unless my pack kills me
mac
my big political action was when we went to this geo centre exhibit, that sidney loved, all about the geological history of the area, a great exhibit on the titanic, and a wonderful exhibit on oil drilling, funded by exxon! not to mention that the section on the people of Nfld gave one line to the First Nations, one of which was entirely whipped out by colonialism of course. So i wrote a mildly nasty note in the comment book.
anyways, the people are lovely, the local beer is great and the geography spectacular. i miss my friends and organizations but look forward to hitting the road unless my pack kills me
mac
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Springboard Dive onto The Rock
After leaving the lovely denizens of the BNR Collective House - and managing to remove most of our possessions to a non-moldy site of storage - we hugged, we hauled and we left.
With a hop to Ottawa, a skip to Halifax and a jump to St. John's we transported ourselves to Newfoundland. It was a bit of a shock - 35 degrees or something in Toronto, to a chilly 7 degrees in Newfoundland - I dug out that new sweater from the bottom of my backpack. And wished I'd brought a parka. Except that I wouldn't want to carry a parka. I don't want to carry anything. At the airport, we found that my pack weighed about 15 kg, and Mac's about 18 - and that didn't include the four carry on/computer bags/lego/snack sacks we seemed to have accumulated. I swear, Newfoundland is going to receive some presents from us - presents like crayons, novels, and heavy underwear because I simply won't be able to carry this much stuff. Of course one of the main problems is my 350 page book manuscript - that I've edited about half of. Once I finish those edits and send them off to my editing saviour, I can heave that baby into the Atlantic.
After a flight where Sidney was fascinated by the clouds - (btw- he's in a delightful mood - enthusiastic and carrying his own bag) - we rocketed over Newfoundland. I was amazed by the look of the rock. One could really easily imagine the glaciers dragging themselves and the rocks over the landscape. Pitted with lakes and bogs. Fjords. Seriously - I really didn't know there were fjords here. I think we're going to see some. And puffins. I like puffins. Not just because they're called puffins. But I like that too.
As we arrived in St. John's a young couple leaned over from the seats behind us and told us they were hitching into town and wondered if we had a ride. While we couldn't help them with that, we did have the details on public transit - a hot commodity in these situations. And it turns out that they too, are entering the Cross Canada Amazing thingy we're doing. But they're hitching while we're Greyhounding it to Vancouver where they're planning on living for a while - writing, doing film work, photography. We took a 'launch' photo together, which I'll post tomorrow, and took the bus downtown. We've exchanged blog titles, and will stay in touch - I expect we'll see each other in Halifax, Wawa or something like that. They did say something like, they'd want to be like us when they're older. Which made me feel about a million years old. But I shook it off with the recognition that there's a reason I can tell hitching stories from the mid 1990s. We are old, we are cranky, and we can afford a family room at the hostel. Speaking of that, we found our hostel, and wandered the wrong streets for a while trying to find other humans. Its kind of quiet here. Eventually stumbled upon a lovely restaurant which blew our budget - http://gourmetpi.com/ and after watching some of BBC's Planet Earth (have you SEEN those lions take down an elephant!), we're crashing. It may be only 9:30 pm at home, but I'm exhausted. Its taken a hell of a long time to get here. But we're on our way.
BTW - one of the things I want to do is ask people the same question about the state of Canadian politics and economics as I cross the country. Something like "where do you see the next four years of a Harper majortity going?" Unfortunately so far, I've met someone from Edmonton, two kids from London Ontario, and one fellow from Egypt. I'll try harder tomorrow.
Over and out. Lesley
With a hop to Ottawa, a skip to Halifax and a jump to St. John's we transported ourselves to Newfoundland. It was a bit of a shock - 35 degrees or something in Toronto, to a chilly 7 degrees in Newfoundland - I dug out that new sweater from the bottom of my backpack. And wished I'd brought a parka. Except that I wouldn't want to carry a parka. I don't want to carry anything. At the airport, we found that my pack weighed about 15 kg, and Mac's about 18 - and that didn't include the four carry on/computer bags/lego/snack sacks we seemed to have accumulated. I swear, Newfoundland is going to receive some presents from us - presents like crayons, novels, and heavy underwear because I simply won't be able to carry this much stuff. Of course one of the main problems is my 350 page book manuscript - that I've edited about half of. Once I finish those edits and send them off to my editing saviour, I can heave that baby into the Atlantic.
After a flight where Sidney was fascinated by the clouds - (btw- he's in a delightful mood - enthusiastic and carrying his own bag) - we rocketed over Newfoundland. I was amazed by the look of the rock. One could really easily imagine the glaciers dragging themselves and the rocks over the landscape. Pitted with lakes and bogs. Fjords. Seriously - I really didn't know there were fjords here. I think we're going to see some. And puffins. I like puffins. Not just because they're called puffins. But I like that too.
As we arrived in St. John's a young couple leaned over from the seats behind us and told us they were hitching into town and wondered if we had a ride. While we couldn't help them with that, we did have the details on public transit - a hot commodity in these situations. And it turns out that they too, are entering the Cross Canada Amazing thingy we're doing. But they're hitching while we're Greyhounding it to Vancouver where they're planning on living for a while - writing, doing film work, photography. We took a 'launch' photo together, which I'll post tomorrow, and took the bus downtown. We've exchanged blog titles, and will stay in touch - I expect we'll see each other in Halifax, Wawa or something like that. They did say something like, they'd want to be like us when they're older. Which made me feel about a million years old. But I shook it off with the recognition that there's a reason I can tell hitching stories from the mid 1990s. We are old, we are cranky, and we can afford a family room at the hostel. Speaking of that, we found our hostel, and wandered the wrong streets for a while trying to find other humans. Its kind of quiet here. Eventually stumbled upon a lovely restaurant which blew our budget - http://gourmetpi.com/ and after watching some of BBC's Planet Earth (have you SEEN those lions take down an elephant!), we're crashing. It may be only 9:30 pm at home, but I'm exhausted. Its taken a hell of a long time to get here. But we're on our way.
BTW - one of the things I want to do is ask people the same question about the state of Canadian politics and economics as I cross the country. Something like "where do you see the next four years of a Harper majortity going?" Unfortunately so far, I've met someone from Edmonton, two kids from London Ontario, and one fellow from Egypt. I'll try harder tomorrow.
Over and out. Lesley
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