|
Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2011 12:53:34 GMT
It was yet another spur of the moment trip. Like many of mine seem to be lately. I find that planning too far ahead not only spoils the spontaneity of the journey, but you tend to block out the every day things in favor of what we are 'supposed' to see. Besides I don't like those that have gone before me telling me what is the best thing to do and see. Although I do keep it in mind. I set the mileage clock on the car, just for my own curiosity, and was surprised that we did just over 2,400 kilometers altogether. My two older boys came with me, which was a Godsend. During this whole journey I drove a total of one hour! I wanted to give the boys the experience of driving in the bigger busier cities, so they could test themselves out, and I must say, they did me proud. We drove from Fredericton to Quebec City, and from there to Ottawa and on the way back, stopped in Montreal and then decided to see more of Quebec City. I enjoyed this trip immensely, the weather was perfect during these four days, the cities were amazing, the first time I have ever seen Quebec City and Ottawa. And the conversation, laughs and memories that were created, priceless. Later on I will write more about the trip and put up some of the photos taken. My camera is crap (excuse my language) and I was frustrated at how the night shots wouldn't come out properly. The true beauty of the areas we saw is not reflected fully in the photos I will put up, but it will give you an idea. More later...
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2011 13:33:34 GMT
Yes, the new digital cameras do great night shots, but if you have an older model, it is always disappointing -- too dark or too grainy or both!
Québec city is lovely, but it is nevertheless one of those places that has been "overdone" for tourists to the extent that practically nothing looks authentic anymore. There are dozens of cities like that in France, but a lot of them were rebuilt after the war (like Saint Malo), so they have sort of an excuse to look fake.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2011 13:59:33 GMT
I need to get a new camera, there's no doubt about it now. Definitely before going off to Europe.
I was just knocked out by Quebec City, very beautiful in deed. Do you think it's overdone then? I guess most places that tourists may be interested in would be. Nevertheless it reminded me of a fairy tale kind of town, extremely charming.
I know Montreal quite well, so knew what to expect, but Ottawa was a surprise. We did the river tour and it was evident that it truly is a place for political dignitaries and millionaires to rub shoulders. Quite something. Steven Harper's place is well guarded I must tell you.
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Oct 11, 2011 14:57:51 GMT
Kerouac, just outside the official "Vieux Québec", there are some interesting neighbourhoods that are not so overly tarted up - Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Saint-Roch and Saint-Sauver below the hill. I think it is inevitable that a town dedicated to tourism and government should get rather tarted up.
Obviously, in terms of European settlement, even the oldest cities in the Americas are young by Old World standards, but Québec also has a spectactular setting.
This is the time of year we get tourists from East Asian countries taking the train to see the autumnal leaf show. Here in Montréal, we have had no frost, so not many spectacular colours here. But it is sunny and very warm, don't need gloves yet cycling!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2011 15:02:03 GMT
Yes, I agree that the setting is spectacular.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 11, 2011 20:57:23 GMT
Lagatta, yes the colors are lovely right now, and the weather stayed really nice.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2011 14:52:35 GMT
Okay, I'm not going to try and be clever, as I know some of you know so much more about these cities than I do, and I don't want to embarrass myself (again) . There won't be any Google links or even looking up on Google. I'm too lazy for that. Just the journey as I saw it as we went along. If you see a building that you recognize please let me know what it is! Some of the photos didn't come out at all, or came out very blurred, it's a shame because seen by the naked eye some of the places were quite something, especially under the moon light. But here are some that did actually come out: I set off early and picked my sons up at their place in Fredericton, it was a perfect sunny day and luckily for us the weather stayed that way for the next four days. I turned on the GPS and off we went heading towards the wide open road: I enjoy driving long distances, but this time my boys did nearly all the driving, it was kind of nice just to sit back and relax for a change, and watch the scenery go by. Around this time of year New Brunswick and other parts of the East are full of color. Trees are turning russet and maples leaves are gathering on the ground. Still in New Brunswick, Hartland is the home to the longest covered bridge in the world. It officially opened for operation in 1901: The bridge is there so cars and pedestrians can cross over this part of the St. John river: We carry on down the highway, looking out for any moose or deer we may see on the way: Edmunston is in Northern NB, and like all the other towns that are nestled in that area, is very French. The nearer we get to Quebec the more French we see around us: http:/ /i187.photobucket.com/albums/x12/Jenvie/daf206f0.jpg[/IMG] Still on the road, we spot a train museum, but it was closed: Now which province can this flag belong to? Clouds anyone?:
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Oct 12, 2011 15:24:11 GMT
Thanks for these, Deyana. I had no idea what the countryside of New Brunswick looks like. It's nicer than southern Ontario because it's not so flat.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2011 17:55:53 GMT
I always enjoy road pictures. Someday I will unearth more of my Québec-NB "on the road" pictures.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2011 20:38:28 GMT
You're welcome, bjd. I like the Autumn colors around here, with so many trees around the whole area looks very picturesque.
Yes, please do, would really like to see them, Kerouac.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2011 20:39:26 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2011 20:40:44 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2011 20:46:36 GMT
I still have not been to Ottawa. No excuse! You've got several interesting photos of Québec. I was there only once for the night, so I didn't even see the illuminated fountains.
|
|
|
Post by nycgirl on Oct 12, 2011 23:02:00 GMT
Charming photos, Deyana. Looks like you picked a perfect time of year to see the colorful foliage. Love the buildings, too, especially the one with the whimsical figures painted on it.
I've never been to Canada, or any of my neighboring countries. I have to fix that.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2011 0:03:11 GMT
Kerouac, no, no excuse! Next time you are around these parts, you should let me know beforehand nycitygirl, thanks. It was a good time of the year I must admit, the colors of Autumn are hard to beat. Yes, you should visit Canada! If you ever come around to these parts, let me know, I'd love to meet you
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2011 0:04:13 GMT
OttawaOttawa, the Capital city of Canada, and it was all I expected it to be plus more. The first place we went to the next morning was the Science and technology museum. Just outside of the museum: I would have liked to have traveled in this rocket ship: Seen from a telescope inside the museum, all that is outside in the parking, including my red car: Most of the following photos are self-explanatory: It would have been fun to drive one of these cars back in the day: Or one of these more modern ones, oh yes:
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2011 0:04:55 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2011 4:52:52 GMT
Interesting! I had never even formed a mental imagine of what Ottawa might look like. It seems nice and peaceful while still being a big enough city.
For just a tiny moment, I thought the busker only had one leg.
|
|
|
Post by bjd on Oct 15, 2011 6:29:13 GMT
Well, I recognized the Parliament Buildings and the modern building near the bridge across the river is the Heritage Museum. The photos at the bottom look like the Byward Market area.
When were you there, Deyana?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2011 20:54:44 GMT
Kerouac, funny thing is I had no idea what to expect before I went to Ottawa either, I guess I thought it was going to be quite a boring kind of town, very official, being the Capital. But it wasn't at all! It was quite beautiful and interesting. bjd, I was there just about a week ago. We were lucky to have such nice weather. Well done on recognizing those buildings. I'll check on it later and see if you got it right or not. (just kidding)
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2011 20:55:37 GMT
|
|
|
Post by mich64 on Oct 15, 2011 21:14:39 GMT
Deyana, lovely report! As I visit Ottawa a couple of times a year, all of these photos are familiar to me. I love that Museum! we have been. Actually my girlfriend lives probably 4 blocks away from it and we have taken the dogs for walks there as well. We have never taken the boat tour, maybe next time. On our visit in March we spent many hours on Bank Street visiting Antique stores and we also stopped for a beer at an Irish Bar!
It is a wonderful city and has so much to offer in regards to Museums, shopping, sports, walking/biking trails and wonderful architecture. If I had to move to a large metropolitan city, this would be the one.
Cheers, Mich
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2011 14:59:26 GMT
Thanks, mich. It's a small world after all! I bet there is a lot more to see than we can in just one day. But it gave my kids a taste of other places, so it was an educational thing too for them too.
Yes, it sure has a lot to offer, I really liked Ottawa, peaceful and quite beautiful. I can see how it would be the perfect place to live.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2011 18:27:32 GMT
Is Ottawa considered to be a major tourist attraction in Canada? Does it concentrate more national museums than the "big" cities?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2011 20:02:16 GMT
It does seem that way. It was my first time there, I think I'd need to spend more time exploring to know for sure.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2011 20:07:55 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2011 20:08:53 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2011 20:14:58 GMT
Your pictures keep getting better and better, Deyana! (but maybe you should remember to have the sun in back of you rather than in front of you more often? )
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2011 20:37:25 GMT
Yes, I think you might be right
|
|
|
Post by lagatta on Oct 16, 2011 23:43:51 GMT
deyana, why the US spelling? It is definitely the Conference Centre, and not "Center", in Ottawa. I've worked there, at conferences.
There is good reason for the Prime Minister's residence to be well-guarded, as when Jean Chrétien was PM, an intruder actually got into the PM's bedroom, and his wife scared the intruder off with a soapstone Inuit sculpture! This is something like a similar security lapse that occurred at Windsor to The Queen. Both of these guys were a bit screwed up and not violent, but who could know that?
NYCity Girl, you can easily do a short hop to Montréal, even for a long weekend, we are due north of NYC. One great sadness for me is that the railway link is so slow and so bad. I have a friend in NYC whose parents' honeymoon trip just after the War was to Montréal and Québec, and the train connections were better then well over 60 years ago than they are now! And it is an environmental disaster to take the plane for such a short trip, but scarcely your fault if there isn't a decent train connection. I just hope proper modern rail connections are restored there, and also to Boston, in the forseeable future.
Kerouac, the illuminated fountains deyana depicts are fairly recent, they were a gift from France, I believe, for the city's 400th anniversary (of European settlement, they area had been inhabited for thousands of years as it is such a strategic point). They were only installed in 2007, so many visitors won't have remembered them.
Deyana, I might be able to answer your other questions as I'm quite familiar with Ottawa, and Gatineau, the Québec town on the opposite shore of the Ottawa River / Rivière des Outaouais, but alas my computer is not loading all your pics.
The Odawé (Ottawa - Outaouais) were the original inhabitants of the area.
Part of the fortress in Quéebec City was destroyed by fire a few years ago. It does not date back to the French Régime, but was certainly about 150 years old. I was at an event there at a hall that belonged to a regiment. There are still discussions ongoing as to which government authority is in charge of restoring it.
The buildings in the first two Ottawa photos are in they Byward Market area, just east of the Parliament buildings and north of the University of Ottawa / Université d'Ottawa. Then you have Château Laurier, one of the great old railway hotels, like Château Frontenac in Québec City. It was right next to the Parliament and opposite the main railway station (now a Conference Centre) so a lot of wheeling and dealing took place there.
|
|