Monday, July 21
Saturday morning: 10 of us piled into two cars and headed to Montreal. After a few wrong turns (i.e. the scenic route), and spotting the Olympic stadium from the bridge, we arrived at a hotel near the airport after 2.
Took the subway downtown, picked up tickets for the Improv All-Stars show (part of Just For Laughs), and passed by the venue on rue St. Laurent - quite the seddy part of town. Brough East Vancouver to mind...
Went for dinner and caught sight of the annual twin parade, with siblings from across Canada, from the restaurant window.
Made it to the Monument National, the show venue, for 7. Most of our seats were in the balcony, with a good view of the stage.
Improv All-Stars featured cast members of "Whose Line Is It Anyway," including Drew Carey, Colin Mochrie and Greg Proops. A hilarious, nearly 2 hr show featuring many games from the show, which was recently cancelled.
Afterwards, we explored rue St. Catherine, ending up at a karaoke bar. Despite our numerous requests, we were only called up for "Bohemian Rhapsody."
No cots left at the hotel, so I was odd man out, having the fortune of sleeping on scary hotel duvets.
After brunch, which included sucking Jello through a straw, we made the 2.5 hr trip back to Quebec City. If you're looking for fun car games, in addition to Punch Buggies, be sure to add the PT Cruiser Bruiser to your roster.
Friday, August 1
Last Friday: at dinner, dishwasher must have broken, as the galley served dinner on paper plates with plastic utensils, paper cups and styrofoam trays. A guilt-laden meal in this age of recycling.
Saturday: Dad, Lynn and Grandma drove in from Cornwall. After dropping off luggage at hotel near airport, we drove downtown along Champlain boul., which follows the St. Lawrence. Parked near the Plains and cut across on foot to the Citadel.
From there we walked through Vieux Quebec to the Terrasse Dufferin, a wood boardwalk dividing the Chateau and the edge of the escarpment. Dad and I later made the uphill walk to the car and picked up the others at the Chateau.
That night and the next morning it rained. With a friend, met my family for breakfast at Cora's, with lots of fresh fruit and generous portions. It's popularity brought De Dutch out west to mind.
From there, we drove easst and over the bridge to l'Ile d'Orleans. A circuit of the island takes 3 hrs, so we only drove around the west side. Very pastoral, with open fields of corn and potatoes, plus pick-your-own strawberries and raspberries.
With the rain clearing up, we returned over the bridge to the Montmorency falls. Once there, storm clouds quickly appeared. I climbed the 475 or so steps alongside the falls, while the others drove around to the top. As I reached the bridge across the falls, it poured rain. With umbrella in hand, I strolled leisurely across the bridge, while other tourists ran for cover.
It soon cleared up, and we returned to Vieux Quebec for tea and dessert at Le Cochon Dingue (the Crazy Pig), followed by a quick look at the nearby shops.
Tuesday: driving to the movies, my roommate's battery died, so we pushed the car off the road and popped the trunk. Then came the embarassment of three guys who know little to nothing about cars. So I made myself useful and flagged down cars. Attempted to ask for a jumpstart in French; fortunately, the couple who stopped in a PT Cruiser spoke English.
Back on the road, we took a wrong turn and ended up near the airport. Arrived at the theatre right before the credits. The return drive was just as hectic, with the charge light flashing each time my roommate breaked for a red light.
Thursday: Vice-Admiral Buck, Chief of Maritime Staff, and Commodore O'Connell, Commander of Naval Reserve, paid the Fleet School a visit. They came into our class for a brief conversation and to answer questions.
Was late meeting a friend at the malls after class, being overly optimistic about the bus clearing rush-hour traffic downtown. For dinner, a group of us headed to an Indian restaurant in Ste.-Foy and spent three hours there. I had beef samosas, Tandori chicken and rice. For dessert, a banana and mango sherbert.
