Qualification Level 2 (QL2) training for Naval Communicators is two months long and takes place in Quebec City, headquarters of Canada's Naval Reserves. Students are put up in the Point-à-Carcy residences, in view of the Château Frontenac. I looked forward to spending time in a history- and culture-rich city and to putting my French Immersion education to use. Left Victoria at 7:30a PT - earliest I've gotten up in months. Friend from unit also taking course, on plane with me. Arrived in Toronto at 2p ET, changing planes and leaving by 4. Arrived at airport in Ste-Foy before 6 p. Overcast and raining.

Trust Matty to screw up in Quebec after only 20 mins: intending to split the fair with my friend, I asked the cab driver in French for two recipes... receipts equals reçus not recettes.

Accomodations are like a hotel. Card key to open the door; spacious room with four beds, desks and lockers. Room includes a bathroom, shower, TV, VCR, mini fridge and air conditioning.

Awesome view of Château Frontenac from the windows.

Building has a lounge, free laundry machines and a galley. Classroom and gym across the street.

Had dinner at Buffet de l'Antiquere, a greasy spoon. Discovered patates purées are mashed potatoes.

Next day, Sunday, it's raining. Took me 10-15 mins to find the galley, but decent selection when I did. No check-out either.

Despite the rain, friend and I explored Vieux Québec: lots of shops, side-streets, steps, fortification walls, statues, the Citadel, museums, parliament buildings, etc.

Rain finally cleared up as we took a 20 min. bus ride to the three side-by-side shopping malls in Ste-Foy (a la Metrotown in Van). You can get by on your English, but merchants are accomodating if you try French, too.

And of course, beer can be purchased at gas stations and corner stores...

First day of classes - mostly intro lectures. Quebec Fleet School and Point-à-Carcy accomodations are unique in that they're in town, with civilians free to walk along sidewalks that cut between the buildings to the Vieux Port. Hence the emphasis on dress and deportment.

We read flashing light each morning in the gym and occassionally outside. To pass the course, we need to read at 8 wpm with 95% accuracy.

After class, I intended to run through the Plains of Abraham. Lesson of the day: consult a map! Ran along a bike trail following Champlain Boulevard, which overlooks the St. Lawrence. Forty-five mins later, past Gilmour Hill, the Plains were nowhere in sight. Headed back so I wouldn't miss supper.

Turns out I had run right past the Plains, which are spread over the plateau atop the Cap Diamant cliff. So, along with seeing ample cliff-face, I broke in my new running shoes, too.

Tuesday - the big 2-6. Girl in the other class kept serenading me with a revised version of Homer Simpson's "See the Angel" diddy:

"See the angel, see the angel, it's your birthday!"

After class, I walked to the Plains, across Vieux Québec, near the Citadel. Paved trails loop around the hills and across the fields. Terrific view of the St. Lawrence. Lots of sunbathers dotting the fields, and couples in the woods.

From there, I went to see my grandfather's old high school and teenage home. Very tiny street, and the house numbers have since changed. An interesting experience retreading ground where your grandparents met 60 years ago.

Later, I headed out again with friends for dinner. Ended up at a crêperie near the Château Frontenac. Dinner took awhile, and tried a forgettable Quebec white-beer. Plus, the girls convinced me to try escargot. Same texture as a mussel or mushroom, so needless to say, I wasn't impressed.

Headed back to accomodations, only to run into another friend, who informed me a group of classmates were awaiting me a L'Inox, the nearby pub. Very memorable birthday, indeed. And I'm still not 30 either... :)

Wednesday: tried running another rollerblade/bike trail leading from accomodations that follows St. Charles river, an inlet of the St. Lawrence, with numerous bridges along the way.

Explored Rue St. Jean, which features one of the three Vieux Québec gates. From this one, you can ascend and walk along the fortification walls.

Stepped into a McDonalds offering McHomard (McLobster) and poutine.

New French roommate arrived today. He was on vacation in Mexico. They changed the course start date after he'd left Quebec.

Thursday and Friday I was class leader. Entails reporting the class to the instructor each morning before reading light, ensuring the classroom door and filing cabinets are locked, etc.

Learned to play euchre, which plays like a combination of hearts and trump. No one plays Cosby Show pinochle style, hinting to your partner which suit to play with subtle lines like, "I remember this clubhouse I had as a kid..."

Yesterday evening, la Compagnie Franche de la Marine performed for family, friends and officers at the Fleet School. Dressed in 18th century costume and sporting rifles with bayonettes, they carried out an impressive drill ceremony, firing their weapons for the finale. Performing with them were two drummers and several pipers.

Later, I was initiated to the Quebec bar scene: crowds of people gathered on the patios before the buildings, with many more filling the multiple levels inside. Smoking's still allowed at restaurants and bars here, unfortunately.

It's a 20 min. bus ride to the big malls in Ste-Foy, then a $10 cab ride to the nearest theatres showing movies in English. Think I'll hold out for group outings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (cheap nights).

Monday, preparation for St. Jean Baptiste celebrations. Friends gathered in our room for cards, music and refreshments. After 9 pm, we headed for the Plains. Large groups were out, waving Fleurs de Lys, shouting "Bonne Fête Québec" and drawing bottles from their pockets.

Walking along the fortification walls, we caught sight of the 250 000 people huddling around the stages. Random fireworks were set off all around. As expected, are group quickly splintered. I ended up lying on the grass with 3 others awaiting the main fireworks display... but we got bored.

Heading back, we stopped for smokies at L'Inox (near the residence) and ate them at the waterfront.

Discovered a classmate appeared recently on David Letterman, performing her spit dance. Must be seen to be believed. She had a video of the episode, where she namechecks Victoria, the Naval Reserve, and reminds the audience Paul Schaeffer's Canadian.

Glancing out the window at 12:30 am, we caught sight of the fireworks, lighting up the Château.

The next morning, someone from the residence made the news, streaking on the Plains. Vive le Québec!

After some homework, I stopped by an internet café. Passed a bum with two shopping carts full of empty bottles and cans. Anyone cleaning up the Plains after the festivities must have made a cool chunk of change.

Past few afternoons, played frisbee with others at nearby field. Also played Scrabble for the first time in years. New editions of the game include "q"-words not requiring "u," like QWERTY.

Went to Chez Ashton for poutine, with big chunks of squeeky cheese curds. "Mini" size filled a plate. I'd hate to see super-sized... :)

Civie day today: for a $1 to charity, we can wear our plain clothes to class. Many of my classmates headed to Ottawa for the weekend. Having spent all of 1997 there, I intend to explore Quebec City some more.

Friday evening, a friend from St. Jean came to visit. (We both sailed on the HMCS Vancouver to Hawaii.) Went for dinner at Pub St. Alexandre, with a choice of 200 beers from around the world. Opted for Kilkenny, a fave from Ireland.

Matty screws up again: my friend suggested gaufres for dessert, which I confused for pancakes, which are of course "crêpes." We ended up skipping dessert, but in the morning I tried ordering pancakes in French, accidentally asking for guêpes. Well, either the cook misheard me or was biting his lip, as guêpes are wasps.

Gaufres are waffles, by the way...

At 10, my friend and I drove to the Montmorency falls, 20 mins east of Quebec City. Definitely worth visiting. You first cross a suspended bridge over the falls, then descend a cliff face via 480 zig-zagging wood steps.

For lunch, had chicken at Benny's, a St. Hubert's clone.

Sunday, watched Speed, one of Keanu's few decent acting turns. Later, I caught an episode of South Park in French... which featured a Speed spoof.

Monday, cooler weather. Bought a can of maple syrup for Beth. A half-litre only costs $7 here. Too bad it's the wrong season for the sugar bush.

Thursday: a group of us gathered at a nearby outdoor pub prior to the free U2 DVD concert at Agora stadium. Then it began pouring rain... Huddled under patio umbrellas, we figured they'd cancel the concert. But the rain lightened up by 9 as the music began.

U2's Elevation Tour DVD was projected on a large screen with music blaring over the stadium sound system. A decent crowd gathered despite the sketch weather.

After thirty minutes, the screen rose as a U2 cover band took the stage, complete with Popmart-era costume. They'd obviously memorized concert videos, as their U2 impressions were spot on. Good performance too. (I saw U2 for real at GM Place in Vancouver two years ago. A two hour set, including two encores. Best $50 bucks I ever spent.)

Afterwards, we headed to St. Patrick's, the local Irish pub - how fitting. The cozy pub featured a guitarist and fiddler playing Celtic music.

Saturday: headed to Chez Degobert, a European discotheque-style bar, with huge dance floor, elaborate lights... and lasers!

Sunday: checked out the Féstival d'Été, which runs from July 3rd to 13th. Four hundred Canadian and international musicians and entertainers, with stages around Vieux Québec and on the Plains.

Note of interest: in Quebec City, traffic first moves in one direction, then the other, then traffic is stopped in both directions for pedestrians to cross. This allows for improvised J-walking - crossing through the intersection diagonally.

Last Tuesday, saw Charlie's Angels 2 in French for cheap downtown. Understood half the dialogue, which is sufficient for such a silly, pointless movie. And having Demi Moore dubbed by a French actress benefitted the film. Wonder if the same would work for Keanu?

Wednesday: saw the New Pornographers, a Vancouver rock group, in concert. An upbeat, energetic show, but the dinner theatre layout of the club prevented any dancing, save for a few zealous fans in the front row (no, not me). Due to their name, the band was turned down for an upcoming charity concert festival. The Barenaked Ladies had similar problems early on.

Thursday: visited the University of Laval in Ste-Foy with some Quebecois friends. Although the campus isn't as nice as UVic, the pub was much more lively than Felicita's.

Saturday: borrowing a marker board from the hall, a group of us played Win, Lose or Draw in our room, girst against guys. Later, we headed to Pizzeria d'Youville on Rue St. Jean for gourmet, European-style pizza. Very good.

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.

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 Québec to the Terrasse Dufferin, a wood boardwalk dividing the Château and the edge of the escarpment. Dad and I later made the uphill walk to the car and picked up the others at the Château.

That night and the next morning it rained. With a friend, met my family for breakfast at Chez Cora, with lots of fresh fruit and generous portions. It's popularity brought De Dutch out west to mind.

From there, we drove east and over the bridge to l'Île d'Orléans. 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 Québec 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.

Last weekend was the Féstival d'Envol et Macadam, with concerts around town, including Limoilou, a 25 min. walk north of the residence.

Saturday night: saw Guttermouth, a punk group from California. The band definitely knew how to work the crowd. Beware of flying promotional material...

Sunday: returned to l'Île d'Orléans and the Montmorency falls with friends. This time, we did a tour of the entire island - nearly 3 hrs. Bought raspberries at a roadside market; climbed a tower on the east end of the island, overlooking the many fields and the St. Lawrence; and discovered that, if you spot "grilled cheese" on a menu in Quebec, it's pronounced "gree cheese."

That night, saw Sloan play in Limoilou. The Halifax natives played the UVic cafeteria in '96, and I saw them again in summer '01 at an outdoor festival on Citadel Hill, Halifax. Very upbeat, energetic show, with the bandmembers rotating guitar and drum duties.

Wednesday evening: both classes and others from residence went onboard a catamaran in the Vieux Port. After a tour past the Château, we sailed to Montmorency falls to catch the final night of fireworks.

Turns out, there were many other passengers onboard, including a wedding party. A guitarist played a wide-ranging set, including Pink Floyd, U2, Cat Stevens and Cindi Lauper.

Nearing the falls, the ship suddenly lurched forward, sending a few people to the floor. Felt like someone hit us, but the crew later assured us that the engine stalled. (According to the news, it was both: the engine stalled and, losing control of steering, we hit the stern of a larger ship.)

At the falls, it began raining, then cleared somewhat as the fireworks began. The stern quickly filled with raincoat-clad, umbrella-toting passengers. Those of us who didn't think ahead tried peering out the windows, then assembled on the bow when the rain lightened. The fireworks were good, but many simply illuminated the fog.

Thursday: Les Fêtes de la Nouvelle France has begun, with events taking place nearby the residence. Many around town in 18th century period costume. Traffic is nasty. The drive from residence to the Ste.-Foy malls, usually 20 mins, took 40. So my roommate and I were late meeting a friend for dinner - the same friend I'm usually late meeting for Tuesday night movies. (Patience is a virtue, right?)

Friday: nearly all of us from both classes headed to a classmate's family cabin in Bécancour, near Trois-Rivières. We crossed the Quebec bridge and took the highway along the St. Lawrence. Stopped at a cheese factory along the way for fresh gouda curds. Very squeaky...

The cabin lies along a gravel road, near the St. Lawrence. Fired up the BBQ and had hot dogs and steak. At dusk, we started a bonfire and by 2, crashed wherever there was room. Brought memories of summers at the cottage in Picton, Ontario to mind... well, except for the refreshments.

Had pancakes with real maple syrup for breakfast, then went swimming in the St. Lawrence's strong currents. Despite the weather forecast, it was a hot, sunny day.

Heading back, festival traffic turned the trip through Vieux Québec along boul. Champlain from a max. 10 min. drive to an hour plus exercise in standstill torture. We convinced our friend to drop us off at the start of traffic (she lives in Ste.-Foy anyway) and made the 20 min. walk to the residence, passing other friends stuck in their cars along the way.

Last Sunday: went the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (Quebec National Gallery) with a friend to see the Marquet exhibit. This early 20th century French painter favoured seascapes, rivers and ports around France, western Europe and Algeria. He emphasized colour and effects of light over detail. And he enjoyed painting nudes, too...

Wednesday: took the 10 min. ferry from Quebec to Lévis, crossing the St. Lawrence. Very quaint town, with old houses, many gardens and a terrific view of Vieux Québec.

Thursday: had my last exam of the course. That evening, both classes and the instructors had a semi-formal dinner at Rivoli on Grande-Allée. Very good food (had soup, spaghetti and coffee) at a reasonable price.

Headed back to residence by 10, and a room crawl/toga party may have ensued.

Friday: after pub mustering and a final debrief, we received our course certificates. Spent the rest of the day packing, lounging about with classmates in residence, and taking one last walk around Vieux Québec. Some anxiety over flight status due to the huge blackout in Ottawa, Toronto, New York and Detroit.

Checked out that night, and crashed a friend's place near the airport.

Saturday: day began with thunderstorms and heavy rain - just like my arrival here. Arrived in Toronto at 11 am ET, and my flight to Vancouver's delayed 3 hrs. But at least the planes are flying out.

Had to adjust to airport staff and shop clerks not greeting me in French.

For some reason, I'm issued a new boarding pass, now in Executive Class. The one highlight of the day. For dinner, wine, salad with feta cheese, chicken and rice, a cookie for dessert, followed with port (the ol' stained lip special). Even a hot towelette. We're missing out big time in Economy, people! :)

A couple behind me had a small, yapping dog in a perforated carry-on bag. Apparently it had recently made the trip to France in Executive as well.

Arrived in Vancouver at 5:30 pm PT, picked up my luggage and stood in the check-in line for 2 hrs to arrange a new flight to Victoria. (Many lay-offs at Air Canada this summer.)

Some very ainsy people in line, including a mother who yelled her frustrations at every airport volunter or ticket agent she could. I saw no point in shooting the messenger...

When my turn came up, I'd just missed the 8:20 pm flight. Next available flight to Victoria was 11:30.

So here I sit at the gate, 20 mins prior to boarding. I should make it home by 1 am.

A fun, eventful two months away from home with many a surprise. Vive le Québec!