I don't want to shock anyone, and there is no reason for concern, but I've decided to cut my trip a little short, and head home.
It's all but impossible now to purchase an open return ticket, so you have to try to guess how long you want to stay somewhere.
Besides just a pleasant vacation, I had some fairly specific reasons for coming to Quebec, and I've been able to accomplish all of those goals...so I'm heading home later today.
It's really been a splendid trip, and my intuition about Quebec City was pretty much right on the mark. It is a close to being in Europe as one can be without actually leaving the continent.
I am of course quite jealous of those with a green thumb, mine being decidely 'black' :>)
These are a couple of the window boxes at my hotel...the Acadia.
If you've been around computers for any time at all...you're probably familiar with the term FUBAR...or F*&* Up Beyone All Repair.
Well, I came across this sign for a local tavern, and couldn't help but notice the similarity.
I hope that you've enjoyed reading my journal as much as I've enjoyed writing it. If you haven's done so already, please have a look at the
Well, as my good friend Porky Pig would say...
This is Mattieu, and he is a leather worker of the first order. I've been looking around for a leather cover for my journal, and Mattieu had a stand out on the street over the weekend.
He had one that I liked, but it didn't fit quite right...he invited me to his shop and we hit it off famously. Some of you know that I'm very interested in the Quebec Separatist movement...and as it happens Mattieu was a 16 yr old during the very apex of the movement.
We talked for some three hours, and in the bargain I got a perfectly fitted cover for my journal.
He's a single dad with two kids, and they live above the shop. He bought the building nine years ago, and has it in tip top shape.
This is the Petit Champlain neighborhood, my favorite breakfast spot is down there. The only problem is that after breakfast...you have to come back UP...it's always easier going down...
Quebec's weather makes street activities a seasonal affair. These last days of summer, and early days of autumn are the last chance that many of the artists have to make some hay for the winter.
I've talked to several of them, and was surprised to hear that virtually all of them looked forward to winter. 
They say that it gives them a chance to rest, begin work on next season's products...and of course skate, ski, and sled.
So far, the weather has been just about perfect for me. Highs in the low seventies, lows cool enough for good sleeping.
At some point every day, I seem to find myself in the Plains of Abraham. It's one of my favorite parts of the city, and provides a welcoming place to rest, recuperate, read...and snooze.
Maybe I've just been lucky, but I don't remember seeing so much as a gum wrapper on these lawns, despite the fact that there are always people lunching, strolling, or basking in the sun.
This morning I walked up the Rue St Jean, through the city gate and then on the Grand Allee. It's still amazing to me to be able to so closely follow the history of this place.
It's easy to see why Champlain was so drawn to this place. The St Lawrence river narrows down (the name Quebec is an Indian name that literally means 'where the river narrows'), and is surrounded by hills and cliffs...a definite advantage when it comes to defending your territory.
In 1806, the British were afraid that the newly independent 'colonies' would try to capture parts of Canada. These towers were added to the existing fortifications to better defend the St. Lawrence from ships sailing up toward Montreal.
The towers are round, smooth sandstone for maximum strength and minimum purchase for a would be attacker. The door is about 4 meters off the ground, and a ladder could be drawn in should the need arise.
On my cruise the other day, we went past the Montmorency Falls just outside of the city limits.
My pictures didn't really come out well, but I found some others here on the net which I will borrow for educational purposes.
The water falls for 270 feet, which is almost a hundred feet higher than Niagra.
In winter, the mist from the falls freezes all over the rocks beside the moving water, and becomes a popular spot to practice ice climbing.
This is perhaps a bit off the track, but today is Labor day, and I wanted to briefly acknowledge my gratitude for those who sacrificed so much. The eight hour day, reasonable safety in the workplace, the end of child labor...and much more.
These were not given to us by some invisible hand of the market, nor by some benevolent government. They were hard fought battles, with fatal ramifications that finally paid dividends that we reap.
If you are at all interested, I hope you'll have a look at a couple of chapters of labor history in our country.
I'm thankful for their efforts.
The Maritime Museum of Quebec commemorates the role that the Canadian Navy has played in the nation's development. The two main exhibits involve the grand battle of 1759. and the German U Boat that was sunk during the second war to end all wars.
As you know this is a subject that I don't much celebrate...but when I saw some of the panels, I thought that it was indeed a novel concept in what amounts to a military museum.
These models were built by retired sailors, and the detail is just amazing. One might speculate that they just had too much time on their hands, but I would prefer to think of them as artists in this particular medium...lovely.
The pictures/panels that follow are what I found most interesting about the museum. They were not your typical (or at least not to me) recruiting sort of statements, but rather quotes from the men who served...and saw first hand.
You'll have to click on the images to get them large enough to read...I hope that you enjoy them.
