Thats what I feel like I've done since I last wrote... A brief update:
Post Vancouver saw me fly to Quebec City (thanks again for getting up super early to drop me Jackie!). Most amazing place - it really doesn't feel like you're still in Canada. I walked into the hostel about 2 mins after another Aussie (who turned out to have been on the same plane and doing roughly the same trip as me) and an instant friendship was born!
Karen and I spent 2 days exploring the city together. We walked all over the upper, walled and the lower part of the old city and saw the essential sights (Governers Walk, Chateau Frontenac, Grand Alle, Rue de St Jean, Le Citadel and Hotel de Parliament), ate at amazing Pattisseries and Boulangeries (my favourite French words) and attempted to learn some French...
The hostel we were staying in was super friendly and I met lots of awesome people. Allison and I spent a day together visiting the chocolate museum and biking out to the local falls (Chute de Momerency) which is 1.5 time the height of Niagra! We even saw a swimming moose!
After 4 nights in Quebec City I ventured with Allison and Gav, driven by the man in the van, to Montrea. Karen had left 2 days earlier but we spent the next day together again wearing out our footsies... Jackie had given me a list so we went dutifully about ticking things off! We walked to the top of Mont Royal Park, ate St Viatries bagels and smoked meat sandwiches from Swartz's (as good as they say!), wandered through historic down town, through the St Laurent festival and to city hall. After deciding that we needed to meet some locals we headed to the Latin Quarter and did just that! Rene and Francois took us out to a place on St Laurent where we danced the night away (to a very bad DJ...)!
Karen left me the next day so I wandered throught the Museum of Fine Arts, through the rest of old down town and discovered the underground city which was perfect for the rainy day that I had. Montreal has a series of underground shopping centres etc attached to the subway - amazing! The next day was a Saturday and I walked through Outerad to find the opposing bagel company and sample their wares (better I thinkg...) Outerad is the Jewish neighbourhood and I was amazed to see very traditionally dressed Jewish people out and about...
That evening I found myself in Toronto and within 10 minutes of checking into the hostel, talking to an Aussie guy Dylan who works there. He was an awesome host and with the help of his amazingly drawn map I spent the next day wandering through markets, parks, Uni grounds and main strips. I saw the CN Tower and fought my way through the thousands attending the Blue Jays game (wrong time to walk around the stadium!). The next day I jumped on a tour out to Niagra falls - specatular! We got very wet on the Maid of the Mist Tour, very scared by the crass fun park attractions in the town, dutifully took photos of the big whirlpool (not that exciting) and tried ourselves some icewine! The highlight of that day though was watching Dylan get picked on at an improv comedy night (the guy with the big hair and accent!).
Sadly my time in Canada was over - way too soon! I made my way back to Jim and Twinks for a recovery day or two before I headed into NYC to meet Deke and Jane and see Brooklyn town... I learnt how to make a beer chicken (fascinating!) and Jane and I drank Sake as we cheered on DJ Deke later that night.
The next day (after a quick trip to the local bakery for goodies...) I jumped on a bus to Boston to meet up with Liz again (the one I stayed with in DC) for the weekend. Boston was awesome - we finally had some great weather and Liz and co. showed me all around the Harvard campus, historic Boston, Canolli at Mike in the Italian Quarter, 1/2 price burgers near Newberry St and, the next day, swimming in a beautiful local "pond" (lake...), and the best ice cream ever!!! Kiddie cones hear we come! It was Liz's brother's graduation so we had a good old Martin family gathering that night with amazing food, home brewed beer and Dartmouth-style beer pong (paddles and all) before we all collapsed early from all the excitement!
That bring me to today and Im back at Jim and Twinks (they must be getting sick of me by now!) and off to camp tomorrow morning...
Sorry for the length of this one but I have been so ridiculously busy I haven't had any moment whatsoever to sit and collect my thoughts much less write a blog!
Bring on the Crazy American Children!
