OK let's start with some scrapping as this was originally meant to be a scrapping blog. Easy to forget at times and this is the first paper page I have made in 4 weeks. I have missed the feel of the paper and the crisp cut of the scissors, the stickiness of the glue and the very act of creating. (though I was creative on holiday but more of that later)
It was made for a challenge at UKS and uses a Paige Evans cut file for the leaf garland and I stamped, inked and cut out the other leaves in the clusters. The photo is from Presquite State Park on Lake Erie.
Today also saw the second cinema visit since we have been back. Last Friday - taking matchsticks with us - we saw Dr Sleep, which was OK. Today we saw the new Terminator which we both enjoyed, but then we are both Terminator fans.
Today I am thankful for
- getting back to a more normal sleep pattern
- the reassurance of the doctor that they WILL find out the source of my rib pain. He has ordered more blood tests and also a Liver scan next. He is being very supportive and reassuring and tells me this is to rule out what it is NOT even if it doesn't tell us what it IS.
Day 3 Montreal to Kingston
17th October 2019
Start miles 1260
Start time 6 and 8
End miles 1525
End time 6
The one with the Bomb Cyclone!
Poor Nigel didn’t sleep well and we were both jet lagged which was why we were up at 5.30 and went out to breakfast at 6. I had spotted the perfect restaurant for breakfast a block away and we were eager to try it. It opened at 6 ... perfect. When we stepped outside of the hotel, into the pitch black, we realised quite how bad the weather was. It was gale force winds and the sort of monsoon rain we are used to in Florida, except that rain is warm and stops after a while. This was cold and chilling. We battled our way through the rain to find the restaurant didn’t open until 7. We were not going to go back to the hotel and then out again. So egg McMuffin it was then. Three different people came in with broken umbrellas ... it was THAT bad. We paddled our way back to the hotel to dry off and Nigel, quite rightly, said he would rather not leave in the pitch black so we would wait a while. We did just that, but by 8 the sky was barely lightening so off we set. Oh my what a horrible journey out of the city. Dark, so windy it was blowing the van, torrential rain the wipers could barely cope with and serious traffic congestion. It was only later that evening we were to find out we had caught the tail end of what they called a bomb cyclone. It was a storm that was caused by exceptional low pressure and hit the east coast. I tell you ... America, and in this case Canada, has serious weather! It was extreme.
Obviously our planned stop at Mount Royal was pointless so we skipped that, though we did drive by the oratory, just visible in the downpour. It took ages to get out of the city and I confess we were not sorry to leave it behind. Montreal, for all sorts of reasons, was not a hit with us. I am prepared to concede that we didn’t see the best of it, but what we did see didn’t thrill us.
Our next stop was Ottawa and we were really disappointed the weather was so bad. We had planned to visit parliament hill, which looked gorgeous. The rain continued to pour, the winds continued to howl as we made our way west. Even though it was raining, the fall colours were beautiful and the rain made the trunks and branches jet black, a fabulous contrast with the leaves. Whilst it was hard to capture in the rain, we will never forget the beauty and the drive was very enjoyable. We stopped briefly at a Walmart on the outskirts to get medicine for Nigel... the pharmacist advised us on the medicine and we bought cough sweets that certainly cleared out the tubes ... my goodness they were powerful. However, when we exited the store the rain had dropped to a light drizzle which was promising.
We had researched this holiday well and so knew just which car park to aim for and it worked perfectly. Once outside, though very windy, the rain had pretty much stopped. We walked to the parliament buildings which were indeed impressive, but one of them was covered in scaffolding. We didn’t know then, but this was to be a bit of a feature of the trip. I bailed as the wind whistled and I had started to feel a bit groggy and was getting a temperature (now where could I have got that from!) and took refuge in a Starbucks ... Canada was indeed civilised ... and Nigel, being the trooper he is carried on to the canal to get photos.
We hadn’t seen much of Ottowa but what we had we liked. Later that afternoon we drove over the Rideau canal bridge to get a view from the other side which was well worth it and then headed out again. The rain started back up, proving we had indeed been very lucky. It had stopped just at the right time.
We stopped just outside our base for the night in Kingston for proper comfort food at Denny’s. I did say we are not fancy people. Simple floats our boat and Denny’s offer food we both enjoy and at a reasonable price. When you are on the road for 23 days, not every meal can cost a fortune.
We then checked into our next hotel ... the Best Western Plus Fireside Inn. It was a real gem ... really lovely foyer and restaurant and our room was perfect. We had a gorgeous brick fireplace in the corner and it was cold enough to have the fire on. We enjoyed a relaxed evening and were out for the count by 8 again. Poor Nigel was really struggling and I had a sore throat and certainly didn’t want what he clearly had. It suits us well to go to bed early though. We like to make the most of daylight hours so leave early and sleep early.
Wow! A fireplace in your hotel room? That is very cool.
I really liked the photo with the park benches and path strewn with colorful leaves. So pretty. Ottawa has a lot of nice buildings and it looks clean. Or is that because it had just gotten a big "bath"?
So nice that Nigel allowed you to rest, while he went out to take such great photos. I didn't realize you hadn't ever been to Canada before. I truly love that country--especially the parts near the Al-Can Highway. :-D
Posted by: Barb in AK | November 23, 2019 at 04:44 AM