and then we travelled some more

So there we are back in the door from 2 weeks of rock and who's sitting on the couch only Emma and Jamie. All the way from Oz. So off we headed the very next morning with them from travels in Quebec and Ontario. We stayed with Dad's cousin Rosemary for 4 nights in Cap Rouge, just outside Quebec city and a better host you will not find. She was amazing, we were right at home there, and I must insist that anyone I know that goes to stay in the Quebec area has to stay with her (she's got her basement converted to an apartment) - the only thing is you may be asked to
1-haul a boat out of the river that runs past the foot of her garden
2-clean the gutters.
Myself and Emma supervised Mark and Jamie's undertaking of these tasks excellently, from our vantage point in the gazebo with a little drinkie in our hands. ho ho.

From there we went to Montreal, Mont-Royal as they say, for 3 nights. We hired bikes down in the old port and sped around the place on them. They have a ridiculous amount of cycle paths - both Dublin and Toronto should be ashamed. Unfortunately the route we wanted to take, across Ile Ste Helene to Ile Notre Dame, was partially closed, due to a little driving race taking place there a couple of days later. Yes, 51 out of 52 weeks in the year you can actually rollerblade/cycle the Villeneuve Formula 1 circuit, but not that week. The whole city was bedecked with chequered flags, but it was time for us to leave before the weekend, when undoubtedly the Neeeeeeee-yom neeeeeee-yom noise filled the air.
Then it was on to Ottawa for 2 nights. Let me say I had low expectations when it came to Ottawa. It occupies the same kind of place in my conciousness as Adelaide, and The Hague. I don't mean to cast aspersions on those 2, I've never been there, and Adelaide has produced the fine figure of a man that is my brother-in-law ;) So anyway, Ottawa surpassed my expectations. We visited Parliament Hill, and sat in on Prime Ministers Questions in the public gallery. It took all my restraint not to join in with the heckling. Rachael and Paula used to - inexplicably - do backbencher TD impressions in college, and I can say now for the record, they were very accurate. I expected them to yell 'You suck!!' ala the baseball. We took a boat ride down the Rideau Canal in 35 degree heat. We sat around various pubs and restaurants in the Byward Market area eating and drinking and eating and drinking. Eating and drinking was basically the theme of the Canada leg of the journey. It is time for detox. After I have the indian I'm gonna have for dinner tonight. Shut up! I'm hungover!

This is the aforementioned Rosemary. We have just had one of many 5 course meals. Quebecois attitude is very French, dinner is late and long. It is absolutely a unilingual city, Montreal is defintely biligual.


This is the Chateau Frontenac. It's a hotel, but it stands above the port of old Quebec looming over the St Lawrence river, and its really beautiful.


I couldn't resist. I'm sorry.


Im just so demure. That is another feature of Rosemary's garden. River. Swing. Gazebo. Nice.


Do we make you puke? Don't worry, we had fights too.


Ah crap. Move along, no OSX here.


That jamie is gone big as a house. Small. Far away. Small. Far away


Jamies new best friend, Pebbles. Pebbles is a mentaller.


kaleidoscope eyes. i can barely look at those pictures they freak me out. I used to have nightmares that my hands were covered in fingernails, and then when I saw how these came out they reminded me of it.


So we went to the Ste-Anne canyon. It was breathtaking. I've seen Niagara Falls now, and awesome as they are, theres a lot more to see somewhere like this. they've a hilarious website here
and their slogan is Suspensational! which is genius.





this is a random building in Montreal - I think that its a government building but I'm not sure. You would never have a clue what the weather is like outside.


The trusty steeds


there you are now. there's something in the air in Montreal. Emma doesn't look too pleased though. maybe cos we were supposed to be able to see the city really well from up there, and we'd walked feckin miles and it was so overcast. But I saw a pair of muskrats up there. I think.

Onto Ottawa. Which I loved apart from the giant spider. 2 thumbs way down.


Between the giant spider and the startling resemblance of Parliament Hill to Hogwarts, sure Mark thought he was Harry Potter.


You wouldn't get that on Grafton St. But then you wouldn't get Phil Lynott in Ottawa.


Rosie & Jim bobbing along on the old Rag Doll.


For those that witnessed Mark eat 2 cornettos in quick sucession, let it be know that this giant gelato actually defeated him (despite the obvious determination he displayed here at the start) 3 scoops was a step too far straight after dinner.


Thats it so. Any questions?