June 28 & July 3, 2018

June 28 & July 3, 2018

Thursday was a travel day!  We left our campsite not know exactly how long it would take us to get to Montreal.  You just never know with traffic and we were so unsure about parking. We took off from Lake Placid early and in the rain and stopped by the Olympic Arena.  The US Hockey team had an unexpected victory in 1980 and “Do you believe in miracles?” was yelled on national TV as they won! They really were not expected to win!!

We wound through foggy forests and rainy roads and along bubbling brooks and rivers.  Lovely all the way around. We stopped for a coffee and lo and behold there is a “little loaning library” right there in front!!  We’ve been looking for one so we could return the book we took from Concord, MA!! I couldn’t return the Clive Cussler one as I wasn’t quite done yet!!  We didn’t take one either since I felt we should finish first.

We stopped for a restroom break at a visitor’s center but it was not occupied.  There was a truck river with the same goals as us but the center itself needed some major TLC.  There was a coke machine crashed to the floor behind a barred door, and a mess in general. Perhaps they were remodeling??

We found parking after two attempts.  The first was valet and was quite expensive and the second was still secure and not quite as pricey.  The Park and Fly guy picked us up and took us to the airport. It wasn’t that hard of a process, just more steps as we were flying back into the USA.  

We got to our gate really early as nothing really took as long as we thought it would.  Andrew got a text that said our flight was delayed. Hmmm. And delayed enough that we were going to miss our connecting flight in NY.  So he went to a random, non-busy Delta counter and explained and the rep did his magic and got us on the 1 o’clock flight!! Lovely! EXCEPT, it was delayed, and then delayed again, and delayed again.  There were storms in NYC!! We finally got on the plane at about 3 and then the captain comes over the loudspeaker: I am sorry, but we are grounded here until the storms ease up a bit. We sat on the tarmac for 45 more minutes until we could finally take off. And then wait our turn along with zillions of other planes.  We get to NY and then circle. The pilot: I am sorry but a storm just popped up and we have to circle. We circled for 45 more minutes! We landed and sat and sat. The pilot: I am sorry but there isn’t a ramp available, so we will have to wait until something opens up. “Something” was getting us to some buses so they could drive us to the terminal!  Seriously. We finally get to the terminal at Gate 1 and have to get to Gate 42. We couldn’t find Gate 42!! Airports usually put odds on one side and evens on the other. We didn’t notice that these were numbered numerically and so we walked right by our gate as it was on the “left” side and we were racing down the “right!” Side note: The paramedics for the airport ride bicycles!!  

They were on a delay but not a big one.  We got a few snacks as we were starving at this point (7 PM) and had a picnic near the gate.  They finally loaded and we arrived in Indy 1 ½ hours later than planned. Not too bad for all of the delays!!   Since we were coming from Montreal we had to go through customs in NY. I find it odd that we were both only had one backpack and when we were asked what we were doing in Canada and we answered visiting, and he asked how long and we said 28 days, he didn’t raise an eyebrow.  I guess you could visit Canada with one small backpack for 28 days. To be truthful our packs carried our technology. :)

We slid into John-Paul’s so we could get a little grand time in on Friday before heading home.  We have a pretty packed weekend: dinner at Fleig’s, Fireworks and a concert at Celestine, grocery shopping for a family dinner, a wedding (Congrats to Bryce and Lori!!  What a lovely wedding--we danced from start to finish!), a birthday party, and a family dinner. Whew!

July 2

We took off for Indy Monday early so we could get a good grand day in again and that we did!  We played and played and read books and made cobbler and pie and had a lot of fun. They are such amazing kiddos!!  

Tuesday was an early early early morning.  The flight was back to Canada so international and we were boarding a little after 6.  We got up and were out the door by 4. We returned the rental, and were very early to our gate.  I could get some “homework” done that is required for a training when I get back and Andrew did some work as well for his return to work.  Today’s flights were uneventful. We napped and arrived in Montreal to 88 degrees. Yes, it is hot here now. So sad.

Ruby was right where we left her so we drove into the city to explore. It is hard to find parking!!  We found some about a mile from where we wanted to be but that was okay. It was also next to Molson Brewing!!  Montreal is a pretty city, with old and new. The architecture for the old was so pretty, very French. :) We gawked at the city hall in all of its old but gorgeous glory, followed a very small black dog that looked just like Dakota (our doggy “niece”) and stopped at the Notre Dame Basilica.  Pretty! We paid to walk around the inside----old churches are so pretty!! We lit a candle for peace and good health, and listened as they played one long note at a time on the massive organ. Perhaps they were tuning it? At first, I thought there was an alarm of some kind going off but then the tone didn’t quite fit.  

We found “Old Montreal” and hobbled on the brick roads, the old buildings filled with such an assortment of shops and restaurants.  Every building was prettier than the last. We went into the first Marian pilgrimage site of Montreal, founded by Marguerite-Bourgeoys in 1655!!  She is entombed there; it is still an active church!! This building was built in 1771 on the remains of the original one (as with most buildings, it was destroyed by fire in 1678).  The chapel became the birthplace of the English-speaking Catholic community of Montreal. We lit a candle for peace and good health and headed on our way.

We hiked it back to our truck and went to find the memorial to Jacque Cartier, the “founder” of Canada.  It was in a most beautiful little park in a most beautiful neighborhood. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of St Lawrence and the shores of the St Lawrence River. He actually “landed” in Newfoundland/Labrador and continued through the Strait of Belle Isle and explore the Gulf of St Lawrence all the way around!  

One more stop, the largest church in all of Canada, St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal.   Unbelievably, the GPS took us in the back way, and that dome was huge!!! The church was HUGE!  It felt more modern on the inside than I would have expected, We walked down a bunch of steps and wandered, “Could that be a statue of St. Joseph down there by the street?”  We walked down a ton more steps and, sure enough, it was a statue dedicated to the church’s namesake, St. Joseph. We then had to walk back UP those steps. Andrew counted 288 - in the ¼ mile from the road.  Plus another 30 in the back up to where we parked. That is a lot of steps.

The first church was started in 1904.  The congregation grew too large so a larger church with seating for 1000 was built in 1917.  In 1924 the construction of the present structure was started, and it was completed in 1967.

Andrew  to Cheryl --- Did you know this is the largest church in Canada?

Cheryl to Andrew (inside the church with jaw dropping) --  WOW --- it’s MASS-ive!

We were then ready to head towards Ottawa.  Construction projects in Montreal are EVERYWHERE!  New buildings left and right, and new roads EVERYWHERE!  It took nearly an hour to leave just weaving around barrels, and going on detours and watching orange signs, along with lots of others.  WOW!

Back to camping and we got one of the last two spots at Kittawa Camping-- about 40 miles from Ottawa   It has LOTS of amenities, including a heated pool! We hunkered down between a pop up camper of a family that had their telescope out so they could check out the emerging stars, and a tent of grandparents with their two little grandchildren. We THINK they are grandparents??  To our rear is a row of seasonal campers, complete with golf carts and lighting and tables and decks. We are having a problem with a leaking/gushing faucet that was already leaking/gushing when we got here, so we hope we don't’ have to swim out.

The WiFi is not working at our site (Welcome back!) so we’ll publish when we can. (And get to the remaining homework!). Tomorrow is Ottawa day and getting Ruby serviced before we head north to Hudson Bay.  

Happy Independence Day, USA!! We will miss the fireworks! Hopefully someone will see some and share how awesome they were!!