A whole new world (and a really old world)

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Leaving New York on sunday was really tough. But Boston had a few interesting highlights. There is so much history in Boston - it certainly makes it a great place to learn more about the USA. Visiting Harvard was a let down. It felt elite and it didn't have the inspiring vibe I was expecting. There's a funny seedy side to Boston - not in a ha ha way. Funny as in weird. Not sure what it is - maybe its the history of the place but something definitely didn't feel quite right in Boston.

On Wednesday I hired a car and travelled north. Navigating was easier than I expected. The scenery was AMAZING. The further north I got the more the trees had changed for Autumn. I drove right through where the main ski fields are in winter in Vermont. BEAUTIFUL. Crossing the border into Canada felt great. The customs guy was super friendly and although I loved DC and New York, I certainly have liked Canada more than the other places in the US (eg Boston, Baltimore, Buffalo - maybe I should just keep clear of cities starting with B). It was quite surreal to be in Canada but to only see french written everywhere.

I managed to navigate my way to the hotel - still not sure how I did it but super glad I have a good sense of direction! The hotel is cheap and very basic, but comfortable enough (especially given how cheap the price is!).

Today (thursday) I decided I would be brave and attempt to drive into the Old City of Quebec. I had read that it was the easiest way to get there from my hotel. Pity was, the direction I had written down from Google didn't match the actual road names etc (there were some major road works happening so it made it difficult). Now with no real map of the city and without access to the internet on my phone, most people would have panicked at this point. I decided to wing it. And, without any logical explanation, I managed to drive my way straight to the old city and randomly find a parking spot on the side of some road. That road turned out to be right around the corner from the main part of the old town (basically right next to the wall and next to the castle etc). I still do not know how I managed to do that. It was kind of amazing if I do say so myself!

So given I had probably the best parking spot in the city I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the old city by foot. I have one word: BEAUTIFUL. It really is a stunning place. And without sounding condescending, it really is cute. And people are very accommodating in speaking english (probably has something to do with the HUGE volume of tourists around).

Glad I came to Quebec City. It has a real charm and definitely could spend a long time here (especially if I spoke french or had someone else with me).

I've uploaded some photos that probably don't do the city justice. Off to Montreal tomorrow. I still haven't eaten Poutine. I need to do that tomorrow!

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Photos

Harvard
ANU is actually just as pretty