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Published: June 21st 2009
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The first day in Toronto, I was EXHAUSTED. Totally wiped out. This was exacerbated by a bad night's sleep on the final night in the RV (wonderfully located as we were at a campsite by a train track), and then a long day of flying from Albuquerque, via Chicago, to Toronto.
All I managed to do on day 1 (of 2) was catch up with my life (laundry, finances - eeek, blog, grocery shopping etc). Day 2 wasn't much more exciting - I walked around a little, but Toronto didn't seem to offer all that much to do in any case. Perhaps I didn't give it a fair go in my weary state.
It would probably have been more sensible to fly straight to Montreal, given I didn't end up going to Niagara, but you live and learn.
Anyway, a 5 hour train ride took me there instead - disappointingly dull scenery, but a comfortable train and I arrived in a warm, sunny & busy Montreal on Friday afternoon. I liked the atmosphere straight away - some of the buzz possibly coming from the fact the Montrealians (if thats right!) were in for a nice sunny weekend and very
happy about that.
On Saturday I had recovered the energy to do some serious walking around town. I first headed to old Montreal - beautiful, and slightly wierd as it did feel very much like France. It was strange getting used to the French - funny to think that in all my months travelling this was the first time I had to use another language.
Down by the riverside it was very busy with a science fair and also Cirque de Soleil were in town, setting up on one of the piers. Lots of life.
I walked around downtown, popping my head into art galleries and churches, before calling it a day.
Next day, I thought I would investigate Sunday morning at L"Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont-Royal" - an impressive building with the world's second highest dome, after St Peter's in Rome. It was great to experience a bit of grand Catholic liturgy and hear the celebrated
Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal singing, but I'm afraid it all got a bit grand and French for me so I left and headed up over the Mont Royal park for some beautiful views of the town. Over on the other side
Home-made birdhouses
In a Montreal square there was lots more Montreal life - people enjoying a Sunday in the park - games, music, a drumming group who meet every Sunday, a group reenacting war games.
On the way back to the hostel I walked through some lively shopping streets, encountering more music - a fringe festival and a market on the way. Montreal put on a great show in the short time I was there; I liked it alot.
That evening I caught the train to Halifax - an overnighter that was due to take 23 hours. But I was all set for it with a bag of food and some sleeping pills. The chairs are reasonably comfortable and they give you a pillow and a blanket. I had hoped I would get more beautiful sights out of the window than I did though - it had kind of been the point of travelling through Canada by train. My expectations are obviously a bit too high after the things I have seen on my journey!
A couple of hours late, we rolled into Halifax and I found my way to the Lord Nelson Hotel, where I was reunited with my parents, last having seen
The forthcoming jazz festival
Apparently sponsored by Naxos them at Heathrow terminal 5 when I left the UK. They have taken a holiday following a stressful house-move and were looking gratifyingly tanned and rested after a couple of weeks in Boston and Cape Cod.
Halifax was a nice town, and what bliss it was to stay in a nice hotel for a few days! We ate very well in some great restaurants - seafood is done particularly well here obviously. Aside from eating, which has been the main activity and a great pleasure after many months of backpacker meals...we also had a great day trip along the coast to Peggy's Cove, a very beautiful little fishing village - picture postcard beautiful really. Later that day we stopped at a campground and bought some cups of tea which we then enjoyed on a lovely beach which we had all to ourselves. In Halifax itself, we did the obligatory "duck" tour - the land and sea orientation of the town; we walked in the beautifully looked after gardens; went to the maritime museum - Halifax was one of the places which helped with the Titanic rescues/recovery. It also had its own historical event when a boat laiden with explosives
collided with another in the narrow part of the harbour, resulting in massive devastation and over 2000 deaths, in 1917.
Also spent a morning with mum shopping and having our hair done! I'm feeling less like a backpacker every day. Especially as I'm sharing the driving with dad in a shiny silver chrysler - rather a change from the RV. Although I still love Winnie, of course.
We've just had a couple of nights on Prince Edward Island, home of LM Montgomery, and the base and inspiration for her Anne of Green Gables novels. Its a very beautiful island, somewhat different in landscape to the mainland of Nova Scotia with its farmland, red earth and wild lupins everywhere. We are staying in Charlottetown but drove today to Cavendish, the centre of all things AoGG. Green Gables is a real house, in which relatives of LM Montgomery lived, and by which she was inspired when writing the books, along with Lovers' Lane and the Haunted Wood nearby. Its a beautiful spot, pretty much as you might imagine it.
After a healthy walk on Cavendish beach we popped in to "Avonlea Village" - a bit of an Anne-Land with people dressed
up walking around pretending to be of-the-time, but actually quite well done. We met Miss Stacey in the school room.
Its a drive back to near Halifax today and then we all fly to New York tomorrow - my parents are heading home, and I'm enjoying one final week of travels in the big apple. It feels a little bit odd to be coming to the end, although travelling with Jessie and now with mum and dad I think is helping to ease me in to re-entry.
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