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Published: September 19th 2006
Niagara Fall, USA side
The Canadian falls are more spectacular, but at dusk the setting sun reflects on the buildings and gives off a wonderful glow.We were so excited to be on our way, then…… our Fan-tas-tic (or not so) fan broke. Still it was not all bad because as luck would have it we were driving right past the factory on our way to the Border. The web site said “call in any time, we will be pleased to repair / replace your fan for free”. After a month, what difference did another day make? So we delayed our plans for a day to call in… Well they certainly lived up to their claims
We felt like royalty. After a greeting and a quick run down on the guys political views (i.e. he apologised for Bush, very refreshing following Elkhart) a quick Tourist Information Service chat and free coffees, we were taken on a tour of the factory. At each section of the production line we stopped to chat, were given free parts and a hat each, found out about their terms and condition of employment (v good, by the end I quite fancied a job there) and learned the complete history of the company. Our fan was fixed and, somewhat belatedly we were taught how to use the thing correctly. Coming immediately after
Just like buses
You wait ages for one Mountie, then a whole load come along together our service marathon at Monaco we were amazed at this efficiency, and so in a slightly bemused state we were waved off.
After this short but interesting delay we really were back on the road again. It was a great feeling.
Over the last few weeks, instead of people warning us about the Mexican crossing we now had people telling us how difficult the Canadian border could be and, as we had Texas plates they would definitely give us a hard time.
Canada has very strict rules on gun and alcohol importation; obviously in an RV you could have lots of both. One guy said his mate took 8 hours to cross! Although as the conversation developed, it turned out he had a NRA (National Rifle Association) sticker on the windscreen. Obviously he hadn’t read the chapter on how not to draw attention to yourself on border crossings!
Anyway we resisted the temptation to take a chance to stock up with cheap beer and wine and decided if asked, to happily give up what we already had on board.
Crossing the border only took about 10 minutes. Having approached the small immigration booth the first thing
Behind the falls Canada
Not to be left out!! I bet everyone who has been here has this picture. the very pleasant officer asked was “are you both US citizens?” Graeme only uttered the single word NO and he replied “ Oh Brits” he then took our passports and was immediately interested in how & why we were travelling in a US RV with Texan plates, asked what we did to enable us to take this time off, then asked if he could have our old jobs, before cheerfully waving us through.
Not only did we enter into a different country, we immediately changed seasons. Fresh breezes, warm days and cloudy skies replaced the heat and humidity.
We drove past London, Windsor, Pembroke, Leamington, Cornwall and Kingston to name a few familiar places. It was as if someone had taken all the names from an English map, tossed them up in the air and left them where they fell. The same could be said of the architecture. Life here is instantly noticeable as a European mix. Over the next few days we passed neat English style houses, French Chateaux’s, Scottish castles and German looking streets.
Our first Canadian stop was to meet up with Karen, Malcolm and Ebby their little spaniel, in a tiny place called
Popping in for lunch
We took a different driveway out and then could not get under the barrier. Graeme had to reverse all the way back! Arkona. We had a great few relaxing refreshing days. They tow a lovely convertible sports car in which they took us out to the “beach” on Lake Huron and to play golf. Now Graeme and I have never done that before, it was highly amusing, frustrating, annoying……… must do it again. Recognise this description anyone?
The funniest thing though was when we stopped halfway round for a drink, only Graeme didn’t. In front of the club house and Club Pro he drove the golf cart into a metal barrier, which fell over. The Pro’s expression didn’t even change when Malcolm said “he normally drives a 38 ft motor home” and weeping with laughter, the 4 of us and a dog got off the carts and went for a drink. I suspect you would not get away with that at Wentworth.
Our next stop was Niagara. We stayed in Yellowstone Park where Yogi & BooBoo drove by and waved to us each night! and thoroughly toured Niagra Falls. We went on it, behind it and along it. We saw the falls by day and night. They are really nice but the surroundings detract from them somewhat. Souvenir shops, Spider man
Ottawa , Château Laurier
The owner wanted it to look like the Chateaux's he had seen in Europe. After shopping for furnishings in Europe he made the unfortunate choice of returning on the Titanic...... Needless to say his ghost roams around the corridors. rides and a Hardrock café are not, for me, the ideal surroundings for these magnificent falls.
From here we decided to drive along to visit Niagara on the Lake, as everyone we met told us it was lovely. Along the way we passed sign after sign for vineyards. We didn’t realise there was such a large wine industry here, and, not knowing much about Canadian wines, decided we had to stop and sample some. The tasting was in a French style Chateau, service though pleasant was very European, no instant greetings here. An inescapable gravitational pull dragged us towards the restaurant, the menu mentioned things long since forgotten, like Pan fried scallops seared in a fennel sauce, truffle scented chicken, or ice wine infused salmon….. After only a brief hesitation we were seated. The ordering took as long as a meal in the US normally lasts, the service impeccable and the long leisurely lunch that followed was much enjoyed ………….
Several hours later we left. So much for our visit to Niagara on the Lake… although it did look very nice as we drove on by.
It is so much more European here and within the next
Spot the face.
Look at the tower, don't you think its got a nice face?
This is the east wing of the Parliament building 3 days we managed to achieve everything a long term English traveller needs every now and again to recharge their batteries: a leisurely continental lunch, an Indian meal and a cheese and BRANSTON ($4.25 a jar) pickle sandwich, Heaven…….. Some things just can’t be substituted. Revitalised, we were on our way.
Now time for some history, I never really knew much about Canadian history other than the fact the British ethnically cleansed out the French, the outcome of that act resulting in the Cajuns of Louisiana.
Canada is the worlds second largest country with a land mass of 3,851,000 sq. miles (10 million km2), and a population of only 30 million. In comparison Europe (up to the Urals) is 3,837,000 & 730 million, & the US (48) 3,120,000 & 297 million population. The UK landmass is 152,000 sq miles & about 60 million people live there. If you want a house with a lot of land, here is the place to buy it. I was always curious, how and why, it didn’t become, or was not part of the US, but never got around to checking it out. From our visit last year we noted there is still
Ottawa Canal
In spring to celebrate the thaw of the canel there is a "duck" race. Hundreds of small plastic dusks are purchased and released from behind the lock. The first one into the city wins the prize. a strong English connection, The Queen is featured on the currency, and they have a public holiday called Victoria Day.
We were on our way to the capitol Ottawa, which is the 4th largest city in the country following Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. So why, what and how is this so?
Potted history follows……………..
It’s not easy……. just as I think I have it sussed, another group pop up.
The first inhabitants arrived approximately 9,000 yrs ago. The first European to arrive on the East coast in? 5th century, may well have been “Brendon the navigator” an Irish monk, although as is often the case, he may well have been lost at the time! He was followed in 1,000 AD by the Vikings, who came for timber, and the Basques who came for fish, but all these people came and went.
French farmers then settled on the Atlantic Provinces naming the area Acadia, meaning “peaceful lands”. Although they had some success in farming, the land was not always suitable, so they turned their talents to the sea, & fishing became their livelihood. In time these people became known as Acadian’s, & in the process created their own culture.
Big women, these Canadians
This sculpture honours the 5 women who
took on the legal challenge in 1929 for women,s equality in Canada. Their success gave women the right to stand for appointment to the Senate. It was not until the late 15th century that people started “claiming” the land for their country. John Cabot laid claim for England. Meanwhile Jacques Cartier was doing the same for France. Unfortunately, often it was the same land. Over the years, the English and French settled, exploiting the fishing and fur trade. (Did you know that Felt was made from beaver fur?) The fur trade and fishing were the main interests. According to our guide in Quebec City they came in search of Beaver.
Driven by these commercial interests and the ongoing hostilities in Europe,the English and French had some very nasty battles between the 17th & 18th Centuries, resulting in the “ownership” of various areas swinging between English & French control.
Finally, in Quebec, in 1759 the decisive battle for the control of Canada was fought.
Here the St Lawrence River is only half a mile wide. Strategically, whoever controlled Quebec City controlled all trade routes into the US and Canada.
The battle occurred on the Plains of Abraham, just outside the walls of Quebec City. Here General Wolfe accompanied by 4,500 men, and one canon, confronted The Marquis de Montcalm and his 5,000 men
with 3 canons.
Their muskets only had a range of 50 yards, and, not surprisingly, during the battle both leaders and many men were mortally wounded.
During the battle someone made a bit of a tactical error by opening the very secure gates to the city, thus enabling the British to enter. We all have
off-days I suppose.
From this decisive battle, the British emerged victorious and the area finally came under the rule of the UK
Following this event, many French and Acadian people were displaced and deported by the English, to the English or French colonies, France, Louisiana, or any other place that would take them. Others fled to the more remote regions of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island (PEI) and New Brunswick.
It was our very own Queen Victoria that, after dallying around for a while, eventually chose Ottawa rather than Quebec as the capitol of the “new” Canada. She thought it a good political and strategic move. Although rumour had it that, the strange choice of the then rough shanty town over the substantial city of Quebec was the result of sticking a hat pin in the map!
Historically Charlottetown in Prince Edward
Quebec City
Looking up from the lower city at the "worlds most photographed hotel, the Fairmonts Le Château Frontenac. Island is the true birthplace of present day Canada, as it was here in 1867 that the British North America Act was signed. This bought together the first four colonies of Ottawa & Quebec (originally named east & west Canada), Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, creating the Dominion of Canada. Gradually over the years the other Provinces joined the Confederation, thus creating the present day land mass of Canada.
Now, into this mix, add the Mi’kmaq ,the First Nation people, Basques, Scottish, Irish, German and French you can begin to get a picture of the wonderful but confusing atmosphere of this part of the country.
(I have just missed out about a million important facts here, so don’t quote me on this.)
So, back to Ottawa. It is a beautiful city, surrounded by many huge parks and open spaces. It is small enough to walk around, and the main areas are cycle-friendly. It is situated around the Rideau canal and the Rideau & Ottawa rivers The buildings are a mix of English and French, the food French influenced, and there are many pavement cafes, boulangeries, & fromageries. The first thing we noticed as we entered town was the
Look familiar?
Looking down into a square in Quebec's lower town.
smell of garlic wafting through the main street…… Wonderful….
During World War II, Ottawa not only looked after the English crown jewels but also the Dutch Royal Family. Whilst in exile here Queen Juliana was expecting her 3rd child. To be a Royal you must be born on the soil of that nation. To overcome this problem Canada decreed that, for one day, the delivery room would be Dutch territory. In return, once reinstated back in Holland, the Royal family sent 200,000 tulip bulbs to the city, and has continued this tradition ever since. These are added to the thousands Ottawa plants itself. This is certainly a city of flowers, and we were told that everywhere we could see blooms now, in spring, would be replaced by tens of thousands of tulips. It must be a magnificent sight.
It must also be a lovely city to visit in the winter; it has the world’s longest outdoor skating rink. They reduce the water level in the canal to 2 feet, ensuring it freezes over. The city enjoys it as a thoroughfare, playground, and as a site for festivals.
Having really enjoyed our few days here, it was off to
Sunset on the St Lawrence
View from our rig window. Quebec.
Talking to a lot of the Canadians we had met, (mostly in Mexico,) we had noticed a distinct difference of opinion between Quebecois and the rest of the country. As soon as we crossed into Quebec things changed once again. In this province 93% of the population are French speaking. Montreal has the largest French speaking population outside France. (I don’t think anyone here remembers the British won)
Now, all over the remainder of Canada all signs, literature, etc. have to be in English and French. Fair enough we thought, as both languages are the official languages of the country. But as soon as we crossed into Quebec we noticed the English signs completely disappear? It was just like being in France. We checked out the food shops and saw…, for the first time in months, such things as duck, rabbit, foie gras, veal and a variety of tiny bird corpses. There were restaurants with horse meat and sweetbreads on the menu. All this was supported by an interesting Canadian influence to the menu such as elk, buffalo and caribou.
RV’ers are usually very friendly people, but we suddenly noted that we were being ignored, in that very
special French sort of way ….. Slowly the penny dropped as we began to understand the internal conflicts of Canada. This part really is a different world.
Quebec wants separatism. We think they already have it ……..
What a wonderful city Quebec is. It is the only walled city in North America. Much of the city was started by the French but completed by the British. Again the architecture reflects this, being a mixture of European Squares, Scottish houses, French Chateaux and English fortress.
The spirit is definitely French with many restaurants, pavement cafes, street entertainment and attitude. Although French is the first language it is easy to communicate, as it is bilingual
The first time we went in to the city was a beautiful sunny day, everything was happening, we did a historical walking tour, relived “the battle” of Wolfe and Montcalm, enjoyed the street entertainment, read the menus and enjoyed a fabulous meal. It was really funny as we had about 2 ½ hrs until our bus back to the rig and thought it was plenty of time for a meal,( getting a bit American here) but this was French Style and we found ourselves sneaking
glances at our watch to see if we would make the bus in time. What a great place to live we thought….
The next day……. it was winter, the howling wind swept off the St. Lawrence. It was almost impossible to stand up, not a street entertainer to be seen. We had to retreat into a restaurant and spent a couple of hours enjoying a 5 course lunch for C$35. (£16.66 /US $31.65)
It is like feast or famine here. We have only been in the Country for a few weeks and, to make up for the time we have been in “take away” country, are eating out at every opportunity. At this rate it will take us weeks to get anywhere.
Our route from Quebec took us alongside the St. Lawrence River. We watched it change from a river to an inland sea, and camped on its shores for a couple of nights. The buildings changed yet again, this time to traditional Maritime style, wooden houses with brightly coloured roofs. It is famous here for the wooden red and white lighthouses that pepper the long rocky shoreline.
We left the St Lawrence and turned east to
head across to New Brunswick,
The guidebooks are quite thin for this region. This is because it is all about the scenery. The tiny towns take about two seconds to visit, (oops! missed it, there it was,) but the coastline is spectacular.
New Brunswick is the largest of the Maritime Provinces. It’s rugged coastline is over 2,200 kilometres long and the land is 90% forest. This area is known as the Acadian coast and is still predominantly French.
Now, things get really strange here, because these people are truly bilingual.
You never know if you will be greeted in English or French and they use a cocktail of both languages in one sentence. Listening to their conversation is really confusing. There are signs for Ceilidh’s in every small town and village. When we stopped we often heard the sound of fiddle or celtic music playing. When speaking English, there is a soft highland lilt to the accent. It was really fascinating. We pottered along following the scenic coastal route, enjoying the atmosphere.
Along the way we picked up a leaflet advertising “a great, little bear safari”
I had read that there was a fair sized black bear
Bear Bum!
I know it's in here somewhere! population in the area but, as it is so densely wooded and unpopulated, knew we didn’t have much chance of seeing one. I also knew about the bears, due to the fact I had picked up a brochure for a campground because it had a very nice picture of a bear and elk on the front. How nice I thought, just like last year we can stay somewhere where the animals roam through the campground.
Then I realised the woman was holding the head of a smallish bear, which was lying on the ground………. strange I thought…….. Then I realised that they were offering camping with a licence to shoot your own bear. If that was not bad enough, it said that they baited a tree to ensure a “hit”. SO ……… lets get this straight, for a small fee you get to shoot, from the safety of your own tree…… , an animal that is baited to get it so near to you, you cant fail to kill it…… Uhm how brave is that. How I wish I could meet someone who had done it so I could congratulate them………………..
Although we don’t like the thought of
trained or captive bears and as we were not prepared to shoot our own, we decided the Safari may be the only way in which to see one, so decided to enquire about it.
We rang up and spoke to the people who sounded really nice, said it was a small family thing and to go the next evening. We asked if there was anywhere nearby to park a big rig and they said “oh you can stay in the garden”.
The next afternoon we travelled inland to find, to our surprise, that our destination was a private house. We knocked on the door and were greeted by Vivienne who didn’t look at all taken aback by the size of the rig and showed us where we could park on their land. We spent a pleasant afternoon in their garden picking tomatoes and beans and later that evening, along with several other guests joined Vivienne and Richard for the safari. Our first questions were, are the bears wild and how did he start this business?
What had happened is this……. , Richard by trade is a woodsman and owns a large piece of woodland. One day, several years
Bear People
Richard & Vivianne. They really seem to enjoy the people who come to visit the bears. The home made cakes were wonderful. Keep up the good work ago whilst working in his wood he was approached by a youngish bear that had been orphaned. She came by most days and gradually befriended him. He ensured the bear got enough to eat to enable her to gain enough fat to survive the hibernation period.
Next spring….. …. The bear came back and the next…….
Now, the news had spread amongst the bear world that there was a bit of a “Take away restaurant” down in Richard’s woods and a no-shooting policy. So gradually more, larger bears arrived. It was time and safer, to build a hide to view them from. It was also time for Richard to recoup some of the money eaten up by the bear’s food bill.
It was from this platform we stood for 2 hours with baited breath, to watch the bears. During this time a total of about six bears silently appeared from out of the surrounding woodland to check out the menu. They ranged from young adults to one huge male. The original bear, now a young adult with cubs of her own, still goes to greet Richard when she sees him.
Is feeding the bears the right thing to
Lobster Lunch
Mum only £4.26 for a lobster, not bad is it?
do? I don’t know. They are still wild creatures that have to take their chances and survive. Last year one man alone illegally shot 6 of the population. (Legally, you can only obtain a licence to shoot one a year). These bears do not become humanised and are not near property. It seems to me that helping their odds can’t be all bad.
We experienced a magical evening, rounded off by going back and sitting around the kitchen table drinking tea. This time, whilst listening to bear tales Vivienne fed us… home made cakes & cookies.
Now just in case you ever come across a bear this piece of information might be useful to you. Richard assured us that a black bear will never, by choice, hurt you. If you come across one speak to it kindly and firmly and tell him you mean him no harm. If he looks agitated and “huffs” at you just yell at him, race towards him and he will run away!! Rule one though is NEVER run away yourself as the bear is much faster than you, and is now very interested in finding out what you are.
If it isn’t a black
Red Soil of PEI
We camped for a few days overlooking this bay. It was great here for cycling the bike trail which is the old (expensive) railway line. bear, forget all of the above as it is probably a mean Grizzly and it will kill you regardless of how nice you are to him.
The next day Richard and Vivienne along with their church friends, who had arrived for a meeting, came out to wave us off. They were such nice people to meet. With a warm feeling inside, a big bag of home grown tomatoes and beans and a Jehovah’s Witness bible! we were on our way again.
A few days later we read the following article in a paper that supports Richards’s advice….
“The California/Oregon State Department of Fish and Wildlife is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and golfers to take extra precautions and be on the alert for bears while in the Truckee, Kirkwood and Yosemite areas. They advise people to wear noise-producing devices such as little bells on their clothing to alert but not startle the bears unexpectedly. They also advise you to carry pepper spray in case of an encounter with a bear.
It is also a good idea to watch for signs of bear activity. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear droppings.
Lighthouse
In Mexico i took endless photos of windows, here it is the lighthouses. Black bear droppings are smaller and contain berries and possibly squirrel fur. Grizzly bear droppings have little bells in them and smell like pepper”
Our next stop was the Lobster capitol of the World…….. Shediac.
Graeme was looking forward to some really fresh Lobster and this is the place to get it. In fact it is so plentiful here, they use it in the same way we might use cheese, There are lobster rolls available on almost at every corner including “Subway”, there are Lobster pizzas and Lobster McDonalds and if you don’t fancy lobster, have crab…
So, full of lobster and sporting a few self inflicted finger wounds (they fight back), we set of to visit Prince Edward Island.
PEI is often referred to as “The birthplace of Canada” although ironically the Island itself didn’t join the confederation until 1873, and only then because it had bankrupted itself building a railway, and then needed financial aid. They also negotiated aid from Canada to buy back the land owned by absent landlords in England.
People visit PEI to enjoy its peaceful lifestyle and beautiful coastline.
The island's landscape is predominatly pastoral. The rolling hills, pristine forests,
white sand beaches, ocean coves and the famous red soil have given Prince Edward Island a reputation as a province of outstanding natural beauty
The smaller rural communities, as well as the towns and villages throughout the province proudly retain a slower-paced, old world flavour.
When they filmed the Canadian program “Road to Avonlea” here, no film-sets were required.
Its main livelihood is tourism, fishing, potato and seaweed farming. One (?the) main tourist attraction is the home of Lucy Maud Montgomery who wrote the “Anne of Green Gables” books. Just think Cotswolds + Beatrice Potter and you will get the idea. You can visit the house, see the ruins, visit the doll shops, and watch the musical. etc. Funnily enough, we missed that bit out.
PEI is the smallest but also the most densely populated island of Atlantic Canada but as you drive along the empty roads, past the small houses standing isolated in huge parcels of land, and where your next door neighbour is at least 10 minutes away, that is actually quite hard to believe.
It did explain, however, why everyone was so excited about the Acadian Festival being held that weekend.
We learned of
Land Ahoy
Our first glimpse of Nova Scotia, it just went on to get more beautiful.... the festival our first night on the Island when, we met Silvere, originally from the Island but now living in Quebec. He had driven here so he could play his fiddle, jamming with the locals. He said people came many miles to visit the show, and we should go. We had hoped to enjoy the local lifestyle here and were looking for an Acadian experience, so, off we went
We managed to spend four days doing not a lot. That local pace of life was setting in. The festival included local activities like cow bingo! (Don’t ask) pig scramble, wellie throwing, log cutting, fire starting and a lobster eating competition (3 in 5 minutes, obviously we still need a bit of practice). The show stopper was Mustang, the intelligent horse or, as promoted in French, Mustang, La Cheval Nouveau, a “must see”. He really was intelligent, he was fluent in French……..
We participated in the Lobster supper under the amused scrutiny of 3 locals. They initially watched with interest as we struggled with the crustacean and then took pity and educated us in the technique. Suddenly we got twice as much for our money.
It took 3 days to judge the cows. The description was fabulous “a refined, feminine looking beast” or “a blond with lovely long legs”. Later on as we drove around the island I am sure I recognised them.
We chatted to the locals, learning about island life and spent an evening listening to Silvere and friends jamming on their fiddles in his Motorhome. In between tunes and beers we got a potted history of Acadian life past and present.
The English were definitely the baddies in this episode…. sorry.
We had come to hear Acadian music and the stage was set for the local music show, so we settled in to enjoy it
Well, I think the whole Island must be related to the Corrs; it appears that everyone, of any age, can sing, dance and play several instruments. I am sure the long winters must have something to do with it.
If not the Corrs they are definitely related to each other. In every group of people introduced, at least 3 had the same names / surname. In fact so many people have the same name here they have to add their grandparents name sometimes several generations past, to their surname, to be identified. To us it appeared that most of them are called Arsenault, as is almost every business in the area.
The music and dancing was wonderful but after 3 days of it we thought we would never get that rhythm out of our heads …… and we had started to tap our feet in rather a strange way. It was probably time to move on.
A lot of this area is like England 50 years ago. No Sunday shopping, no beer in cans? No alcohol sold in grocery stores. 2 TV channels which for some reason often show the same program, 30 minutes delayed, and there are only about 5 different TV Adverts, arhh. There is little internet and even less Wi Fi and not a lot of interest in acquiring it, too busy dancing and singing to get cyber spaced perhaps? Cappuccino, what’s that? mobile phone? Sorry no signal here. There will be one shop in “town” (population 200) that provides absolutely everything. The roads in places are worse than Mexico.
BUT…….. What it does have is peace, space and tranquillity, beautiful coastlines, hiking and safe cycling. Life here is slow and we were definitely slipping into that pace. Another week passed by before we caught the ferry to Nova Scotia.
On our travels we have met many interesting people, but the ones who have inspired and encouraged us the most, before and during our trip, are Kathe & Colleen. You may remember them from the blog “Tales of our Travels” which we sent from Mexico.
We spent a wonderful few days staying with them on their land in the jungle in Calderitas. We certainly intended to meet up with them again in the future
Sadly I have to tell you that On Aug 9th Colleen died from injuries she sustained in April following a bizarre accident. Ultimately Colleen gave her life trying to rescue a friend who had collapsed in the well they were clearing out on their land.
Colleen was a child of the 60s and when we first met her, her free spirit, mischievousness and sense of fun and adventure was overwhelming. Although we only knew her for a short time she has left a lasting impression on our lives.
Our thoughts are with Kathe, who, in time will continue to follow their dream and complete their project in Calderitas.
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Kathe
non-member comment
Thank you
Moi, you had me giggling with your descriptions of the French Canadians and then you had me in tears with your comments about Colleen....she will be missed mightily by all who knew her. I am so glad that you and Graeme got to meet her and hang out with us for those days in Calderitas. On the 26th of October I will cross back into Mexico on the way to the Yucatan. I will have 3 ducklings in tow who want to travel to the Yucatan and keep me company on my lonely journey back to Calderitas. I certainly hope our paths will cross again someday.