17th to 18th of August 2010

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Woke up on Tuesday for a tour of Quebec city. Skipped breakfast as we had too much food the night before
The citedal is beautiful and worth a visit. It is a Unesco world heretage site.
The local guide was excellent and she had a voice that could possibly shatter glass at 50 paces.
After the tour we had time to explore. The department store (Simons) and the railway hotel and roman catholic church.

An early lunch sitting by an open window watching the world go by. Had excellent French onion soup complemented by a great wine. Our waiter had spent time working oposite the English National Opera in London and then lived in Aberwystwth for a year.

Back to the hotel for a freshen up before a tour to the Montmorency falls. Followed by a tour through the old French district. Houses have a winter and a summer entrance. One on the ground floor and one on the first floor. Saw a small tornado forming but it did not thankfully touch down.

Had a delightful dinner in a restaurant converted from an old water mill. Soon it was time to head back to the hotel.
This morning (Wednesday) we had an early start and stopped about an hour on at a maple syrup restaurant which has all you could eat for a fixed price. Great ham, potatoes and egg souffle.
A small demonstration of maple tapping followed. The leaves here are starting to turn red. A sign that Autumn has come.

Arrived in Montreal around midday and posed at the olympic stadium for a group photo. Then picked up a local guide for a city tour.

Like most cities, Montreal has good and bad areas. Afterwards we had a small slightly drunken party at the hotel to say goodbye to those people who are going home or an different tours from here on in. We also had to say goodbye to Bob our driver. He has been without doubt the best dressed most well mannered driver I have had on our travels and an excellent driver.

Tomorrow we have a 5.15am alarm call and our flight leaves for Calgary at 8.10.

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