Washington Day 2 Sightseeing

A much more relaxed start to the day. Art or Blogging till 10.30am then across Calvert Street for breakfast - chorizo scramble and poached egg with salmon and avocado. I was going to order grits but the waiter insisted I try them first - he was right, I did hate them.

We have to leave the delightful Omni Horesham for the Washington Plaza today, our digs for the next two days.

Location:Thomas Cir NW,Washington,United States

Who Dat?

I meant to use this cheer earlier. It could be heard high up in our suite (box) at the NOLA Superdome during the game against the San Diego ????? Whenever Rose or Lillie introduced us we were thanked as ending the Saints 4 game losing streak. "Who dat goin to beat dem Saints?" is their favourite cheer. When the opposition has possession, the home side cheers, jeers and yells to make it hard for the Quarterback to hear the calls. Nasty.

I enjoyed both the live and TV games I watched. There are fewer injuries or fights than NRL or AFL and the game moved quickly. Very hard to follow the ball which is the idea I guess.

Southerners really are different. They are very courteous and engage in conversations at the slightest encouragement (Rose). 55 years of Protestant reserve does not disappear overnight though.

Tess is impatient for me to move to the gate. I will upload photos later.



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Location:World Way,Los Angeles,United States

Donning Instructions

I love that expression. Unlike the relatively Hi-tech jackets aboard an aeroplane, those aboard the Steamboat Natchez were definitely


the time one would "don" as the water rose over the bow. Our 11.30 river cruise down the Mississippi lacked the promised jazz but still filled a gap in our list of experiences.

Another excellent live commentary - the US don't seem to go in for the impersonal recorded commentaries you get in Australia and elsewhere - as we paddled down the Mississippi, around Algeria Point (200 feet of water and a sharp bend) beside various factories and refineries. New Orleans is certainly more working port than Sydney these days.

The sun was hot but the boat sensibly provided ample shade. It was built way back in 1975 but uses a steam engine taken from a 1914 vessel that was converted to something else. It is entirely paddle wheel powered although as we returned to dock, I heard the skipper mention "thrusters" which was a bit of a give away. Still, mostly authentic.

Earlier, we had been chauffeured to Lillie's work downtown and wandered the old quarter near Canal Street. Some lovely hotels, galleries, jewelry shops and boutiques I could imagine locals - as opposed to tourists - visiting.

That evening, we dined with Rose and Lillie and Katie and Kerry at Arnaud's, a classy institution with high ceilings and tiled floors. Seafood dominates the menu as usual although I sampled some veal as well as crab cake and ?????? Rose had an amazing coffee desert called Cafe Brulot which involved the peel of an orange and lots of liqueurs and flame. Pictures to follow.





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Location:22nd St,New Orleans,United States

Notes from New Orelans

Awoke here to the alarming sound of gunfire - deer hunters nearby - soon followed by a cacophony of barking. Not hunting hounds - some neighbours just like keeping dogs. Why not seven?

I'm not sure whether hunters are over represented in mass homicide statistics or not but for me, it is a suspect activity and not a sport. I felt uneasy on the few occasions I have chatted with hunters. Anyone with ready access to a range of weapons - and I include crossbows high up that list - makes my skin crawl. Guess I'll have to resign from the NRA!

Walking through this woodland to the not-so-distant sound of gunfire, I could not imagine Robert Frost writing "The Road Not Taken" here. Not that a Louisiana forest is without its charms. The trees are not as colourful or arranged in neat rows but there are plenty of birds and the sound of crickets greeted us last night as we arrived after our meal at the Magnolia Cafe. Rose had the shrimp poboy, Tess and Lillie burgers of some description and I chose the pork chop for my gouty toe, avoiding the cajun spices that predominate in dishes around these parts.

I have not been blogging much because we have been busy. Yesterday, Rose drove us through the lower 9th Quarter, devastated by 25 feet of water when the Industrial levee nearby broke during Katrina. Various housing projects (thanks Branjolina and Jimmy Carter) have slowly brought life back to the neighbourhood but there are still signs of the ravages of flood. Rose was surprised at how much building had occurred and later showed us the Musician's neighbourhood on the other side of the bridge which had been built courtesy of Harry Connick Junior, son of the former DA.

Then for contrast, she drove up and around the St Charles Street "quarter". Here were your southern mansions - some already decorated for Halloween - lining the route of Mardi Gras. Beads were visible hanging off trees and fences where they had missed their targets. Plenty of professionals live and practise in this area. There is a lovely Bayou running through parts of it.

St Francisville is about a two hour drive from New Orleans although traffic around the capital, Baton Rouge can add hours apparently. The cabin is hardly primitive as photos of the twin satellite dishes at the front will show when I manage to upload them. All the comforts of home. Rose stocked the many bird feeders nearby and this morning I tried unsuccessfully to photograph some of the small birds feeding nearby. No dear despite her generous sprinkling of corn. I ran in to a nearby who said they were probably lying low given the hunters. Don't blame them. I have no confidence that stray bullets will not come my way.

We spend another night here then it is back to New Orleans for a big Sunday dinner with Lillie's family. Then a leisurely pack before catching the 4.45pm to LAX and the 9.35pm to SYD. Another wonderful trip is drawing to a close. We are a lucky generation.

Photos to follow.




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Location:St Francisville,United States

Salem

We made an early start under blue skies yesterday for Salem. It involved catching the T from Symphony (Green Line) to Haymarket where we transferred to the Orange Line which took us to North Station. Here we bought a commuter rail ticket for the Rockport Line which led to Salem. There were plenty of tourists along for the ride.

We wanted to visit Salem because we teach The Crucible, Arthur Miller's play about the hysteria surrounding the witch trials and Senator McCarthy's anti-communist crusade of the 1950s. So 30 minutes later we arrived at a typical US station - rather neglected even by Australian standards - and followed the crowd towards the town. I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew it would be more than the small village of the 1690s of the play but the reality was rather disappointing at first.

While we posed for a silly, Good-Luck-Yr12- photo in front of a Salem sign, we heard a noise just like a prison door closing from the movies. We discovered it was the pedestrian crossing signal in these parts. An awful noise but given the large prison population in the States, perhaps just conditioning??

Given the volume of tourists, the town is well sign posted. Our first stop should have been a lovely ice cream shop (due to delays it was now midday, time for some food!) but instead we walked a way in the sun to the Salem Witch House, one of many tourist traps to avoid and the main business for the town given the American Halloween tradition. We then made our way to the excellent touirst information office where a kindly old gentlemen from National Parks gave us some good tips for teachers wanting to know the real history of the town.

Salem holds an important place in American history quite separate from the unfortunate witch trials of 1692. It was the Colony's largest port before New York and Boston overtook it as it silted up. Because of trade with the West Indies and England, Salem became an early battleground in the American Revolution and the Harbour we visited shows off this proud heritage.

Most of those accused of Witchcraft came from the neighbouring Salem Village, now called Danvers. A visit will have to wait for next trip (Salem would make a good base for a car tour of New England) but what remains of the larger town after the fire of 1914 is still impressive in places - lovely historic buildings of the Federal period. They look Georgian to me.

 Salem Bank

 Salem Tree

 Bewitched filmed here too

 Bored Ferry Passenger

 Peabody Maritime Museum

 Best address in town

 One of the accused

 They love Halloween

 Ivy League

 210mm telephoto

 Logan Airport

 Old Graveyard, Salem

 Old Town Hall, now Museum

 Good Luck Year 12!

 Lovely Harbor

 Kitch

 Great Lunch

 Hard to avoid

Tired Tess

In fact, Tess is having a morning to herself while I explore more of the city and its sights. Like NYC and Washington, we have barely touched the surface. Friendly people too - we met more than I needed on the return T last night! Need conductors.

Saw the city lights last night from atop the Prudential Tower before dining at the 5 Napkins Burger joint nearby. Tess enjoyed her lamb burger. I had hotdogs. Chow!

Loud Noises and Disappointments

Resting and recovering here in our spacious room - more motel than hotel in feel - with a Becks and G&T after a late morning T and stroll along Boston's Harbor. Tess is suffering from headaches so we are not pushing ourselves hard. The weather is damply overcast again - tall buildings disappear in the fog.

Bought a weekly ticket for the T and local buses for just $18 from a very friendly employee. If only Sydney had such a ticket. Hopped out at Hay-market for an enjoyable walk to the ferry wharfs and decided to train to Salem tomorrow morning and ferry back. Better than an organised tour from our hotel which would cost more, involve a long trip in a cramped coach, picking up other passengers across town, listening to info I know already from a desperately cheery guide/driver and having to add a tip at the end of it all.

Listening to my iphone which is really just an expensive ipod on this trip. Sounds remarkably good in this room though so no need for any speakers. Which brings me to the title.

We arrived at Back Bay station yesterday around 4pm and caught a cab the very short distance to our hotel. A tenner included a sizable tip! After staying in swish hotels all trip this one is disappointing. Well located and with lots of parking but more a local haunt or backpacker place than our style these days. The Desk was slow to welcome us as they were placing a dinner order for themselves at the time. The old carpets smelt of tobacco, the smoke detector was smoke yellow and overall, our room was disappointing. Then the earth started to tremble as downstairs turned on their AC. The Manager assured us he knew how to solve the problem so we went out and returned to a quiet room ..... until 10.30pm when I turned in after watching the Debate.

Before that, however, we had wandered downtown a little then made our way back to the Prudential Centre for dinner at Legal Seafood, everywhere in Boston. They were busy so we took a beeper and went to the Bar for a pre-dinner drink. Unfortunately, while I went the the washroom, Tess, perhaps in a pre-headache moment of confusion, told the waitress we would eat perched on high stools (which she hates) where we sat. It was too late to change when I returned which meant we ate seafood tasting batter perched uncomfortably on stools in a noisy bar with a woman next to us TALKING at the top of her voice to her companion. Despite the noise in the bar, I can tell you she had worked for KPMG and disliked "pert" Sally who did ........ !!!!! On and on:-((((((

Can't say which was worse on the box - the Debate or Dirty Dancing. I tended to switch to the movie when slippery Mitt was speaking. The debate was not helped by the Debate commission allowing PBS's old Lerner too much say in the format which was dull and encouraged rote answers. I didn't learn much from it except that Romney would be disastrous for the planet if he won.

Back to bed and suddenly the ground started shaking, and not for exciting reasons but the AC below again. Very tired, I phoned the Desk and to cut a long story short, we moved all our luggage at 11pm to a quieter room. You can still hear the neighbours through the walls and the plumbing but we slept until a yelling match this morning, possibly between the manager and the guest from the room below us with the noisy AC. There were yells about punching and lawyers but no gunshots. It seems the sort of place - not quite a dive - that might have witnessed its share of gun homicide in the past but when all is said and done, we just need a room. A fridge would be nice though. It does have a pizza vending machine though:)

The wifi will only allow one machine so Tess is on. Will add some photos and upload tomorrow.





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Location:Mid Town Boston

Always Read the (red) Fine Print

Sitting in the first class Amtrak lounge waiting for my first US train trip, a 6 hour to Boston. Weather is overcast and very muggy but I hope the views will be good.

Last night before the tour, we snatched a quick drink and Nachos upstairs in Union Station, thinking it was Happy hour as the sign below indicated. However, when our bill arrived we discovered our mistake, too quickly pointed out by our server to be rare. It was only happy hour prices if served at the bar (the bit in faint red on the sign). I left him a buck as a tip.



DC by Night tour was well worth it. Our driver/guide with an encyclopedic knowledge of DC barely drew breath as he detailed a million facts about the memorials, museums and other sights we were witnessing. And lots of tips on where to find free parking. God knows how he can drive as well, given that he holds the mike with one hand! In Oz, they would make do with a pre-recorded, far less personal tour. Nice.

We had wondered if it might be an open top coach like our hop on tours but we needn't have worried. The last two days here have been warm and wet.

Lighting certainly adds to these white marble monuments which the designers of the Vietnam and Martin Luther memorials forgot.

The Korean was even spookier at night with the reflections of the statues. Vietnam was just a dark walk. No contest between the two.

Jefferson was spectacular but a bit Greco Roman for me. School kids everywhere last night in their obligatory blue T-Shirts. Note the no handguns sign on the door at the entrance to the washrooms at Jefferson. Only in ....

The new Martin Luther memorial was designed by a Chinese sculptor and we thought Martin had a bit of a Mao look to him. I didn't like the massive stone style either - more suited to megalomaniacs like Stalin and Mao than Baptist preachers. I would sack the design committee.


FDR's 4 rooms for four terms was underwhelming. Another bright idea that should have been discarded by the selection panel. Perhaps it looks better in the daytime. Tess was suffering fatigue so we did not dawdle. Caught a cab to Union Station each way which was probably an expensive mistake due to traffic, much like our dining experience.



Just pulling in to New Haven. The train trip has been disappointing scenery wise but enjoyable otherwise. Nothing like a little bubbly with breakfast! And while the free meals are more economy than first class, the drinks keep coming! It was an expensive ticket but we deserve spoiling:) Two hours will see us arrive at south station, Boston and hopefully an easy ride to our Mid Town Hotel. Tess wants to see Salem but otherwise we are pretty open to offers as the Tour gave us a good taste of Boston.


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Location:1st St NE,Washington,United States

Exhaustion sets in

Visiting Dignitaries, The White House, DC


Flopped in the Lobby of this palatial hotel after a loong day of sightseeing in Washington. The weather is perfect and headed hotter - 86F on Wednesday which probably puts an end to our chances of catching Autumn colour in Boston. We need cold.



Touching my lucky penny at Lincoln's feet.
After 2 weeks living out of suitcases and changing rooms each night, tiredness set in with a vengeance today. We began late, at 8.20am with an excellent 4 hour tour of the monuments and history with a local guide. A quiet Sunday was ideal for wandering through Arlington Cemetery, the Korean and Vietnam war memorials (I'm with the critics on the latter),



Gen. RL Lee's former pad before he deserted the Northern cause.



Eerie statue reflection, Korean War Memorial, DC

Location:Calvert St NW,Washington,United States

Fumble, Bumble and Incompetant

We have arrived in Washington, DC but will not be touring FBI headquarters on this visit. I don't think such tours interest Todd and I'm with him. We are yet to see the buildings we came to see but we are in a lovely hotel - Clinton's inaugural ball, etc - and the restaurant has a verandah overlooking a lovely garden - perfect for our G&T this afternoon. Just across the road. our dinner tonight was friendly and affordable - much like the tour, really.

I commented to Tess that our group was solid retired middle class. The UK tourists are impressively well traveled. No doctors, lawyers, dentists or politicians on junkets - few of them would travel this way I think but no reasonable person could complain about the accommodation or question the value for money. We have coal miners, machinists, surveyors, teachers, IT engineers - all sorts - and all lovely to chat to over a coffee or in the bus. I would be happy doing another. I'm not sure about Tess.

We left our comfortable hotel in Harrisburg about 25 minutes late due to a baggage handling issue which infuriated Todd but amused the minimum wage workers. What do they expect for the money they offer? Harvard grads??

Our first stop was at a fake Amish village but the tour was informative. Our guide Don's neighbours are both Amish and due to their lifestyle choice - farming dawn to dusk then f*%$ing all night without contraception - friendly and quiet but he had let his own home to a couple "Shunned" for attending Bible classes which he thought harsh. The Bishops don't like anyone in the congregation reading on their own! The Amish philosophy is a relic of the past and built on intolerance and hypocrisy. They won't use electricity but are happy for oil or gas powered compressors to drive a pneumatic line in their homes which allows for modern conveniences. They refuse education past Year 8 and so have to rely on "English" - their insult for all other people - to save them from illnesses. The poor women working in the pickle shop looked far from happy with their lot but they breed rapidly. I have no time for such hypocrites.

They do live in some lovely country though, part of the Pennsylvania Dutch area, so named because parochial US immigration officials misheard Deutschland and Deutsch for Dutch and so the poor migrants became known. We visited an old grist mill and simple family home and I took some photos of quaint vehicles and the time passed agreeably enough.

We're now watching "Independence Day". Actually, Tess is sleeping soundly and as it is 10.30pm and I have no wifi, I will soon be joining her. I might call it "going Amish":)

Tomorrow is a late start (8) and no bags. We tour the capital and then our tour ends. One more night in the Shoreham and then we move to the Washington Plaza to begin our independent tours of Washington and Boston. Before we know it, we'll be in New Orleans!

Ciao!

Location:Calvert St NW,Washington,United States

Gettysburg

Arose earlier than usual today and managed to be the second coach across the Border back into the USA at Niagara Falls. Thus began a drive south that lasted from 7am until 7pm. A few grumblings for the passengers but I am content as long as someone else is doing the driving, organising and worrying. And Todd spends a lot of time on the mobile arranging things and finessing the schedule. I don't know what people expect for the money we pay.

There are many interesting stories on the bus. I plan to record some of them in a final entry when I have time in Washington. 4 days in one place will seem such luxury, even if I MUST write my Yr11 reports.

We drove a solid 2.5 hours through upstate New York (very pretty) and along the Susquehanna River to Harrisburg, capital of Pennsylvania.Todd outlined the many reasons why you would not want to live in Buffalo, former rival to New York City, chief being "Lake Effect" snowfalls, felling branches that result in power cuts of 30-60 days a year. Like most of the cold bits of the USA and Canada, it's a nice place to visit in the short summer but why would you live there if you had a choice?????

We stopped at Coach stops for "de-watering" and shopping along the way but their names escape me although I may have taken photos with clues. I like Kohl's but Todd would not have got the joke. Lunch was ......??????? somewhere. Either side of lunch, we watched "Gettysburg" starring Martin Sheen beneath Gen. RL Lee's beard. It was designed to give us a picture of what happened but as a movie it was woeful. It gave new meaning to the word, "ponderous." Watch it yourself and see if I'm wrong.

Finally, after 3pm, we arrived at the Visitor Centre at Gettysburg for "de-watering" primarily. Then we finally had our tour with Todd. We stopped at several statue/plaque stops around the battlefield. I guess in a sense of reconciliation, both the film and the military memorial glorified Lee and what was an unadulterated military disaster, not to mention a senseless waste of life. Australians would think Gallipoli. Heroic failure at best. The tour managed to give me a sense of the geography which only being there can do. That is what the complaints about the bus miss, I think. Yes we rush through everything - it is a whistle stop tour but that still has value.

Our hotel tonight is perfect - big, its own Irish Pub with edible and well priced food, a pool, free wifi and quiet rooms with good facilities. And for what we paid for this tour.....

Tomorrow, Amish Country, a slower pace and on to Washington for 4 nights. Luxury! The weather was unsuited to photography today, starting with rain and never losing overcast skies. Will include a few later though.

Location:E Park Dr,Harrisburg,United States

Chairman Miao

Warning: The following entry was written Under the Affluence of Incohol.
There is no other entry for the day.
Charlie's quip for the morning as we drove through Toronto's Chinatown - a restaurant called, Chairman Meow.


Greetings from the Crowne Plaza, Falls View, Room 626 with a view of the garage if you climb over the double bed dominating said space. Not the biggest room I've ever slept in but then some people apparently make do with a bath so who is to complain for the price and location.

A lot of water flows over Niagara Falls. Forgive me for getting all David Attenboroughy on you but nature's majesty and all that ...... It's quite loud but so was that river in Banff. It remains a sight to tick off. Do the Maid of the Mist. If I could upload video or stills - expensive wifi here - you might oooh and ahh too.

Forgive the prose. Typical tour bus meal at 2pm up the Skylon Tower before FINALLY getting on the water (We'd done the Floral Clock and Niagara on the Lake before hand) led to a late cheese plate on the 10th floor here with a bottle of Chilean red. Not the recipe for anything other than bad Joyce.

Very bad.

Still enjoying the group, the Guide and the Driver, although given his age and smoking habit and the fact Americans work until they drop, Tess is concerned about our driver making it to Washington, let alone his final destination of Miami. Todd has been on the road since late May so they work bloody hard. We chatted to lots of new people today who have been hiding down the back of the bus. We move three rows back towards the rear tomorrow as aprt of the rotation which has suited us so far. We also chatted to some folk from Geelong tonight in the bar who are on Bus 3. I teased them about the Swans as though I cared!

The cloud and iTunes Match has a lot to answer for as far as music on this iPad. The Playlists pick up on obscure music the kids ripped YEARS ago. I keep hitting next track until I find something I know. Candle in the Wind at present.

Speaking of children, I have a US$50 iTunes card for the first descendant to leave a COMMENT on my blog. The code word is Inheritance!

Tomorrow we leave 30 minutes earlier than usual - 7am - in order to defeat US Customs. Traffic builds quickly here and Todd assures me this is THE side to view the Falls. If I were in the US it would not deter me from visiting them on the US side and saving the hassle of Customs. There are some good sights south of the border and the maid still runs.

We travel through Pennsylvania tomorrow (I think) and visit Gettysburg before holing up in Harrisburg. Included breakfast! Then we do the Amish and Washington, leaving the Tour and doing our own thing there and in Boston before our final week in NOLA. Look it up.

Drinking is a problem on these tours, mainly because it comes all in a rush in the hotel room. We enjoyed a civilised glass of wine at lunch but since then, a Grand Marnier miniature, a Moulson beer, the aforementioned bottle of Chilean Merlot and then back again for the port I bought in NYC which is now in a Aquafina bottle. Not for long. And that does not include the can of beer I had chilled but not consumed due to time constraints.

Frank Sinatra is crooning "Under My Skin" which must mean bedtime. Another great day which I hope to share with my loyal Followers and perhaps the odd child when next I find WiFi at an affordable price.

Goodbye Canada, Hello again, USA.

Location:It's in Toronto but I'm in Niagara

Here Before Christ

A long day of driving along the northern shore of Lake Ottawa. Leaving Montreal, which is probably an easy city to live in rather than a beautiful or historic one like Quebec. We drove for two hours to Ottawa for a loo stop at Parliament and then a brunch stop downtown. No town in Canada is without an outpost of the Hudson Bay Company which pre-dates Canada by many years, hence the nickname, HBC.

Boarded our Canada built Prevost bus (Volvo engine) at the Totem Pole and drove a long way to our Thousand Islands tour - a ferry ride around Sydney Harbour would blow their minds if they consider their lakes special. They have built some interesting homes including Astor's unfinished castle for his wife who died before completion.

We then drove, apparently as I slept, for another few hours until we reached the Big Apple. See photos. Tess just loved the cooked apple options!

After a two hour drive we arrived here in Toronto. Lovely clean and modern city. Another good room although their AC is noisy again. Good view of the CN Tower. Nice pizza for dinner.

Tomorrow we stop in Niagara village and then on to the Falls. Looking forward to it as well as a morning coffee with free wifi at Tom Hortons to upload this entry.

Location:Sheraton Expensive wifi Toronto

If this is Tuesday, this must be .....

Greetings from the Days Inn, Montreal. Just back after an optional evening tour and dinner at 10.25pm with a 6.30am breakfast - so don't expect a long entry of witty prose. Besides, you guys are asleep now. I hope to skype a few people tomorrow from Toronto when we are in for the evening.

Tess is busy playing Words with Friends while I type, sipping 2010 Louis Eschenauer Bordeaux. Cheap at $15 and reminiscent of many Australian Cab Savs. I would like to try another glass of my Founders Reserve Porto as I hate having glass in the luggage but there is only so much I can drink in a night. The room is on the 5th floor and for the price we paid for the tour, roomy and comfortable. Since I gave Tess my sore throat, I'm glad of the extra double bed:)

Began at 7.30 with a great obligatory tour of Quebec by a local guide - from Holland! She took her job seriously and gave us plenty of history but the most interesting snippet was that she loved the dry cold compared with Europe's warmer but damper cold. The old historic part of town is steep but easily navigable and warrants a longer stay. Put it on your list. The locals don't like speaking English but of course need the tourists. We ate like locals yesterday, buying cheese and wine from a supermarket and eating in our room.

After a good morning in Quebec city, we headed out on the road to Monreal - that's how Todd and the French pronounce it. After a couple of hours of driving across flat farmland, we stopped at a Macdonalds for lunch and an hour later, arrived in the old port of Montreal. As Charlie navigated the roadworks entering the city, he quipped that Canada has only two seasons, Winter and Construction. I liked that.

We wandered freely for an hour or so while the bus took our luggage to our hotel (I love that bit) and actually bought a CD from a busker, some postcards and maple syrup in fancy bottles. The cobble stone old town is even easier to negotiate and the natives proved friendly. We barely had time for a shower and a Grolsch before heading off on the night tour, the highlight being the Basilica of St Joseph's, one of the largest in Canada. Very impressive and Todd had timed it for sunset too. It annoys me that I can't place photos in as I type this - maybe next time I will have one of those wifi SD cards, or just a decent phone!

Dinner tonight was excellent - steak - and the old folk we shared with were interesting. Some Aussies and others from Chester way. We all are well travelled. There are two old brothers from Denmark, both doctors who inherited their father's medical practice. Their Mum was a doctor too and one had married a doctor! Lovely old "pensioners". Plenty of good stories on this trip.

Will close now. The port is yet to kick in but I'm sure I will soon sleep soundly - for 7 hours:)
Adieu and Bon Nuit.

Location:Rue Sainte Élisabeth,Montreal,Canada

Fifth Columnist - # 2

New York to Boston

The advantage of arriving early for departure is that in one sense it lessens anxiety but not so at The Sheraton. For early arrival plus a large coffee meant of course a visit to restrooms prior to departure. Unfortunately I had just heard a scolding directed by reception at one of the tour leaders and a traveler in his care. THOSE JOINING THE PARTY TODAY WHO ARE NOT GUESTS ARE NOT TO USE THE FACILITIES OF THIS HOTEL. Really, how petty is that. But I have learned to learn from the mistakes of others and so with stealth and deception I left the lobby for the WC cleverly hidden away from marauders such as us on the 2nd floor. And where was Rob in my moment of need? Missing. Gone to buy some aspirin. Typical!

And so to Boston - what did we expect? Well New England historical and conservative, more British than the British which is paradoxical given The Tea Party and of course Harvard. And really amidst the modern we found it. Beacon Hill, Harvard and buildings throughout the centre and which border the park provided all that we expected. At times, with its alley ways it felt like Melbourne and then we would turn into areas very reminiscent of an English Village.

Rob wandered off into the darkness of Harvard, but I felt too exhausted after NY to walk another step. And so I remained in the quiet company of others to enjoy the village feel of this part of Boston and consider how the narrow shop front, the students cycling, the small pubs perhaps had taken form from images of other university towns,
Hopefully, when we return it will be to explore the waterways, narrow laneways and learned paths together.

Until I have more energy.

Location:Secret

Canada is more a Climate than a Country

Okay, the title is probably a cheap and alliterative shot by an American but when Todd explained some of the measures Quebecois take, like other Canadians to endure their long Winter, it makes you see some truth in it. We arrived in Quebec by traversing the mighty St Lawrence River and to imagine it frozen is difficult for an Aussie.
I am going to write more tonight because we declined the optional tour to the Sugar Shack tonight. It was a long day (pity the driver) and we checked in at 6pm after a day on the road. The excursion - according to Todd - would explain more to us about the production of Maple Syrup than we would ever want to know. He was quite pleased for people to opt out - I think only one coach out of three set off at 7pm.


The Hotel Universale, Quebec, looks like yesterday's Holiday Inn in Boston. I had to take the shot below though for obvious reasons. Not the cinema for a nervous first date, I suspect.



The day started at 6.30am with bags out for collection (I love that!) then a traffic free journey north to the State Capital of New Hampshire. It has a large legislature because members are not paid. According to Todd, the Tour Director, this leads to a preponderance of retired or wealthy "representatives" who don't do all that much. I remember the state motto still from 2007 - Live Free or Die, with some crossed rifles below. Otherwise, it seems such a civilised state. The Legislature is an impressive building.


Lillie and Rose had shown us the White Mountains on that visit so we knew we would enjoy the drive. The colour was sparse but like our fellow travelers, other issues often determine the timing of a visit. My classroom looks out over a plane tree so I get something of the idea each year anyway. The Franconia Notch featured some of the best views for early leaf peepers like ourselves.



After another "de-watering" stop, to use Todd's euphemism, we lunched at a scenic restaurant beside a lake whose name escapes me. They coped with two buses well using a ticket system - dark green was soup and half sandwich. Tess had a chicken salad that included raw cauliflower and broccoli. As young Jason said later, you take your roughage where you can in the States. He and partner Melissa are the only unwed couple and must feel strange - he says he is too old for Contiki but they are too young for this one. More later.



We stopped at an excellent duty free store and picked up some Grand Marnier miniatures. Then it was through Border Control and during the looong drive to Quebec, Todd played the game of "tell us about yourselves" to pass the time. Tess was mortified - she likes privacy. Fortunately for her, I was on the aisle, as indeed were most of the men, so I made the journey to the mike.



The English outnumbered us and were funnier, I have to admit. We had one couple celebrating 63 years of marriage and another two 50. You see what I mean about Jason and "partner"? They take it well. Jokes about being there for the sex don't ring true these days, more's the pity:(((
[Warning: boring tech tip ahead] One reason for the lack of pictures is the demand on free wifi. Successful uploads like yesterday's entry take finessing.



Coach Tours are a compromise. This is dirt cheap for what we see, cover, sleep and experience. The group is more than pleasant company and Todd and Charlie, excellent and amusing guides. Tess has not warmed to our Director yet and we did have an outstanding one in Germany but Todd is thoroughly professional and possesses a quite wicked sense of humour. He was cagey about revealing anything about himself when it was his turn on the mike but he sounds like a blend of the MC at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe and Mr Kidd from "Diamonds are Forever" when he speaks so I suspect he is Gay but cannot tell, like in the US military. Given that his voice is the one we will hear most in the coming days, I'm glad it is easy on the ear.
Our final de-watering stop was in Quebec, the National Capital. Even the official road signs here push separatism! Rather than experience the Sugar Shack or retreat to MacPizzaFC we wandered through the local supermarket gathering French style for the night's meal. I wanted to drink the red we had bought back in NYC rather than carry it further in the luggage and risk having it break so fromage and pate were tonight's meal. The diesel outside the window suggests the excursion is over - at just 9.27pm.



We have an obligatory local tour of Quebec tomorrow morning (Todd's description) which I look forward to before retracing some of our steps to Montreal. We have paid for the night tour and dinner there which I look forward to.


Some pics to follow when Tess let's me on her computer (the iPad is hopeless at handling photos).

Location:Chemin Sainte Foy,,Canada

Boston

Outside the Sheraton Tribeca, Canal Street, NYC. Got there at 6am!


After a wonderful week uptown in the Beacon, we hailed a cab on Broadway and raced down through the empty Sunday morning streets to our Tour rendezvous. $20 including tip and we had heaps of time to spare. I worry too much about travel days.



Our first view of Boston looked familiar - although there are more historic buildings left to vary the skyline.



The Quincy Markets were a sensible place to deliver 3 coach loads of hungry travelers. We seem to be part of a convoy but at least we are the lead bus.



This is Todd our Tour Director. I don't believe in revealing personal information online so the goss will cost you a beer or two on my return. The truth will cost you dinner!


We drove past the actual bar later that day.



Trying to get Facebook to work.


This Hall witnessed many anti British rants back in the 1770s. Nice old hall but lousy acoustics.



Downtown Boston felt like a big version of The Rocks. Nice.



Paul Revere did this dome in copper originally.



Paid a quick visit on the way to dinner.


And made a dash across the Harvard Yard.



Harvard's left boot polished from superstitious visitors over the years.



Could be in England, not New England.



Except for the march of progress everywhere.
Day 2, Quebec!!!!

Location:Beacon St,Brookline,United States