An AWESOME night in Halifax

If I gave you $1000 to pursue ANY idea, what would you do?

The possibilities are as endless as they are awesome.

While in Halifax, I was introduced to The Awesome Foundation. And by geez does it live up to its name. Barney Stinson would be proud. Here's how it works in a nutshell:

• Each chapter has a board of Awesome Trustees. The trustees put in money each month to make $1000.


• People submit their awesome ideas of how they would spend $1000.


• The trustees consider the ideas and pick a winner.


• The winner gets $1000 to make their idea happen.

I was in town for the May Grant Event of the Halifax chapter. A total of 25 people submitted ideas this month. Finalists were then chosen to present their ideas to the trustees and anyone and everyone, including me, a random Australian CouchSurfer in town for just three nights. These four ideas were pitched on Thursday night:



Permanent Ping Pong: Veronica wants to build a concrete ping pong table in Victoria Park so people can play ping pong when ever and with who ever they like. The money would be used build the table.

Tulipmania: Sam lives on Tulip St in Dartmouth, across the river from Halifax. This spring, he has a gorgeous bed of tulips blooming in that little useless patch of lawn between the road and the footpath. His idea is that next spring, EVERY house on the five-block long Tulip St will have a bed of tulips out the front. He also put out the challenge to residents of Rose St and Dahlia St to join in. The $1000 would be spent on bulbs.

Wish You Well: The Canadian penny is on the way out but Renee would like to farewell it in style by hold a huge wishing well day. The event would attempt to create a world record for the most wishes made. Money would also go to Make-A-Wish. The $1000 would be used to organise the event, buy pennies, and the remainder going to the charity.



Digital Scavenger Hunt: Regina and her sisters want to hold a great big scavenger hunt in the city. Teams would have to go take photos of things, or of them doing things etc. The money would go to organising and prize money.

Veronica, Sam, Renee and Regina & Co pitched their ideas. There was excitement, posterboards, storytelling and tulips. The trustees asked questions, the crowd asked questions; it was good fun. There are chapters around the world. I was pleased to note it's kicking around in Sydney and Melbourne. You can never have too much awesomeness in the world.

So who won? Well next spring, if you're in Dartmouth, drive down Tulip St and visit the fruits (well flowers) of Sam's idea. Awesome.

Quebec: Exploring beyond the city

One recommendation for my time in Quebec City was to visit Montmorency Falls. I paid little attention to the suggestion at the time assuming any attraction like that would be a trek out of the city, and being sans car, that's a problem.

But my visit to the tourist infomation centre the other day paid off. Not only was there a bus travelling to the falls every 10 minutes, it only took about half and hour and cost $3 each way.

After leaving my luggage at the station (travelling with ViaRail has been great), I bought some lunch from the supermarket and caught the next #800 bus. The falls was the last stop, but I disembarked to no signage at all. But I could hear the water so followed a little gravel track in that direction. A few hundred metres later I was at the suspension bridge. The water wasn't great, but I put up with the rain and walked down the stairs on the edge of the cliff to view the falls from the bottom. They are 30-metres higher than Niagara, but not as wide. Waterfalls fascinate me a little. I'm always amazed at how much water continues to flow down the rivers to sustain the power of the falls. And how quickly the river calms at the bottom.



I followed the walkway, which was wet with both rain and the spray from the falls, around to the cable car station. I saw pictures of the falls in winter - it would be a pretty amazing sight. I ate my lunch then it was up the cable car to the top!

Back in the city I decided to check one last thing off my list. I really wanted to see the Old Town from the water. When walking through it, it's hard to get a good view of what you're in the middle of. There are so many levels! The Quebec-Levis ferry runs regularly across the St Lawrence River. I was going over at a peak time so only had to wait 10-minutes on the other side before the 15-minute trip back.



I would have loved to do this at dusk or night, but it was beautiful anyway. The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is such a dominating presence in the landscape. I just love the little pointy buildings too!

My little teacup gets a little wet

My last day in Quebec city and my little SGTC teacup had yet to make an outing.

So I packed it up and on the bus to Montmorency Falls we went. The falls are about 12km from the centre of Quebec City and the bus there only takes about 30 minutes. It wasn't a nice day, but I walked the stairs down the side of one of the cliffs adjoining the falls to admire them from below. Although not as an impressive sight as Niagara, these are in fact higher (they have 30 metres on the world-famous falls). I'm always in awe at just how powerful waterfalls are.

The little teacup posed for some pictures on the edge of one of the viewing points. I'll admit I was a tad concerned for its safety....the railing wasn't wide and it was windy! It survived, albeit a little wet from the rain and the spray from the falls.



 

CouchSurfing and party crashing in Quebec

I'm a big advocate of CouchSurfing and this little recount of my weekend in Quebec explains why. The generousity and hospitality I received from not just my host, but complete strangers, was incredible. And lots of fun.

In Quebec I'm staying with Juan and his lovely pointing griffon Kelvin. Seriously - best behaved dog ever. On Saturday afternoon I met Juan at his place to head to his friend's birthday. I asked what I should take and he warns me we might not be coming back that night. I ask if we need to get any food or anything to drink and the reply is nope, it's all waiting for us. We pick up some people on the way - one has to ride in the back with Kelvin - and drive about 40-minutes out of the city.

We arrive at this house in god-knows-where. Honestly, I have no idea where we were. But it was a big house, with a huge block backing onto woods. And the party is in full swing. There's food out, kids are running around and randomly Britney Spears is playing on the CD player. I'm not the only ring-in: Juan has some friends up from Montreal and another workmate has brought his girlfriend, who doesn't know anyone either. But regardless we are welcomed with open arms and fed lobster. Lots and lots of lobster. I met so many great people, understood more conversation than usual because a lot was in English, and had a fabulous time.

As the night winds up around a fire we are shown into the basement where our hosts help us set up camping mattresses and sleeping bags. I'm ashamed to say I can't even remember the names of the people we were staying with. Just too many new faces. But when one asks who the CouchSurfer is I put up my hand and he returns with the cushions off the couch for me to sleep on. Very sweet.

In the morning we wake up to breakfast: bread and spreads and cereal and juice all waiting for us. We eat out on the deck in the sun before heading off around mid-morning.

Of the ones who stayed, about half had never met our hosts before. And for me, well I was just some random who had no connection to anyone. But regardless, we were treated like family and it was wonderful.

Back in Quebec City, we head out for Columbian for lunch (there are three Columbians in our group) and then walk through the Old City before relaxing in a park until it gets a bit chilly for us.

To have Juan, my host, agree to have me stay and then include me in this (it was his birthday too last week so the party was a bit of a joint celebration) was really sweet. And then to have these strangers welcome me, feed me and take me in for the night was incredibly generous.

It just goes to show there are some really wonderful people out there and this weekend I felt really lucky to meet some of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucie's List: Three days in Montreal

As is often the way on the road, you rock up in a city with little, if any, idea of what you should do or see. In some cities it's obvious. But in others I've needed a little help. Montreal fell into the latter category. I'd heard it was beautiful and was interested enough to go there. I knew they spoke French, but that was the extent of my knowledge of Quebec's largest city.

This is when knowing a local helps. My friend Lucie, who is French, but has only lived in Montreal on and off over the past year, put together the following list of things I should see in Montreal over my three days.

• Old Montreal. For the Old Port, Notre Dame Cathedral and archaeological museum. On the Orange Line (Champ-de-Mars or Place dÁrmes). I spent hours walking around Old Montreal. I loved the cobblestone streets lined with cafes, galleries and boutiques. Lucie suggested going inside the Notre Dame, but since I'd seen inside the one in Paris and am soon off to Italy to see more churches than I can count, I gave it a miss. I have heard it is amazing though.


• Mont Royal street and Mont Royal (the mountain). It is the French (from France) neighbourhood and very touristy. Orange Line (Mont Royal) then bus #11 to Mont Royal Mountain. You should do exactly what we did: pack a picnic and enjoy it at the top while the sun sets over the city. Beautiful.

• St Catherine Street. One or the main streets downtown with shops and restaurants. Green line (Peel or McGill). If you want the city centre and shopping, this is it. It's worth a visit if only to enjoy the contrast from the old town.


• St Denis Street Another typical street. Lots of bars and restaurants. Orange, Green or Yellow Line. (Berri UQAM). I explored this street at night and wish I hadn't have had dinner and was in the mood for a drink. It's lots of fun.


• Parc Jean-Drapeau: The island of St Helen with an awesome view on the Old Montreal, across the St Laurent River. Huge park! Yellow line (Jean Drapeau). Ah sitting on the edge of the river watching the sun set. I could have fell asleep here. It was so peaceful and beautiful.

• Oratoire St Joseph: Another nice view over Montreal and old beautiful building/church. Blue line (Côte-des-Neiges) I didn't go inside but spent a while walking through the Garden of the Cross., which was beautiful. It's a lovely building and a nice view of the city.


• Botanical Garden: Part of it is free and you can buy a pass for the Garden + the Biodome + the Insectarium + Olympic Stadium (there is an elevator that brings you to the top of its tower: nice view too). Green line (Pie IX or Viau) I was pushed for time so didn't invest in the ticket to see most of the garden, but just sitting under a tree with an ice cream was awesome.

• Place des Arts: Big place where summer's festivals take place, theatre etc. Green line (Place-des-Arts). This is really close to St Catherine St so I walked up from there. A community art project involving muscial swings is set up and is a bit of fun.


• Jean Talon Market and Little Italy: Biggest farmers' market in town. Blue or orange line (Jean Talon) and Blue line (De Castelnau) for Little Italy. Don't have lunch before you visit the market so you have room to sample everything. The prices are reasonable too. It was too hot for me to explore Petite Italy.


• Fairmount Bagels/St Viateur Bagels: In the Mile End area, a nice place to visit. Blue line (Laurier). I visited Fairmount Bagels, a teeny shop packed and packed with bagels. Oh soooo good and pretty cheap too.


• St Laurent Steet: The longest street that separates east from west in Montreal. After crossing the Sherbrooke St, just walk and reach the Portuguese area; nice area and home of Leonard Cohen. Quite a long walk because the street if very long but lots of interesting and unconventional shops and restaurants. Green line (St Laurent). This really is a very long street. I kept finding it everywhere. Definitely worth checking out no matter what you're looking for.

• Juliette et Chocolat: The best chocolate "restaurant"ever. There is one on St Denis St (Berri UQAM) and one on St Laurent St (St Laurent). This is a must visit and I can only imagine how much weight I would put on if I lived in Montreal. It's open quite late (11pm and 12am on weekends) to fit in the dessert cravers.


• Poutine: La Banquise. Open 24 hours and a typical tourist place with a huge choice of . There's a nice park close to it: Parc La Fontaine. Orange line (Mont Royal). The only thing on the list I didn't get to, mainly because it was so hot on the days I was there and I just didn't feel like eating poutine.

Stepping back in time in Quebec

[caption id="attachment_1774" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="Rue du Petit-Champlain"][/caption]

After the pace and size of Montreal, Quebec City is a welcome break. Although if I complained about the use of French in Montreal at all, it was nothing to what I'm facing here. The people of Quebec consider themselves Quebecers first and Canadian second. They are extremely proud of their heritage and somewhat concerned about it being forgotten. I'd been told about this a few times ahead of my arrival in Quebec, and also warned that my use of English might not be appreciated. I didn't actually have an issue - I simply apologised and said (in English) that I didn't speak French and from there everyone conversation continued in English. Friends and strangers alike are also greeting with a kiss on each cheek - very European.



Quebec is a significantly smaller city than Montreal and conveniently most of its attractions are gathered in the part of the city known as Old Quebec. I'm staying about five minutes walk from this section, although my immediate surrounding area is also very quaint. I'm about a block up from Rue Sainte Jean (I'll use the French to avoid any mistranslations on my part). It's the main street in the Upper Town - quite literally, the part of the city above the rest of it, separated from the Lower Town by stairs and an elevator. Rue Sainte Jean is lined with cafes, restaurants, record stores, book shops, boutiques, bakeries etc and continues into the Old Quebec. I spend the morning walking along here into the Old Town and simply following the people. It was a Saturday so rather busy, especially on Rue du Petit-Champlain, a narrow street closer to the wharf. One set of stairs to get here is called the Breakneck Staircase. There are little silhouette figures dangling in the air down the middle of the street - very cute.



I popped into the tourism information centre to pick up a map. The girl at the desk was extremely helpful (down to giving me bus stop locations, times and directions for various attractions) and recommended the self-guided walking tours in one of the city tourist guides. After lunch I chose one that remained inside the fortified walls that surround the old city and was estimated at about three hours.

The walk took me along some parts I'd already walked, but at each stop there was a small explanation in the book so this time I had some idea what I was looking at. The walk took me to the Parliament building, churches, museums - including a maple museum - monuments, cute buildings, parks, great view points and the narrowest house in North America (pictured). It really is a lovely area.

The excerpt on a former prison described it as "Quebec's best kept secret". The building, which has no identification on the outside, now houses a small library. I crept in, unsure if it was open or if I was allowed in. It was and I was. The library was beautiful and everything was in English - a rarity in Quebec. On a shelf by the small reading area was a copy of Nicholas Shakespear's In Tasmania. I flicked through a few pages. It's a small world when I'm standing in some off-the-map library in Quebec reading about North Motton.



I finished the walk at a viewpoint overlooking the old town, boardwalk, St Lawrence River and the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac - the imposing hotel I keep walking by thinking "if only...."



 

 

 

 

 

Into the heart of Quebec

My last day in Montreal and two things left on Lucie's List: Saint Joseph's Oratory and the Botanical Gardens.

I leave my luggage with one of the Via Rail porters (they will store it and put it on the train for me), say goodbye to Lucie and head to the Saint Joseph's Oratory. It's a big church and has a nice view over the city (a different side than what I saw last night). To escape the heat, which has become a theme over these last few days, I walk through the Garden of the Way of the Cross. They are beautiful and although the significane of the statures and their story is lost on me, it's a nice walk.





From St Joseph's I catch the metro out to the Botanical Gardens. By the time I get there I only have about 90-minutes and decide the $17 entrance fee isn't worth it for the time I have. The grounds outside the actual gardens are nice though so I get an ice cream and relax under a tree. My time in both places was limited, but nice to see.





I make it back to the station in plenty of time, grab a sandwich and wait for the train. As promised, when I get to my seat, my bags are waiting for me. There is wifi on the train so in between checking out the landscape (it's still flat) I catch up on emails, CouchRequests and blog posts. CouchSurfing can be time consuming but it is worth it in the end, as I find out (again) when I get to Quebec.

I'm staying with Juan, a Columbian who has been living in Canada for a while. He lived in Montreal for five years and has been in Quebec since November. I join him and his friends for a roving street theatre production. The first stop is in an alley. The actors are suspended on ropes with hooks at the end and include a woman dressed as Hitler, a man in a space suit and another half-naked climbing a ladder to reach an ice cream. It is all in French. Juan's friend Chloe attempts to explain it for me. Apparently what the actors are saying is in complete contrast to how they look or the situation they are in. She says that even though she understands what they are saying, it doesn't make any sense to her so I don't think I am missing anything.



We meet some more people at a pub, where they let us bring in pizza (and Juan's dog Kelvin). It is such a random mix of people; French, German, Spanish, Columbian, Australian. No native Canadians and no native Quebecers. The languages flowing over the table are incredible. One person asks a question in Spanish, it is replied to in French then someone adds something in English. It means I can only follow one third of the conversation but it is fun all the same. Quite a few of them have learnt French since moving here and are seemingly fluent after a relatively short period of time.

A picnic with a view

It's hot. A top of 33C is forecast for Thursday. That's not my kind of weather. In an effort to avoid the sun, I spent the morning running errands: doing laundry, posting stuff at the post office and going for a run (only on the shady streets). Even when you're travelling these things must be done.

At about 1pm, covered in sunscreen, I make my way to my first destination: Jean Talon Market. The market, near Little Italy, is undercover. So that's a big plus for me. I get there without having lunch and unintentionally seem to fill up on free samples. I did actually buy stuff!! I was a little surprised in the difference in quality among the stalls. The market is mainly fruit and vegetables and flowers, although there are some boutique stores selling various things such as cheese, olives, ice cream and chocolate.

Armed with some food for dinner I go back home and fine that by the time I take care of some trip planning (sending CouchRequests, checking my bookings for my upcoming trip legs etc) I don't have much time before I have to meet Lucie, so I relax a little, prepare dinner and head into the city about 5pm.



Our plan for the evening is to visit Mont Royal - a mountain, or perhaps more correctly, a hill, in the centre of Montreal. We meet at the Mont Royal station and decided bagels are in order. Fairmount Bagels is known as having some of the best in the city so we catch another metro and walk a few blocks to find this tiny, hole-in-the-wall store. The store is jam packed with ceiling-height trolleys full of bagels. There is room for about four customers at any one time. The bagel store is in a neighbourhood known as Mile End. It's a very hipster area full of cafes, bars, boutiques and galleries. I wish I had a bit more time to spend here.

En route to a bus or metro station the threatening dark clouds above deliver. First just a speckle. Then big fat rain. We take shelter in a bus stop and wait for it to pass, which eventually (after a few false starts) it does.



We get off the #11 bus near the top of Mont Royal and walk to the chalet. In my backpack I have our dinner: fresh vegetables from the market to make into a wrap and some fruit for dessert. The skies lighten up and we're able to enjoy the picnic without rain or ants. There was one raccoon, but he was over the railing and wasn't climbing up anytime soon.

The view from Mont Royal is lovely, especially with the rainbow and setting sun. We don't stay until dark and climb down back into the city, and it's noise. Our next destination is Juliette et Chocolat, another item on Lucie's List. We shared a sundae filled with bananas, ice cream, strawberries, brownie and whipping cream, and an intense brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce, before walking out of the store straight into the path of the nightly protest.

Students have been on strike and protesting for more than 100 days over a hike in their tuition fees. In an attempt to address the protests the government passed a law requiring all protests of more than 50 people to submit notice and a route map to police at least eight hours in advance. So the students (and many many others) protested about that. Then last night they arrested 518 people for violating the new law. So tonight everyone is protesting about that. The army of people, sporting little red felt bits as a sign of their solidarity and banging pots and pans, marched through the city. This happens every night all around the city.

Picnic with my teacup on Montreal's Mont Royal

As dusk falls over Montreal, the Kondiaronk Belvedere in front of the of Mont Royal Chalet begins to fill. Tourists prepare to capture the sunset, runners take a breather and stretch before their descent and a sly few enjoy a beer or three. Then there is me; setting my pretty china tea cup down on the edge and photographing it with the views of downtown Montreal behind it.



It isn't a long walk up to Mont Royal, but having felt the result of the first few thunderclouds to roll over Montreal, my friend Lucie and I decide we should reach the top ASAP - so on the bus it is. Despite the view over the city below, we feel a million miles away. Lucie explains Mont Royal is described as the "lungs" of Montreal.

The sun returns and we are greeted with a beautiful rainbow over the city skyline while we have a picnic outside the Chalet. With temperatures of more than 30C during the day, it's too hot for tea, so it's juice in my Secret Garden Tea Company teacup instead.



When the sky starts to look a little dark again we escape down the stairs into the city centre. Soon we can hear traffic and sirens - our escape was too short.



 

Montreal: Cities within a city

My second day in Montreal and I still haven't quite comprehended what I have dubbed "The French Thing". Everything is in French. Even the newspaper. 

My friend Lucie, who I am staying with, works near Old Montreal. Or as I like to call it, Paris 2.0. I spend a few hours walking through Old Montreal and its cobblestone streets. There are lots of cafes and restaurants, galleries, souvenir shops and boutiques. It was a scorching day so my path was decided by where ever I can find some shade. For a while it's outside the Notre-Dame Basilica. It looks like a smaller version of Notre Dame in Paris. Lucie suggested I go in, but rain is forecast for my remaining days in Montreal so I'm saving any indoor activities for then.

One open square is lined with cafes. All the menus are in French, with a small translation underneath. The chairs at the tables are the same style I saw so often in Paris. It's an eerie feeling to be in one place that so strongly resembles another.

After walking the length of Saint Paul Street a couple of times I spy a couple with a really tasty looking sandwich. I ask where they got it and they give me the cafe name and tell me it's somewhere at the other end of Old Montreal. So back I go. I search, give up, and start looking for other lunch spots when I find it. It's a buzzing little cafe with barely a spare table. I just want take-out and there seems to be a little system happening for that. I can't read the signs (in French) but just get in line. The menu is also entirely in French. Except for one phrase: "Get real food here." Thanks for my three weeks in France last year I can understand the ingredients in one of the sandwiches so choose that one and then find a nice park bench under some trees. And boy, what a sandwich: cajun chicken, red onion, mango, guacamole...nom nom nom.



After lunch I headed to Saint Catherine St, one of the main shopping streets and also on Lucie's List.  Stepping out of the metro station I couldn't believe I was in the same city. The city centre was just like any other city centre and Saint Catherine St was lined with all the usual names: Gap, Tommy H, The Bay etc. Was I really only a few minutes from those cobblestone streets?





From Saint Catherine St I walked to Place des Arts, a popular spot for festivals in the summer and also on Lucie's List. I walked around for a little bit until a public art project caught my eye. A series of musical swings had been set up along one of the streets. Every time the seat swings, it makes a note and sounds rather like a wind chime. Apparently this is all being recorded and will be performed at the end of project. I joined the fun and sat on one of the swings for a while. It seemed to be only adults.

At 5pm I met Lucie at her work. I was craving an ice cream so we found one in the Old Montreal and enjoyed that before catching the metro to Parc Jean-Drapeau. The park is split over two islands. There's not a lot of open space so it's always a shock when you suddenly come to a swimming pool, restaurant or the circuit used to host the Canadian Grand Prix. When the cars aren't racing the track is open to cyclists and rollerbladers. There were plenty of both out.

We walked around to the river and spend sometime lying in the dying sun and enjoying the view back over the Old Montreal.



 

Montreal: my ticket to France

Let me preface this by saying I am well aware of, and support, a person's right to speak in any language they choose. But this is Canada. So why are you speaking in French??

This sentiment has been floating around in my head for two days now. I'm not frustrated by it anymore. Now I just find it funny.

I arrived in Montreal on Tuesday night, after finishing my trip on The Canadian, a one-hour stop-over in Toronto and a six-hour train up to Quebec's largest city. I'm staying with a friend of mine, Lucie. I hosted her through CouchSurfing twice last year and we've stayed in touch. Lucky for me she's French so is helping me navigate this culture-clash of cities.



For those that don't know much about Canada's east, let me fill you in. The province of Quebec (which Montreal is in) is part of Canada. But it probably would prefer not to be. The last referendum on the matter was about 50/50. For a super quick history lesson: the French settled in Eastern Canada before it was taken over by the British. It's still a sore point. So French remains Quebec's one and only official language. On a national level, Canada recognises both English and French as its official language. Up to speed? Good.

So I get off the train in Montreal and every sign is in French. The only time a translation appears is for emergency signs. Apparently that is the only situation I will need to understand anything. Most maps are in French. My bus ticket is in French. The street signs are "Rue". The French word for street. You get the picture.

From the station Lucie and I go straight to her place, in the Ukrainian neighbourhood, where at the supermarket everything is still in French. And despite saying "hello" to the cashier, she still speaks to me in French before I managed to stumble, "um, I don't speak English". "Do you want a bag?" she asks. Nearly everyone here speaks perfect English, just not to each other. Or to me, it seems.

I'm exhausted from my days on a train. After writing me a great Montreal To-Do list, Lucie cooked me some dinner. I showered (first in two days, oh it felt SO good) and collapse into bed.