Quebec Canada Carnival 2017: 2. Quebec Winter Carnival and home

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

We got caught up on a few things before walking to a restaurant for great lunch of French onion soup. We then checked out another pub on our way back to the hotel. In the afternoon we explored the Museum of Civilization, located right across the street from our hotel. It is a huge structure, but friendly and helpful staff assisted in finding various exhibits.

The exhibit we were most impressed with was a virtual tour of famous libraries around the world including some that no longer exist like that of Alexandria, Egypt, and more fanciful ones such as that on board the submarine Nautilus. Virtual headsets were distributed that allowed the wearer to see all around each library plus the ceiling and the floor.

Dinner was at Matto in the adjoining hotel, connected by internal passageways to our hotel. It is also where our in hotel bar is located.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Marilynn & I took a taxi to the Aquarium du Quebec, a fair distance out of town. It leaned towards kids, with touching and petting pools. About three school groups were there. The polar bear show was interesting, although I really don't like to see these majestic animals in captivity. They threw a cardboard box the size as used for shipping a refrigerator into the enclosure, and the bears had a great time tearing it apart, crawling underneath then walking with the cardboard on top of them or throwing it around. One bear liked laying on its back and sliding head first down a snowy hill in the enclosure.

A taxi took us from there to Parc de la Francophonie where it was possible to climb into a giant plastic ball then run, push, or fall inside it as it rolled down a slope. No. I didn't do that! There was also axe throwing, shooting hockey pucks, riding a mechanical moose and other arcade attractions. In the on site pub we enjoyed beer, sausage and sauerkrautthen had maple syrup on snow for desert. Maple syrup is poured in a line on flattened snow, and as it cools the idea is to roll it around a wooden stick to eat. Very tasty!

Another taxi got us back to the hotel bar for a couple of drinks before returning to the room to wait for Achil & Helene Boudreau, who had driven from Girardville in the north of Quebec to spend a few days with us. Once checked into the hotel they arrived at our door with beers in hand, getting things off to a good start. Achil and I originally become friends in the Canadian Airforce in 1960.

We walked to the cozy bar that has become our local, Oncle Antoine's, for drinks, then walked around until we found a restaurant for dinner. After dinner it was back to Oncle Antoine's before weaving our way homeward, including landing in a snowbank along the way.

Friday, February 10, 2017

We made good use of Achil's car today, first going to the partially frozen Montmorency falls, where a gondola took us to the Manor Montmorency near the top of the falls. There are good paths along the cliffs overlooking the falls, and a suspension foot bridge that spans the river at the top of the falls.

Next was a long drive to the Valcartier Ice Hotel, located in a large amusement park complex. The rooms in the ice hotel varied from only having a double bed to large rooms with two double beds, ice furniture and enclosed glass fire boxes that did not let a lot of heat escape. Toilets were portapotty type units located outside the hotel near each group of rooms. Any idea of staying there was eliminated by the minus 14C temperature, and the thought of getting up in the night to walk to the nearest portable toilet! There were half a dozen hot tubs and a sauna for guests, plus an ice bar where drinks were sold in ice glasses. Not for the thin blooded!

The outdoor amusement area had steep toboggan runs, and an icy hill for sliding down in modified inner tubes. Inside the building was a heated water park with false palm trees and a large variety of pools and water slides. One was a surfer area, with water forced upwards, forming up hill rapids where people were able to ride on surfboards. We drank a couple of beer while watching the antics of those attempting to master the art of surfing.

After a short rest at the hotel we walked the opposite direction from last night to the pub Marilynn and I found on Wednesday, where we snacked on free popcorn before moving on to another good restaurant for dinner. We were back at the hotel playing cards in the lounge when our grandson Esteban walked in. We were very excited to see him, as we didn't expected him until tomorrow, but his accommodation didn't work out so he joined us. He is the first of our son Ryan's family we have seen in over two years.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

The five of us walked around the old city and to parks outside the city walls where there were various events going on, including Parc de la Francophonie where Marilynn and I were on Thursday. The crew did well at axe throwing, and we all participated in the beer and wine drinking in each location.

We returned to the hotel after a stop at our favourite pub. The Boudreaus, Marilynn and I got into a lively Skip Bo card game while Esteban visited the museum across the street. In the evening we all went in Achil's car to a park featuring ice and snow carvings, then walked to the fabulous Restaurant Louis Hebert for an amazing meal. After the main course the maitre'd moved us upstairs to a window table for dessert, more drinks and to watch the Carnival parade as it passed by below. We had an amazing view of the parade without having to stand outside in the minus 19C temperatures.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

This morning Esteban headed off to visit friends and Achil & Helene went to the museum. They all returned about the same time so we walked to Oncle Antoine's for drinks and lunch, then drove to the Montmorency Falls so Esteban could see them. On the way back Achil drove Esteban to his bus station for Montreal, but he chose to come back to the hotel as it was over two hours until his 7 PM bus. Once he left to catch his bus the rest of us dined in the hotel restaurant, followed by an evening of Skip Bo and drinks in the lounge.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Achil and I had breakfast at 7 AM before he drove me to the airport for my 10;10 AM flight to Toronto. He then went back to the hotel to pick up Helene and Marilynn, as her flight left more than 2 hours after mine. He would then have to drive back to Girardville, about 4 hours further north.

My impression of the Toronto airport did not improve from previous visits. The DH8 aircraft we arrived on parked on the tarmac, so it was necessary to get back into parkas to walk to the terminal. My next flight left from the other end of the airport, requiring a trek of what seemed about three miles dragging my case on carpets - which makes if feel twice as heavy. En route it was necessary to pass through Canadian customs and immigration, then the same for the US. The Nexus section (the fast track for travellers with pre-clearance) was closed in the Canadian section, requiring a lengthy wait in the regular line, but in the US section it was open so that went quickly. Again there were escalators and moving walkways out of service.

The flight to Houston was on a Brazilian build Embraer 175 with the same layout was when I flew the other way, two seats on one side of the aisle and one on the other - once again I had a seat to myself. Considering there were only 12 seats in business the service was not great, but everyone did eventually get food and drinks.

My connection is Houston was supposed to be short, so I didn't go to the lounge, however there was a 20 minute delay announced first, followed by a 30 minute delay before we finally boarded. As one of the three toilets was out of business and the flight was packed line ups were inevitable. The food and beverage service was good, though.

Marilynn was supposed to have arrived in San Jose after me, and we agreed to meet in the baggage area. Because I wasn't there she thought I'd gone home without waiting for her, as her flight was also late, so she phoned our caretaker Carlos to come and get us. It turned out there was a traffic jam on the main highway, so he was also late, which resulted in us being picked up together after all!

We'll be home for 4 days, then will be off to Isla Margarita, Venezuela.