Across Canada Week Two: July 25 - 31, 2023

 

Elora, ON

(25th July), (26th July) Stayed with our friends. Did laundry and some shopping. While in Blind River, we moved our trailer from the spot beside the lake in the afternoon to the jetty where we spent the night and did not do the standard moving routine of checking that all cupboards were firmly closed. As a result, dishes flew onto the floor and we broke a couple of Corelle plates. It could have been much worse. We were able to replace them at Canadian Tire. It's a mistake we'll only make once. 

(27th July) Drove to Ottawa on the toll road. We keep waiting for a bill to arrive on our doorstep, but nothing has so far (3 months later). We stayed at the Wesley Clover Campground in a lovely treed spot with water and 15-amp power. We usually choose no services, but wondered if we might need the air conditioner. Showers were adequate. 

(28th July) We left the Escape at the campsite and drove into Ottawa where we toured the House of Commons and the Senate in their temporary homes. I was sad not to be able to see the Library. We also toured the East Block with its historical offices. The Centre Block on Parliament Hill is closed for the next 10 years due to a major construction project. The Rideau Canal locks were interesting to observe. On our way back to our parking spot we received a warning message on our phones about a thunderstorm. We hardly needed the warning for the heavens opened and poured down. A gazebo along the river provided us, along with about a dozen others, shelter from the storm. That evening, back at the campsite, another warning sounded, alerting us to a possible tornado, then another for severe thunderstorms. We rarely get storms like this on Vancouver Island and it was rather enjoyable to see them. A tornado would not have been fun. 

(29th July) Sleep was restful and satisfying in the cooler temperature after the rain. Back to Ottawa where our first stop was the Canadian War Museum. It's enormous and encompasses a vast amount of time. We concentrated on the early years through the end of World War II. What a terrible thing war is. The museum did a great job of presenting an objective view of war, neither glorifying nor denying it. 

Next stop was Byward Market. We strolled around looking at the interesting shops, then ate lunch at Le Moulin de Provence, a very popular place. A healthy lunch was followed by delicious selections from the pastry counter. 

The National Gallery of Art was interesting. Some of the Italian paintings appealed to me with their rich colours and fine architecture. Many of the Group of Seven artists' depictions of Canada also appealed to me. So many ways of looking at the same scenery. 

A friend from home recommended Stella Luna ice cream, so we drove to the nearest one for a delicious gelato. 

(30th July) We spent the day driving to Québec City, enjoying the changing landscape. Stopping at the tourist information office just inside the Québec border provided us with lots of brochures and ideas for things to see and do. We tend to have a rough plan of where we'd like to go, then fine-tune the details more spontaneously. 

We stayed at Camping Transit in Lévis, just across the river from old Québec City. It was mostly an open field. We were tucked into a smaller spot with trees behind us. Most campers were French-speakers, and very friendly. The showers and washrooms were spotless. On certain days of the week the camp owners offer a small menu, and we ordered one poutine to share with our soup for dinner. It was very good, and very filling. 

(31st July) The campsite offers a free shuttle service to the ferry crossing the Saint Lawrence River. We left the campsite around 9 am and were in the old city around 10 am. 

On the Place Royale, Quebec City, QC

Old Québec City is utterly charming. Even the grey skies and rain couldn't dampen my enthusiasm at being here. 

View of the Lower City from above, QC

We toured the Citadelle de Québec with a knowledgeable guide. Clouds threatened, but the rain held off until the morning tour was mostly done. 

During the rainstorm that had everyone huddling under shelter, we took a hop on, hop off bus tour. It was crowded and damp, and with the windows fogged up it was difficult to see anything. 

More of Québec City in the next post.