The Capital and the French

Our tester 2 weeks of life back in the RV took us to Ottawa and Montreal.

Ottawa...

Maddi, Zac and I walked down rue Bank from Gladstone Ave and immediately found a used book store.  **This told us, it would be a good day.  Books Bizarre had a number of titles on our lists.  From there we followed rue Bank in search of coffee.  The Bridgehead stopped us.  Not only did they serve a decent cup of coffee but they also had fresh gluten free baked goods.  I had the almond pecan biscotti and Mad had the spice loaf.  With coffee and treats in our bellies we had the energy to visit Capital Hill.
It was a beautiful, clear day and we took a self guided tour around the outside of the parliament buildings.  A number of the outdoor displays have a smart phone scan features making the walk a little more interactive.  We also toured a free exhibit about the Chancellory of Honours.
On day two in Ottawa we met with a childhood friend of mine, Margaret.  The wonders of Facebook and reconnecting people!  Margaret and I had almost 25 years to catch up on.

Zac, Norbert and Maddi watching the fire.

That night we stayed at Ottawa Municipal Campground.  Norbert had his first campfire experience.

A must, when in the Ottawa area, is a visit with Uncle Peter and Aunt Nancy.  We met them at Colonnade Pizza.  Colonnade has been serving pizza since 1967.  They offer a gluten free pizza.  It's a good pizza, but not worth the $10 extra per pizza for the gluten free crust.  However, the time with Uncle Peter and Aunt Nancy is always worth the drive to Ottawa.

Montreal...
The long weekend in July took us to the Montreal Guitar Show.  It is a weekend with some of the best luthiers in the world.  During the show two of the builders needed their booths covered while they were at press meetings.  Zac was asked.  As it turns out, being around these builders for the last 10 years he knows quite a bit about them.  He was able to walk prospecting customers through the details of the guitars and lines.  He even made a little cash for his time.
With Jamie and Zac busy at the show, Maddi and I made our way to Adrenaline.  Adrenaline is a great shop on Sherbrooke, in the heart of Montreal.  A new piercing and tattoo were calling our names.   Maddi was getting her second piercing, her nose.  I was returning for a second tattoo with artist Tanya Lowery.   The walk to and from Adrenaline took us from the edge of old Montreal through the gallery district along Sherbrooke.  Montreal is a city best experienced on foot.

Most evenings in Montreal were spent at dinner with old and new friends.  Our favourite spot is a sushi bar in old Montreal, Tokyo on rue St. Paul Ouest.  Maddi found a way to pass the time at dinner.

Table art at Tokyo

From Ottawa and Montreal we traveled to the Guelph area and stayed a month...but most of you know this as we had the opportunity to visit and say goodbye.

Heaven is a book and a cup of mocha

     The Pennsylvania visitors centre; a bright, air-conditioned and pamphlet covered version of the state itself.  I became very over-whelmed at all of the information, thrown at my face, telling me where to go, where to eat, where to sleep. So, my brain zeroed in on the rack labeled "Harrisburg".  Bingo! I was able to skip the pamphlet mania and find the perfect source of entertainment for my next day in Harrisburg.  As I drew closer to the rack, a little brown and beige pamphlet caught my eye; it was a used bookstore, exactly what I was searching for.  Midtown Scholar was my own personal heaven; six levels of "lightly used" and new books from the classics to art history to science and even local authors.  And to top it off, a fresh specialty coffee bar!  This bookstore looked amazing and I was only looking at the pamphlet!

 When we arrived at Midtown the next day I was in no way disappointed.  The outside of the bookstore was lined with shelves of books for only a dollar!  Within 30 seconds of arriving I had already found three books that were on my list!  Upon entering the bookstore, the delicious smell of fresh coffee instantly caught my attention.  I almost ran to the counter but, unfortunately, my mom got there before me.  I bought a mocha and wanted to jump right into the cup and live there forever! But then I remembered I was surrounded by books and decided just living in the store would be a more reasonable choice.  We spent hours and hours in Midtown; reading, drinking coffee, using their free Wi Fi.  An amazing day.  At the end of the day I decided to buy five (of the million that I wanted to buy) books, four that I bought for only a dollar each! Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,  The Pickwick Papers, Water for Elephants, Pride & Prejudice (my all-time favourite book) and an alternative version of Much Ado About Nothing.  So far, I have loved every one of those books (especially Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde) and can't wait to return again and again!

Photo credit to Google Images.


http://www.midtownscholar.com/

~M

Thoughts...

  "Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." -Jack Kerouac


   "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -Lao Tzu

To Begin Our Trip

Bored at the border, we entertained ourselves by looking up youtube videos and came across The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody! It is hands-down one of the best Muppet performances we've seen yet!
Click on the youtube link below and prepare to roll-on-the-ground laughing your head of!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgbNymZ7vqY


~M

Don't let the broken toe stop you on the way out!

Our last day north of the boarder was uneventful.  The house we were staying at was cleaned and back in order.  (Thanks Toews family!)  The truck we are storing for the year, with family, had updated plates and was delivered.  Maddi and Zac had spent the last few days with Tata & Grandpa getting the essentials; new shirts, underwear and piercings.  All signs pointed to an easy exit.
Then, the basket!
The basket, which I placed down and promptly proceeded to walk into.  Breaking my middle toe on my right foot.
Reality hit, leaving and traveling takes you to a new place of vulnerability; waking up in a new town each day.  Opting to stay at service stations, rest stops, or boondock at the side of the road.  Missing the consistency of a "fixed" address, a permanent parking spot and all the other usuals that we are told make a home.  The chores of daily life are replaced with a new set.  And living a little more free takes over easier than expected.

Zac along side the Susquehanna River, with his books from Midtown Scholar.

The broken toe has not made us lose our stride.  We are on our way.  A year of where the North Wind leads us...funny, though, how the wind speaks to us in guitars, cymbals and amps, but more on that later.  The open road calls.

In the last week we have visited the Corning Museum of Glass, spent hours at Midtown Scholar (the largest used/rare/new bookstore between New York and Chicago),  walked all the banks of the Susquehanna River,  toured The Hershey Factory!

The Gates of Chocolate.  Picture from our premium RV parking spot.

http://www.cmog.org/
http://www.midtownscholar.com/
http://www.hersheys.com/chocolateworld/