The weather outside was frightful!

What began on the sunny streets of Simi Valley came to a frosty conclusion on the streets of Montreal when Quebec was blasted by a blinding snowstorm, plummeting the temperatures in Quebec City to below zero and turning Montreal into a snowy, icy muck. Of course, it remains a very picturesque province, even under a foot of snow, but any plans for carefree wandering had to be curtailed lest an ear or two freeze up and break off. It was numbing conditions at best and absolutely unbearable the rest of the time. Fortunately, both "old quarters" have very narrow streets and tall buildings, so unless you were in a direct line with the St. Lawrence River, it was possible to get around and at least stay out of the wind.

Quebec City was definitely the more enjoyable of the two. My hotel was within sight of one of the main entrances to the Vieux Quebec on rue Saint-Jean, a main thoroughfare both then and now, so on my one full day there I bundled up in my thermal underwear and set forth through the snow. And even though I later discovered that it was barely a positive temperature reading most of the day, it was not bad. There were enough shops and galleries and cafes to browse through to continue recharging the batteries and not become frozen completely. I even broke down and bought some wool gloves, which I admit did make a bit of a difference the rest of the journey and can be useful in New Mexico. With the continuing snowfall, though, even gloves could not alter the reality that this was not going to be how I imagined this part of the trip. I had gambled on the weather and lost. Yes, the dinner at Aux Anciens Canadiens, in the oldest house in Quebec, was terrific. Who knew you could have tenderloin of wapiti? And the maple lattes put Starbucks to shame, but by Wednesday morning I was ready to go. One summer I will come back and enjoy it properly. Until then, I will simply be grateful I avoided frostbite.

Montreal, for many of the same reasons, and weather patterns, was even gloomier and grayer. so my decision to splurge on my last two nights in Canada was a prescient one. I could have remained in the Hotel Gault the entire time I was there. Behind the walls of this imposing old building on rue ste.-Helene was everything the definition of a "boutique" hotel should be. What I assume was originally a warehouse is now a 32-room, exceptionally well-run property staffed by the most personable staff I encountered across Canada. My accommodation boasted 10-foot ceilings, complete electronics, state of the art lighting and an open style bathroom and shower area in one corner. The unique feature was the room-dividing drape that could be adjusted so the sleeping and living area was completely closed off from the the entrance hall, clothes storage and remainder of the space. These photos do not do my "Extential" (as it was called) much justice. When not luxuriating there, I did walk the two or three main streets of Old Montreal, but chose to dine at bistros near the hotel on typical French cafe fare. Doing much more, once again, was not Mother Nature's intent.


Truth be told, I am writing this somewhere in Indiana, having endured a nightmare train connection in Schenectady, NY, due in large part to the severe weather that hit the northeast at the end of the week. We are more than six hours late! As we arrive in Elkhart, IN, on the way to Chicago, it strikes me that parts of this country seem so bleak. Maybe it is winter, but snow can only cover so much junk. Or maybe it is simply the reality of the economy of the rust belt. I know Chicago will be fun, but this part of the journey is, in a word, depressing. Next stop -- Elm and State Street. That great street...!