25 May 2007
Headed out from Mosport giving brief thanks that Peyote and I are both in one piece and still ticking along. We stopped at a KOA in MalloryTown which should be renamed MosquitoVille. I’ve never been attacked so vigorously, and I’ve fished the tundra in Alaska. We retreated to Nero bringing along a large colony on our bodies that immediately dispersed throughout the trailer. This caused a brisk session of bug whacking that lasted about an hour and freaked Sam the Gay Dog out completely. He decided both Diane and I had undergone some kind of Jack Nicholson “The Shining” transformation. All woof and no play makes Sam a very dull dog.
On to Montreal in search of breakfast. A pretty cool looking town, but not that easy to get around in with a 34-foot trailer and a one-ton Ford. Gave up on finding the right area for culinary inspiration, had a mediocre breakfast that cost us a couple of hours of wandering downtown and headed to Quebec City. I must say that Montreal has the coolest tourist information place I’ve ever seen, and the nicest people running it.
We’re staying at the Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City, and as we drove to the hotel through this enormously interesting city we decided we needed a second day here. The streets got smaller and smaller until it felt like we were threading a Greyhound Bus through Montmartre.
The entrance to the hotel is on a tiny square through a narrow stone arch. I had to circle the square, running over the curbs on each corner, to get our truck and Nero lined up for the entrance. When I turned the truck into the entrance Diane started twitching. Cars and cabs everywhere, no room to maneuver and no way to see what I was about to run over.
Yes–I drove right through that entrance that was clearly designed for a horse and carriage. I had inches on either side for clearance.
She jumped out of the truck and ran to get the bellman who brilliantly maneuvered me through the maze, pulled aside some stanchions and directed me to park right next to the hotel under the exit arch. He said, “how long are you staying”. I said “two days” and he said, “let’s leave it right here”. Cool. Big tip.
Had a perfect late lunch, and now we’re hanging out in our room. Here’s Nero at the Frontenac and some basic tourist shots that have probably been taken by everyone who ever came to the city with a camera. Yup, I negotiated that tight right turn into the arch, and the courtyard was full of cars when I came through.
Yeah, it’s kind of picturesque.
Happy to see you too.
Aluminum shingles!! I love it!
Wow, look at that babe. WTF is she doing with me?
