Ontario!

Hi all:


It has been a long time since our last post, so I will try to update you and also include some photos. Boring things to do in Montreal:



1. Drive to the Honda dealer to try to get the right key so the lugnuts can be taken off the car for service.

2. Go to another Honda dealer where they have the master set to remove the locking lugnuts and replace them with ordinary ones.

3. Go back to the original Honda dealer to get the service done.

4. Along with the service, book a time to get the car cleaned out, which was really exciting to the anal-retentive part of me, only to find the guy had gone home sick. We have dirt from North Dakota to PEI in there!

5. Do laundry and clean the camper.



On Tuesday we went into Montreal to explore the old town, while Ceilidh hung out with her teacher, Jenne Martin. We explore Atwater Market (YUMMY!!) and took the metro back to old town. I had a quick look round Notre Dame, and then we met up with Ceilidh, went down to the waterfront and rented a quadricycle, which was a hoot! Montreal is a fabulous city, for sure.


On Wednesday we left Montreal for the 1.5 hour drive to Lac St Francois and the town of St Anicet, where my sister-in-law Maryse's family has a cabin. As we were driving past the Honda dealer, the transmission light came on, which is never a good sign. We took it in, but there was nothing they could find wrong with it. The mechanic said to Dennis "Maybe you panicked!" Anyway, off we went, and there has been nothing wrong. Lac St Francois is actually part of the St Lawrence, so in the distance you can see freighters steaming through. The water is really warm, and Jean and Dick (Maryse's parents) have been coming up for years and years. It is a lovely, relaxing spot, where families have been coming for generations. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and the kids were in heaven. There were other kids and there was water! Cousin Yves took us for a ride on a Seadoo (yes, even me!) and we went on their fancy new boat too. It was wonderful seeing Duncan and Maryse, enjoying great food, friendly people and a fabulous location. One funny thing: we were introduced to so many new people since much of Maryse's extended family have cabins on the lake, including one cousin called Jean-Louise. I think Ceilidh must have misheard, because she kept referring to her as "Jeez Louise"!



On Friday morning, we headed out towards our home exchange in Grimsby Ontario, a town of 24,000 about an hour from Toronto at the "gateway" to the Niagara peninsula. Driving in to TO was quite the experience, especially on the Friday of a long weekend. The cities seem to blend together one after another, and we certainly got the feeling that this is the most heavily populated area of Canada. The drive to Grimsby was not all that attractive, but the town itself is lovely and Chris and Laurie's home is a "mansion" (the girls' words). They have their own bedrooms, and so do we!!! In fact, you could put two of our trailers into their bedroom! It has been great to relax in a house, and the neighbours have been so friendly and helpful too. The homes here are largely made of brick, and



On Saturday, we drove to Niagara Falls (about 40 minutes away) and had a good look at the Falls. We went on the "Maid of the Mist" (highly recommended) which takes you to the base of the falls, and is very dramatic. We got to wear highly fashionable blue plastic ponchos.



After that, we drove to Niagara Falls NY (our 5th trip across the border!) and went to some outlet stores, where, believe it or not, Dennis bought more than I did. I bought one tshirt. He bought 15. I should say, though, that there was an Eddie Bauer store where he got tshirts for $7.50 that cost $24.50 in Canada! After that, we continued 20 minutes to Buffalo, where Ceilidh was thrilled to find Hollister, Aeropostale, Abercrombie and Fitch, etc. We didn't have too long there, so we are going back on Tuesday.



Today, we had an at home day, and Dennis went off to do some wine tasting, which he really enjoyed. He said he learned a lot, got to sample some wines and cheeses, and really enjoyed his adult day. I got into the car to get groceries afterwards, and the radio was blasting a 70s station, so it seemed as though he had a good time.



Tomorrow we are going up the CN Tower, and exploring TO. We are not sure how long we will spend here; there is SO much to see and do, but we are also feeling the pull of home.