It started off cold and drizzly in the morning. I finished off the rest of my provisions for breakfast. I wondered what the girls planned to do, but it looked like they intended to wait out the rain a little. So I bade them farewell and set off.
Highway 20 was fairly boring and the dreary weather only made it more so. Once I pulled over at a road stop to rest. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for the rest of the day. I had a vague idea to explore a little more of Quebec but I didn't know what I could see in the rain.
I decided to take the ferry from Lévis direct to the foot of the old Quebec City. The fare collector rattled off the price too quickly for me but fortunately there was a digital display. The cars boarded the ferry broadside, on account of the strong river currents. The ferry crossing was noisy but this did nothing to diminish the eerieness of seeing the St. Lawrence shrouded in mist. It only took a quarter of an hour to get over to the other side. I finished exploring the boat in that time and also managed to take a few pictures of the old city looming up in the mist.
Once on land I was lost for ideas again. I didn't want to see the old city, I had enough of that. Maybe some of the older quarters. Let's see, there was this recommended drive in the tourist handbook. This drive took me along the north bank of the St. Lawrence. The old houses are inclined so as to catch as much as possible of the weak sun of the latitude. The drive was slow partly because of the narrow streets but also because of the traffic lights and stop signs. Upon reaching the Basilique Sainte Anne-de-Beaupré I turned back. It was like a piece of provincial France in North America.
There were the Montmorency Falls. The water goes over the edge of a cliff into the St. Lawrence. There were very few people around. End of season and inclement weather.
I decided not to stay in Quebec City for the night. Montreal was within striking distance. Why not drop in on M a day ahead of time? If that didn't work out there was always a hostel in Sherbrooke. Anyway I was bored and that decided it.
Once again I crossed the Pont Pierre Laporte, but this time in thick mist. It was a little scary, not being able to see more than 100 metres ahead. The outlines of the pylons were visible through the fog and faintly below, the broad river, but there was no time to gawk or sightsee. Vehicles had their headlights on and I had to watch on the red tail lights of the car in front carefully. I felt relieved to reach the other bank.
I had no idea where M's place was. I figured I'd get into the city, park somewhere and call her up. From the lobby of a hotel, I reached her. It turned out she was having guests that night, the German girl M, and S. So we could make a foursome for dinner. The directions she gave were quite good but I had to make one correction. I got there quite easily. But Montreal drivers, phew!
The German girl was making souvlaki for dinner. I offered to contribute dessert. So I went down to the corner shop and bought some peaches for crepes. Dinner conversation was quite animated. S had just had an offer to study Medical Illustration in Toronto and had to move soon. So all her plans were tentative.
Lake Ontario had narrowed enough that I could now see the opposite bank of the St. Lawrence.
There are many islands in the stream. I imagined it must be enchanting to cruise through those islands at night. I was reminded of the time I took the Stockholm-Helsinki ferry. Moving through the Stockholm archipelago at dusk we saw islands of all sizes and shapes. Some large enough for a house and a garden, others thickly wooded.
A bit of colour on a glum day.
I left the McDonald-Cartier Freeway and turned up 16 to Ottawa. Looking for parking was a nightmare repeated in all Canadian cities, but especially bad in Ottawa. It is invariably more expensive the closer one is to downtown. Since I didn't want to get have to get up at 7 am to move my car from the street, I chose to pay the car park.
The hostel was very interesting, located in an old gaol. It was actually warm and cozy inside. There were too many groups in the hostel. Groups are the bane of single hostellers because they are noisy. I don't get to sleep in a cell; they put me in a bed in a hallway because of the crowd. Even the shower is in a cell. It's about 1 am before the hyperactive kids quieten down.
Downtown Ottawa is deserted at night. It is pretty in the way planned cities are—cold beauty. I attended a sound and light show in the cold night (about 15C) outside Parliament House. Surprisingly it had humour and not as much hype as I had expected.
