SKI QUEBEC

BON JOUR...
Dear Mates, your intrepid friend is in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I promised at the beginning of these posts that I would keep you abreast of my adventures and travels. These have been geographical, intellectual, and spiritual and make for interesting reading as I have reviewed them.

So I drove up from Painted Post NY yesterday and today is Friday 19th of February. Quite a boring drive as the entire country side is covered with snow. Tomorrow, I drive on to Mont-Tremblant where I will rendezvous with eleven strangers. We are meeting courtesy of Sierra Club's trip program and the two leaders are Ed and Cathy who live south of me in Orangeville PA. We will ski hut-to-hut for six days in the Canadian wilderness. I will let you know all about it on my return.

This may be quite the adventure for me as I am on the verge perhaps of some repair work on my knees. The longest ski will be 13 miles and this may be somewhat of a test for me. We shall see.

I hope to do some museum visits around the town today. There is lots to see here but I expect to take in the arts museum, the science museum, and perhaps also the IMax.

I recommend staying at Youth Hostels. Parking is a little tricky here in Montreal but the hostel is near to the center of things. I have met two of my room mates, one from Australia and the other from Egypt. Quebec Province is the beginning of French Canada and, crossing from Ontario, even the MacDonald's is different. Of course, the food and the space are the same, but the language is French.

The hostel staff are all friendly and helpful and the amenities are very clean and well maintained. As well as kitchen amenities, the hostel has a bar/small bistro. Last night, after getting somewhat lost for a while, looking for the parking place recommended by the hostel, it was good to settle in with a large beer. Luckily, I have been here once before and, as the city is laid out on a grid for the most part, having strayed back onto a freeway and seemingly having to drive alone forever before being able to exit, I was very pleased indeed to find myself eventually at the intersection of the very street on which was the parking garage! Best of all, the bed (albeit the top bunk) was firm and comfortable while my companions hardly snored at all.

Today the weather is overcast with light snow flurries. There is quite a deal of snow underfoot but I have my trusty snow boots so all should be well.

Au revoir...I will write again in a week or so, unless I get the urge this evening.

A good weekend for you all.