Monthly Archives: October 2017

I have told everyone that will listen that I want to see snow and bears. Well the bears might have to wait until my next trip but I constantly reminded Tina that she needed to rustle me up some snow. I told you they are the friendliest people in the world and will do anything to ensure you are comfortable and happy – yes this morning Tina delivered snow. I woke up to frozen stuff definitely falling from the sky – I was like a small child. I HAVE BEEN SINGING FROZEN AND DANCING IN THE SNOW I made the taxi man stop so I could make a little snow man. He was Indian and thought I was mental. The ground was all covered in snow at the airport – and I secretly hoped that perhaps I might get snowed in and could go and see the polar bears.

The ground staff boringly reminded me that it as only 5cm of snow but they did tell me that I need to come back when the whole place is snowed in. I chatted to a gorgeous three year old and asked him whether he was excited about the snow – his response – that isn’t snow cause it isn’t covering the places. Well he might be 3 and super smart but he wasn’t totally correct. I had the most intriguing thing happen that has never happened before. We taxied out to the runway and then big trucks came and it was sort of like being in a plane car wash – the plane got completely sprayed for about 30 minutes with white, pink and lime green foam. I seriously sat here and thought what the ??? Of course the exceptionally cheery Westjet super cool flight attendant (they are super cool – they often sing, tell terrible jokes and have been known to do a flash mob when I have flown with them before) told me it was called icing – I again thought what the – no they weren’t totally mad and icing the plane – hmmmm actually maybe they were – it was getting it’s spray coat to ensure it didn’t freeze. I have never had that happen before but slightly reassuring I guess to be flying in a plane that has been iced in pink, white and green icing so it stays warm (the planes also have hats on their engines !!!) and doesn’t freeze up on its way to -10 Calgary – Yeah – more snow soon. 

When I said to every Canadian that I met that I was going to Winnipeg they rolled their eyes and said WHY ??? I have decided that people in Winnipeg make absolutely no effort to let out the secret of how fabulous the city is because they want to keep it all to themselves – an awesome Human Rights Museum, a great city for walking, and a beautiful university. I arrived expecting to roll my eyes, and think why and I here, BUT,  I was in for an amazing surprise. From the ultra cool Hotel Mere with the attached café in an edgy old pump house to the amazing architecture – it was really fabulous.

You could almost feel that the city was just at the start of being discovered as the world’s next great tourist destination. Tina kept laughing at me but the buildings were fabulous and the city great in an edgy, gritty, industrial sort of way. As I walked, it reminded me of a cross between Chicago, DUMBO in Brooklyn and a bit of British Tate Modern thrown in. What made it so fascinating was that most of the buildings had that mid century crossed with brutalism feeling about them, but they were built in the late 1890s-1930s. I read a bit about Winnipeg and it was really fascinating

So the buildings were totally fabulous, I felt very safe walking the streets (yes ever person I met also told me that it is Canada’s serious crime capital and murder capital that was just pipped at the post by Thunder Bay) but the best bit by far was the amazingly warm people – you gotta love a place where the number plates say – the friendliest people – and yes they were.

I don’t think I have ever been in such a place where everyone is just so lovely. Everyone smiles, says hello and just seem so content in their hidden treasure of a city.

I am already planning my next trip back – next time it will be the polar bears in Churchill – apparently it is reasonably expensive but how damn awesome would it be to see polar bears in the wild. I have definitely started saving.

I think I must be one of the only people in the world that doesn’t love France. I really don’t know what it is but I always feel slightly out of control and end up so stressed worrying about the language and every other thing. I have decided that my future French expeditions will all occur in oh so very sensible Canada. You get the lovely French welcome, Bonjour, but then the switch to English happens instantaneously.

It is really clear why Quebec City needed to be built on a massive fairy tale hill. If you are going to have food that good you must create some way to work it off. Anyone for crepes with mascarpone, lemon curd, white chocolate and pistachio? I had some of the most sublime meals ever.

I do work pretty hard for IIQM and the lovely Bailey, Alex and Yvette took me to dinner at the seriously gorgeous Le Saint-Amour. They have a tradition at the end of each conference where they go somewhere that has a tasting menu. Well, the theory was a tasting menu in Quebec City, but the reality was far from a taste. It was like eating ten full dinners and then when you thought – I am going to pass out if I eat one more thing, the chocolate arrives with the little glass of mint chocolate that you drink through a straw. The food was indescribably beautiful. Most times I would far prefer to eat vegetables than any sort of creature who runs in the Canadian wild but I thought, when you are in a gorgeous French Salon with great company and the reputation of one of Quebec’s finest restaurants you just have to go with it. I still really can’t believe that I ate Canadian Red Deer and hare terrine but do not regret one mouth full.

Carol and I went to the Chateau and sipped on champagne and lovely cocktails. If you are sitting in a fairy castle surrounded by flying geese and old opulence you really do have to behave like princesses. It was lovely. We went on to a beautiful place for dinner – Chez Boulay (a little sister of my ten course extravagance). We did feel quite French dining at 9.30pm but the lovely climb home helped with any feelings of guilt about eating and going straight to bed. I can reassure you we floated up the hill and slept like princesses in our lovely tower.

Montreal might not grab me, but then there is beautiful Quebec City. It is like being in a fairy tale with the stunning Chateau Frontenac making you feel like you stepped straight in to a Disney princess movie. We had checked the GPS and our hotel was only about 2km from the railway station, so of course, what do you do, you walk. What idiot would get a taxi for only a couple of thousand meters –the question is more what idiot would walk 2km straight up a sheer cliff dragging travel weary suitcases? We set off dragging bags and realised our hotel was right at the top of seriously daunting hills. The problem was, that by the time we realised, we were half way up, so we cheerily sang – I think I can I think I can till we get to the top of the hill. There were Jack and Jill moments, where we thought if we let go of these bags for one second we will surely tumble down.

The Hilton was right at the top of Quebec City and had the most amazing views – it would have to be up there as the top hotel in the world for the view. The lovely Yvette from the Institute that I was working for in Canada had organised an executive room so I really was like Rapunzel in the tower in the 21^st floor.

I looked down over the most awesome view of the Chateau, the beautiful Parliament buildings and the Plains of Abraham. The Disney theme continued with my view of the old city walls and the fairy tale gate in to the city.

The only problem of being up, you must come down. Oh the hills of Quebec City. If one ever wanted to do mountain goat training that sure is the city. We walked and walked and walked and I had no issue at all ensuring that the Apple watch was happy that I had done my active steps for the day.

We have become totally accustomed to our Bonjour, Bon soir and Merci beaucoup – so when I do arrive home I will have to bite my tongue and just remember to say simply thanks.

My flight from Australia to New York was so very easy. As always, Carol had lost her bags when she arrived into New York via Boston. She desperately needs to get rid of that case.   I think I should start a Go Fund me page for a new one.

We had the quickest stone bowl in the little Korean café next to the hotel and then climbed in to bed before our train expedition. Oh I do love a good train, and the trip from New York City to Montreal was lovely. The Fall is a bit delayed (who says there is no climate change) so the trees are not completely yellow, orange and red but as we traveled along the Hudson Valley on the Adirondack the scenery was beautiful.

We had a massive day running around Montreal. Managed to fit in a lovely breakfast at my favourite Olive and Gormando and walked in to a film set in lovely Old Montreal. We climbed Mont Royal and didn’t realise at the time that we were in training for Quebec City.

I always have a moment of where am I, who am I in Montreal. You arrive in LA before you leave, Thursday lasts for ever, and then you feel like you have been somehow teleported to Europe. About 60% of the population of Montreal are bilingual and as soon as you arrive the French accents start and you quickly realise you are in the largest French city outside Paris.

Montreal to me is OK but is not somewhere that really grabs me – maybe (highly likely) that I am just odd as I have heard people say how fantastic it is. I can’t quite explain but it doesn’t seem like a warm city to me – and I don’t mean the temperature.