mattersofthemoment

As we entered Glacier National Park on the Westerdam it was grey, cloudy, foggy and windy with a bit of rain. Oh sure we thought, won’t see much today. As we journeyed north to John Hopkins glacier, some 50+ miles, gradually it cleared!! Suddenly we could see the peak of Mt Fairweather (15300ft) in clear blue sky. Chunks of ice floated by. We saw a humpback whale surface for a breath. Moreover, because it was now September, our cruise ship was permitted ‎to cruise right up into the Johns Hopkins inlet as the seal mating was over for the season.

Mt Fairweather

Calving of the Johns Hopkins Glacier

On the larger pieces of ice we saw numerous seals floating by.  Some startled by our ship, slid off into the torquisey water.  Wow! We saw 2 or 3 big “calves” of ice fall from off Johns Hopkins into the sea.‎ Dave cought the splash of one in a distant photo. We could hear and see the roar of a waterfall pouring into the bay. Thousands of seagulls were flying around the base of the tidewater glacier, awaiting their lunch. We learned that when the ice tumbles it stirs up food for the gulls as the water churns up fish from deep down.  We were served hot pea soup on the promenade deck, a warm touch we thought.

Johns Hopkins Glacier

Johns Hopkins Inlet

After an hour the motionless ship rotated and we sat on our aft balcony in strong sunlight that felt almost as hot as Mexico.  Another HAL shipped passed us going into Hopkins.  This was surely one of the most awesome cruise experiences we have ever had.‎ It does not get better than this. We headed further north. We turned to look at the 250 ft high Margerie tidal glacier not before we looked towards the north to see the Grand Pacific Glacier grinding in from BC now just a few km away.

The spectacular Margerie tidal glacier

The Grand Pacific Glacier grinds in from Canada

Finished the afternoon with a soak in the hot tub and swim in the pool in the warm sunshine. Played some cards and then off to bed after a so-so meal in the Lido. Next day we awoke in Haines to low lying cloud. Our friends Mike and Sharron had not been feeling well. We were hopeful they would be better today.

With the Correaus in Haines

Mike was better while Sharron remained under the weather. We walked around the small town surrounded by the sea and mountains. We found the library for some free wifi. After, Dave toured Fort William H. Seward. Haines (pop 4000) was founded in 1881 by the Presbyterian Church at the invitation of the Tlingit Indians. The fort was built starting in 1909 in response to prolonged border tensions with Canada. In its hey day, over 200 men and officers were stationed here, a hardship posting for sure. However many of these men adapted to Alaskan conditions and ended up settling here.

Remains of a Company barracks building that burned in 1981.

The original hospital of the fort is now Alaska Indian Arts Centre.

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Totem pole restoration workshop.

The parade grounds and officers row.

In the PM we went on a short excursion to Chilcoot Lake and river in search of brown bears eating salmon. Alas we only saw a few eagles, a few salmon jumping, some dead salmon and many mercanser diving ducks. There is a wire weir across the river with only a narrow opening in the middle. A man sits there and counts the number of salmon passing thru the opening. Strange we thought as he goes for frequent breaks.  Returning to the ship we enjoyed happy hour and a fine dinner with Mike, Mary and Dave.

Our taxi arrived right on time at the hotel to take us to the Anchorage train station for our 6:45 AM departure. It was crowded but orderly and we were soon on our way to Seward still in the dark, leaving our bags there for their handling.

The train was very comfortable but we did have a long walk forward to the coffee bar.  Spectacular glaciers, mountains, rivers and marshes filled our window. There was a mad scramble to take photos, first left, then right. We saw five moose running madly to get away from the train. Lazy beluga whales (small whiteish ones) rolled over off shore. Marie saw a trumpet swan. Fantastic beauty and rugged experience everywhere.

The spectacular Spencer Glacier on the Kenai Peninsula

Our engineer hams it up once we arrived in Seward

We arrived in Seward 4 hrs later, a deep water port where the Holland America (HAL) Westerdam awaits us.‎ It was drizzling and cool. Check in was very smooth and we were on board eating lunch with Dave and Mary by 12:30. Food is OK so far but nothing like on Oceania Cruise Line which is renowned for it’s food.

Seward is named after William H. Seward, Abraham Lincoln’s capable Secretary of State during the U.S. Civil War.  He negotiated the Alaskan Purchase from Russia in 1867 at a bargain price and is very highly regarded here.  Alaska entered the Union as the 49th State in 1959.

Seward harbour

We have done quite a few cruises before and this will be our 2nd on HAL.  The Westerdam is an older ship built in 2004 with a capacity of 1964 passengers, making it medium sized in our view. It was renovated a few years back but has a bit of a tired look to it. It is adequate and clean.  Our cabin is very good, an aft balcony i.e. a balcony facing the stern of the ship.  Our cabin steward named May introduced himself and was very friendly and helpful.

Our aft balcony, top row third cabin from right

Two of our bags arrived quickly but the 3rd and biggest one got delayed 3 hrs. Apparently the tag with the cabin# fell off and they had to trace it to us by name. It was a frustrating delay but all was well at last.  We had the standard safety drill on deck but mercifully did not have to don the life jackets this time.

We had dinner in the Lido and met a nice couple from Oregon. We turned in early but not before hearing a talk by the cruise director on Alaska, it’s history, people and spirit. HAL was the first cruise line to “do” Alaska in 1975. It proved very successful and the other mass lines quickly followed.  HAL owns the McKinley Chalet Resort and the Westmark Hotel chain too.

Warm enough for we Canadians.  Heated pool too.

We learned that few years back, a jet taking off from Juneau collided with a salmon lol! Apparently a bald eagle saw the plane coming and dropped it’s prey onto the windshield. Windshield Sushi read the headline, lol!  It was Captain Cook who discovered Alaska in 1778. 15% of Alaskans are of indigenous origin.  Each Alaskan receives a generous cash dividend each year from the State’s rich resource account.  The cost of living in Alaska is significantly higher than in the lower 49 (as much as +30% in Anchorage and +50% elsewhere).

Marie on the aft balcony

Ship rocked a bit that night as we crossed the Gulf of Alaska but was still very quiet for sleeping.  The next day was a day at sea on our leisurely way to Glacier Bay.  We enjoyed the ship’s facilities and then dressed up a bit for the 1st gala evening.  Sadly, some of our friends had picked up a fever, were on medication and confined to their cabin.  We looked forward to seeing them again as soon as soon as they felt better.

Me too.

Here is a map of our cruise routing.

“Alaska the Last Frontier” is the catchy tag line that seems to capture visitors’ concept of Alaska well.  However, Marie coming from Newfoundland and Dave having lived in Vancouver, remained a bit skeptical at first.

After 2×3 hr flight‎s from Winnipeg we arrived safely in Anchorage on a warm sunny day.

Our taxi driver gave us a running commentary on the way in.  Everyone loves the outdoors here – fishing, hunting, hiking, etc.. “If you don’t, you probably won’t like living here.” he quipped.  He loves fishing and is used to the colder weather now.  He loves it here.

We notice that it was visibly hazy.  He explained this was smoke from some nearby forest fires. You could really smell it. There are more airplanes in Alaska per capita than anywhere he stated, as we drove by the biggest float plane port in the world.  We later learned only about half of Alaskan pilots are licensed to fly!  He went on to praise Canada and said “Paris married New York and they had a baby and called it Montreal.”, which he really loves to visit.  Cute.

Coming in we saw small trees, a lake, brown grass, some ducks, all much like home. We adjusted our clocks back yet another hour from Vancouver.‎ We could see that there are a lot of indigenous people here with a Pacific look about their faces.  Wow, another rich cultural experience here.

Our hotel was functional but on the outskirts. Fortunately there was a mall next door with a grocery and wine store. The clerk in the wine store insisted we show age ID!  So we contented ourselves with a nice meal in the room of crab, baguette and wine. Then we slept 10 hrs!

The next day we picked up a rental car and drove SW out the pretty Turnagain Arm off the Cook Inlet.  It was Captain Cook who “discovered” and mapped the coast of Alaska in 1778, hence the name.  Magnificent mountains come tumbling down to the Sea as the tide runs out and back in quickly. We stopped for some photos in the sun. Magpies everywhere, beluga whales offshore.  Continuing on we headed for the Mt Aleyaska Resort Hotel. The sun staid out and the smoke dissipated a bit.

We took the tram up about 1500 vertical ft and gazed at snow covered Mt Aleyaska. It’s peak is almost 4000 ft above sea level. There is a massive ski hill here too with double black diamond trails. This reminded Dave of his Whistler skiing days long ago – 9000+ ft above sea level and a whopping 5000+ vertical ft ski run!  Aleyaska rivals but can’t compare.  Aleyaska means “great country” and was the original name of Alaska we learn.

Descending we drove lazily back to Anchorage in time to meet our friends from Arnprior, the Dohertys and Correaus, for dinner.‎  The Doherty’s had taken a land tour first and spent time in Denali Park where the great Mt. McKinley towers 20,310 ft. The Correaus had flown in to Anchrage the day after us and were staying at the same hotel.  A great night was had by all!

The next day we drove with the Correaus NW to Eklutna Lake for a photo shoot.  It was very beautiful and somewhat reminiscent of Lake Louise. ‎After returning the car we hooked up with the Dohertys and went to the town market which was full of artisan works. During a humorous scenic trolley ride around town we learned:
– pop of Alaska 740,000
– pop of Anchorage‎ 300,000
– 1964 Alaskan earthquake near Anchorage magnitude 9.2, the 2nd strongest ever recorded in history
– only 7 fatalities in Anchorage as it hit at 5 PM on a Good Friday with no one in school, on the road etc. (126 elsewhere in Alaska died sadly due to tsunamis and landslides)

Finished with a tasty succotash dinner (corn, lima and other beans), the end of our short wonderful stay in Anchorage.‎  Alaska, the Last (American) Frontier is sure a great place to visit so far.

Elias welcomes our swing west

We just returned from a swing out west.  We started in Winnipeg with a family visit to Kyle, Ashley and Elias. Next was a short stay in Anchorage, AK.  Then we cruised the Alaskan coast to Vancouver.  Finished up with a fine stay with the Oblates in YVR.  It’s good to get away and it’s good to be home again.

Elias, now 11+ months old, is a ball of joyful beauty and energy.  He is so accepting, allowing us to hold him, feed him and play peek a boo.  He fills his days with fun activities such as a stroller ride in the park, some bouncy play time, stories, naps and eating.  He is standing with assistance, communicates his needs very well and will be on a real tear soon.  Love you little Elias!  Your parents are doing such a great job.  Ashley, you are so wonderful and Kyle too!  Thanks so much for hosting us on top of your busy schedules you guys.

Dad and son had a nice round of golf.  Kyle hits the ball a mile with a natural swing that amazes.  Dave is playing well this year and nudged for the win.  Next time could be very different.  It was a great day in the warm August sunshine! Loved the game, thanks again Kyle.

Marie had some extra time with Elias in the park and at home.  This was her 3rd visit to Winnipeg this year and Dave’s 2nd.  Can’t wait to return.

Of course we headed to the Forks for a walk and a bite, always a fascinating place to go exploring.  We also had time to visit St. Kateri Tekakwitha (Oblate) parish on Sunday for Mass.  They had a nice social after.  We met the new priest assigned there, Fr Vijay Dievanayagam, OMI, and some fellow Oblate Associates.  We love Winnipeg, our home away from home.

Dave explored Elias’ future school, just 3 blocks away from home.  Wolseley is a lovely neighbourhood with mature trees, nice parks, paths, shopping nearby and friendly neighbours – lot’s of young families.  You sure are lucky Elias to be a Winnipeg boy!  We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

P.S. Happy Birthday Kyle!

We returned home from St John, NB via Maine as it is a shorter route.  We stopped overnight in Waterville using our Best Western points.  The next day we drove to Magog, QC and walked around the lovely park on the shore of Lake Memphremagog.  That night we stayed near Waterloo, QC where one of Dave’e university buddies comes from.  We really enjoyed the beauty of the Eastern Townships – hills, lakes, streams, hiking trails, picturesque little towns and bicycle paths everywhere.

Leaving NB

Maine

Meet Memphre

When we got to Ottawa we stopped at the Oblates residence for dinner.  Outgoing Provincial Fr. Ken Forster and Vicar-General Fr. Jim Bleakley were turning leadership responsibility over to Fr. Ken Thorson and Fr. Richard Beaudette.  It was great to say goodbye for now to these great friends and hope to see you again soon.

QC/NB Trip By the Numbers

The purpose of this road trip was to visit Marie’s brother Kevin and sister-in-law Phyllis. in St John, NB.  For a map of our basic routing, click here.

The highlights we found most enjoyable were:

• Old Montreal – the architecture, food, music, shopping and Notre Dame Cathedral
• Manoir Dauth – exquisite room, welcome and breakfast by Brigitte and Christian
• Auberge de Belle Plage – in Baie-St-Paul, beach, restaurants, boutiques, live music
• Finding a room at La Villa D’Antan, Sainte-Luce when all was full in Rimouski
• Our great visit with Kevin and Phyllis, lunch and city tour in St John on a sunny day
• great pool table and game at Kevin’s and seeing Troy and Tyler
• Visiting departing Oblates in Ottawa while on our way home

Overall trip by the numbers:

• 2700 kms driven over 13 days
• 12 nights, 2 provinces, 1 state
• 11 sunny days, rain 2 days
• 35 beautiful old churches visited or photographed
• 3 seafood  and 1 duck dinners, best chowder
• the best breakfast we ever had
• 3 swimming pools
• low traffic, convenient parking available, friendly people
• 300+ photos taken
• accommodating our English and putting up with Dave’s French
• first Airbnb experience very positive
• good shopping in and around Montreal (Point Claire)

Another great trip.  Thanks be to God and for travelling with us.

D & M  xo

Well we had finally reached our destination of St John, NB, long time home to Marie’s brother Kevin and wife Phyllis.  It has been a few years since we had been their way.  It was so great to get together with you again.

The weather was superb and Kevin took us on a glourius tour.  There is so much to see and do in this historic and beautiful city.  Here are some photo highlights:

We stopped for lunch at the restaurant right above the reversing falls.  We had the best table in the house and the best seafood chowder Dave has ever had.  While we were eating, the tide came in.  What at first was rushing waters and huge eddies where the St John River flows into the Bay of Fundy, became calm.  Some pleasure boats then started coming into the mouth of the river.

There was a very large cruiseship in town as we toured the downtown area.  We then visited the lovely Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, their parish church, before returning home.

Dave and Kevin played some billiards in the basement while Marie and Phyllis reminisced about the good old days growing up in Freshwater and Dunville, Nfld, as well as their nursing school days together. Thanks Kevin for humouring Dave before cleaning the table!  The ribs dinner and delicious fruit cake for the road were great Phyllis.

Thank you so much Bro Kevin and Sister Phyllis for your warm welcome, great hospitality and all that laughter.  You guys are the greatest couple with the greatest family who know how to have fun.  We enjoyed our visit immensely and look much forward to seeing you again soon.  Thanks for travelling with us reading all these blogs!

Isle d’Orleans at High Tide

In the morning, Dave sat by the St Lawrence with Isle d’Orleans in the background and could also see Québec City in the distance. Then the water started to receed and he was surprised to see the tide going out this far from the Atlantic.  Majestic.

The Charlevoix tourist region of Quebec extends from roughly Quebec City to past the Saguenay River along the north shore of the St Lawrence River.  It includes rolling terrain, fjords, headlands and bays.  Named after a Jesuit missionary, it is home to Canada’s first resort community – La Malbaie.   It is teaming with art stores, music festivals, luxury inns and gourmet food.  In winter there is some of the best skiing in Canada.  We had heard a lot about the area and were looking forward to seeing it.

We took a leisurely drive to Baie-St-Paul after climbing to 740m and descending again. We went to the local laiterie (cheese factory store) for lunch enjoying some fresh baguette, paté and fresh cheeses, yum. Stopping at Gite des Petits Messanges, Nicole told us that it was already full for the night.  We had a reservation for the following night.

We contented ourselves with walking down the streets of Baie-St-Paul lined with boutiques, art stores and restaurants. Très joli mais trop de gens pour nous.  We drove down to the beach and luckily found a room in a lovely auberge. Great pizza dinner after wine and snacks with live music.  Another superb day came to an end.

Baie-St-Paul

Next morning we enjoyed the buffet breakfast of exquisite cheeses, quiche, fruit, breads and charcuterie. Then we went to the nearby Baie-St-Paul beach for a few hours. This was not before Dave had a dip in the pool at the auberge next door and we walked a nice trail.

After a light lunch we did some shopping and headed for the Gite des Petits Messanges. Nicole was most friendly and gave us an upgraded room with a queen bed.  She agreed the room had been prepaid for and said that she does not get paid by Expedia until we leave. Hence it was Expedia who had charged us the full amount for the room in advance, contrary to their online offer.  They had blamed this pre-charge error on Nicole when I disputed it.  Enough said.

We slept reasonably well after a great dinner of salad and Italian poutine at the brasserie in town. Up and at it the next day we drove to the ferry  crossing at St Simeon. Beautiful views of the St Lawrence. We waited about 2 hrs and caught the ferry to Riviere de Loup on the south shore. It is amazing how many cars they pack in.  Then the fun began.

Leaving Charlevoix

When we arrived in Rimouski, pop. 50,000, every room in town was completely taken due to various festivals, construction workers holidays, etc.‎  So we drove 20 km further to Sainte Luce and stopped at Julie’s Motel et Casse-Croute.

Julie was talking with 2 women as I entered but said she did have a room available. So we all drove in a convoy a bit further down the road to see a lovely restored house. We were 3rd in line as she showed the rooms to all of us. Meanwhile her cell phone was ringing constantly. Her standard question was “Combien de personnes etes-vous?” Then she would invite even more people to come and see the 4 rooms that she had available.

The first lady made her selection of the room that we wanted but then changed her mind as there was no private bathroom.  The 2nd lady then chose the same room but Julie wanted a bit extra for her kids. She left. Finally we got to choose the nice sunny room. As we were finalizing the terms she kept saying in French to Marie and elbowing her, “Hey he speaks French eh.” about me. Then her cell phone would ring and “Combien de personnes etes-vous?”. We laughed so hard at this good natured lady multi-tasking with a friendly smile and a laugh.

The prized sunny room we finally got

So we spent a delightful evening there‎ including another great meal at a very crowded bistro by the beach nearby.  Phew, another few great days here in Quebec!

We did a little last minute shopping before we left Montreal and then drove to Trois-Rivières.  “The country side is steeped with steeples”, Marie remarked.  Everywhere we go in Quebec we see a steeple on the skyline, often more than one at a time.  This is living evidence of the great religious hold the Catholic Church had on the people of Quebec.  For the most part, these beautiful stone structures are still in good shape.  Many though have already been closed, deconsecrated and turned into museums, concert halls or community centres.

Our goal in visiting Trois-Rivières was to see Canada’s national shrine to the Virgin Mary, Notre Dame du Cap.  It is administered by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate founded by St Eugene de Mazenod.  As we drove into the eastern suburb, previously called Cap de la Madeleine, surprisingly there were no street signs directing us to the shrine.  We passed a large boarded up church with gaping broken windows, not a good sign we thought.  Finally we found Sanctuaire Notre Dame du Cap as it is called en francais.  It consists of a large church, an historic stone chapel, outdoor Stations of the Cross, lovely gardens, pathways, an RV park and Oblate residences.  They have thousands of pilgrims each year, ongoing youth rallies and special events year round.

Sanctuaire Notre Dame du Cap

We walked around the beautiful gardens and buildings and then met with Fr Bernard Menard, OMI for a little chat. He said there are at least a dozen Oblates working there. He is originally from Ottawa and had been very involved with Novalis and L’Arche in his long career.  He told us about meeting Fr Jack Lau, OMI several years ago when Jack was considering coming to Canada from the U.S.. (It was Fr Jack who drew us to Galilee and Arnprior after we retired.)  Then he blessed us.  It was a special moment for us as Oblate lay Associates.  Thank you again Fr. Bernard!

We then drove about an hour east looking for accommodation and suddenly saw a sign for Auberge du Manoir Dauth.  The place initially looked deserted we thought but actually was quite busy.  It was a magnificent, peaceful and comfortable place to stay which we thoroughly enjoyed. Hosts Bridgitte and Christian made us feel very welcome.  They served us a great breakfast – gourmet porridge, crepes, fruit, eggs, bacon before warmly bidding us to come back.  Wow! 5 star place, highly recommended.

Next day we drove to Québec City and found a parking spot right near the Chateau Frontenac.  We walked around taking photos of everything in the warm sunshine. We went to the Anglican Cathedral and heard a short organ concert.  A little shopping and then lunch in the shade. We got out of town quickly and continued on our way to Ste Anne de Beaupré.

Ste Anne de Beaupré is the national shrine for Ste Anne, Mary’s mother and the patron saint of Québec.  It is administered by the Redemptorists Religious Order founded by St Alphonsus Ligouri.  We caught the English Mass in one of the most beautiful churches we have ever been in. This shrine is a real pilgrimage attraction and well maintained. Still it was not crowded. We relaxed a bit outside as we gazed at the impressive exterior of the church. We decided to stay nearby and found a nice little motel, though the room was tiny.  We had a nice steak dinner after a most enjoyable day.

Sanctuaire Ste Anne de Beaupré

Sadly many of these shrines and churches may not last much longer.  There is a shortage of young priests and religious to animate them.  There is a shortage of young parishioners to support them.  The next 10 years will see thousands of such properties shuttered across Canada.  We are so lucky to experience them now in all their glory.  We can’t imagine the sacrifices our ancestors and religious community members made to build and maintain them.  Thanks be to God for giving us a glimpse of his great glory through our pilgrimage to these great national shrines.

We slept well and then walked around Old Montreal for 5 hours in the heat. Notice I now have a neck strap for my sunglasses.  We saw Montreal beach, the ferris wheel, Notre Dame de Bon Secour and Notre Dame Cathedral, which was the highlight. We had lunch at the highly recommended Olive et Gourmando bistro.  Artisan breads, olive oil, salads and gourmet sandwiches. After a little shopping we went back for a rest.

Olive et Gourmando

Aesop Essential Oils

That evening we walked west along rue de la Gauchetiere through China town and then back to Old Montreal. We found it was a bit too far and got a little tired. We wanted to go to Auberge St Gabriel to have Brome Lake duckling a l’orange, but alas it was no longer on the menu.  We settled for a casual outdoor restaurant a block off Place Jacques Cartier.  The duck leg I had for dinner was great and Marie had a tasty duck salad.  Not sure if it was from Brome Lake.  Exhausted, we headed back to our Airbnb and fell into bed, very satisfied with a great Old Montreal experience.

Yum!

By the way if you are wondering where we stayed here is a link to the Airbnb.  Host David was so gracious, accommodating and full of recommendations.  He wanted to know why we had come and how he could help.  Highly recommend this location on rue de l’Hotel de Ville for a great little get away.  We hope to go back next year during Jazz Fest.

P.S. After we got home, our local No Frills store had Brome Lake duck on sale.  Our friend Irene alerted us and is going to show us how to cook it – right here in Old Arnprior lol.  Thanks Irene!

P.P.S. Another reason we were tired is we walked back and forth several blocks several times looking for Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville’s family home which we never found. Sorry Marie! Since arriving home, Lime scooters have arrived in Montreal. Dave enjoyed these in Mexico and they are now starting up in Canada.