29 September 2014 Update.....

What a weather change -- from 70+ degrees (feels like 80)! warm breeze, sun yesterday (28 September 2014) to 40+ degrees (feels like 30), howling wind, no sun today....I am being prepped for my train trip across Canada to Vancouver.

Wednesday I train to Montreal (about three hours) for a first-time visit there and then on to Toronto next Tuesday (about five hours by train) to board The Canadian to Vancouver.  It leaves 22:00 on Tuesday and arrives in Vancouver on 11 October 2014 -- 9:30.

I just located this route guide which I will see about getting in hard copy at the train station.  Looking forward to the experience.

http://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/pdfs/route_guides/route_guide_TorontoVancouver.pdf

For once, buying a ticket last minute did not amount to a lower fare.  If I had booked early as I read in a number of blog posts over the last few days, I might have found a low fare.  Future reference in case I decide this is something to do again.

I kept going back and forth between a lower berth discounted fare and a cabin for one discounted fare.  The possibility of toilet smells in the cabin for one was the deciding factor since it's all in one small space.  Decided to get the lower berth discounted fare.  Grateful to have found blog posts with photos of the different sleeping class of service.  The VIA Rail site was not helpful in that way.  And the descriptions were helpful and not with the fact that the cabin for one converts the seat by day into bed by night by folding the Murphy bed down over the toilet seat.  I have to remind myself -- this is a train car after all -- with only so much space to allocate for sleeping :-)

By the time I get to Vancouver, will get a sense of the transportation back home.  On the other hand, I have not seen my 78 year old friend in Los Angeles in over a year.....

This is continuing to be another one of my awesome travel experiences!  And I am grateful for the abundance to do one of the things I love!  Thank You Source!

Quebec City - 26 September 2014

I know, I know...I have yet to post about my travels since Old Town Alexandria VA.

AND....

Today (26 September 2014) is such a gorgeous weather day (Thank You Source) that I had to write this!

I am in Quebec City.  It's sunny, blue skies, 68 degrees!  And this is definitely a city -- at least Vieux Quebec is -- for walking.  And my kind of walking...wandering down little or big streets -- exploring.

And what I have noticed....

Old and interesting architecture :-)

Lots of beautiful green grass spaces--some tiny, some huge :-)  :-)

Park benches or places to sit..along the sidewalks, outside buildings :-) :-)

Lack of veggies on the menus :-(

Expensive to eat out even for lunch :-(

Promenades -- the French love to stroll :-)

Upper Town and Lower Town -- translation...hills :-) :-( depending on how tired the body is

Smoking as I walk along -- outside restaurants and buildings since I am guessing folks are not allowed to smoke inside 

I am especially liking the green grass spaces!  And the places to sit!

Right now I am in "parc de l'amerique-francaise".

Notice there are no leaf color changes.

And then I wandered blocks to the south and here I am in "plaines d'abraham".  A HUGE park!  And I had to laugh when I saw the red Hop On Hop Off bus across this beautiful quiet green space, 

27 September 2014 -- to discover or feel the absence of (to miss)

Today is Saturday, 27 September 2014.

I am in Quebec City and sitting on a bench outside the "observatoire de la capitale"...taking a rest and deciding what direction I will walk.  It is 5 PM and the sun is lowering itself down for the night.  All I can see is the buildings - a mix of old stone and new brick.

Traveling allows me the time and space to discover or feel the absence of....

The absence of....HMMMM.

Well first off, in all the excitement and distraction of seeing family.  Or new places.  Or old friends I had not seen in a while.  I did not notice the absence of much.  And that surprised and dismayed me, especially the absence of Tom and Benny.  I winced in those initial days after I left to travel, whenever he would say I miss you!  For I love Tom and I did not miss him.  Ahhh, I was caught up in traveling while he was caught up in day-to-day.  If we exchanged places, might the feelings be the same?  Who knows?

I told him before I left to travel that we should notice what we notice.  Even though me traveling for long stretches of time is not new in our relationship...what is new this time -- we are living together.

Since I have left Noyac NY and my two friends who live there (14 September 2014), there's been ample time to discover or feel the absence of.....the things I love!

Tom!

Benny!

Family!

Friends!

A variety of fresh vegetables!  Cooked or raw!

Cooking!

A hot bath!  With Epsom salt would be luxurious!  Essential oils divine!

Being in Quebec City with its Upper Town and Lower Town (thus hills) and located on the St Lawrence River, reminds me of home -- walking up and down hills, walking along The Bay, seeing the beautiful views.

Especially today I am reminded of home, when the morning started off with fog that burned off into a blue sky and sun with 70 degrees.  Perhaps that is the reason writing this post fit with the leisurely day I am spending -- wandering this city just as I often wander my home city.  Just as at home, I can wash clothes another day :-). And instead en-joy this beautiful day!

I trust you are doing what you love!

20 August 2014 -- Potomac River and Georgetown

Today...I am taking it slow and easy.  My friends with the two adult children are heading back here from taking their two children to college.  There is a possibility of meeting up for dinner so I wander.  I love wandering :-)

And in wandering to the end of King Street and the Potomac River, I stop to check out the water taxi.  What fun!  There is one going to Georgetown in another hour.  And returning by 7 pm.  As I debate go or no-go, my friend calls.  They are just leaving the college and will call me when they get home.  Translation:  that will be after 7 pm.  So that means I go on the water taxi.  I love it when things fall into place :-)

There was no water taxi when I frequented Georgetown in the 80's.  So this will be fun.  And it's perfect weather to be on the water :-).  No blazing sun!  Just warm breezes!  Thank you Source!

We land in Georgetown.  And all this at river's edge is new to me!  Last I saw this area, it was full of old buildings and places to find free parking!  Now...a beautiful green space for walking and biking!  Excellent!

,

Even the street in Georgetown is now full of shops.  And I could have spent hours wandering the side streets.  Mother Nature decided to rain though and Source is looking out for me!  I found a Happy Hour!  And a dry place to watch the raindrops pour!

A nosh and drink later...it's time to make my way back to the water taxi stop.  And thankfully the rain had turned to a drizzle -- Thank You Source!  Had just enough time to get a photo of the site of my former favorite watering hole back in the 80's.  I believe it was behind the first tree.  Fab-o memories!

And the rain stopped!  Now I can take photos of sites familiar...

Kennedy Center

Watergate

Lincoln Memorial...and me :-)

Washington Monument

And being on the water is quite relaxing!  With chances to catch shots of planes landing at Reagan Airport.  Or rather approaching Reagan Airport.  Or beautiful colors of clouds at sunset.  Or Metro crossing the river.

And now for dinner!  Last chance to get soft shell crab and where?  Voila -- a restaurant on King Street I passed walking back to the hotel from the water taxi stop, had it on the menu!  And one would have been plenty!  Looks like I have lunch for the train :-). Awesome!  The photo does not do justice to how good these delicacies are!  YUMMMMM!

19 August 2014 -- Washington DC

My Amtral ticket is purchased for a Thursday departure!  And I visited with my two friends.  Guess I will venture into DC today (Tuesday) and see sights I've not seen in a while.

Like the National Gallery sculpture garden!  Now that I think of it...last time I was here was with my two friends with the adult children!  Then...the adult children were kids!

And I walked across The Mall to check out the Hirschhorn.  Figured I take a pic of the Capital.  And the Washington monument.

And next to the Hirschhorn is this garden with some unusual plants.  Like this one with thorns on its leaves.  Or this hanging flower.

And then went through the National Gallery with this great quiet green space in the center.  Now I am museum'ed out, hungry and ready for lunch...

With the help of Google Maps found this restaurant Legal Seafood.  I was in the mood for soft shell crabs and this place was suggested when I googled.  Unfortunately, no soft shells on the menu.  So I opted for crab cake appetizer!  Which was the perfect quantity!  And all crab-minimal filler!  Delish!

And decided I had room for dessert...key lime tart!

Dessert was far too much for me so after that I walked a few blocks to the Chinatown gate.  Then decided to catch a bus to check out a thrift store! That was an adventure since by the time I found the thrift store, it was closed for break.  And the guy outside watching over the paintings and furniture on the sidewalk said the owner would be back in 15 minutes.  I think that was code for one hour.  Because that's how long I waited and just when I was going to give it up and leave the owner arrived.  No Corning Ware and was entertaining to people watch while I waited.

It's hot and humid!  Definitely time to take Metro back to the hotel and call it a day!  And on the way home I can stop at the mall (across the street from a Metro stop so very convenient).  I decided to purchase the SD card reader for the iPad Mini.  Don't need it, yet my intuition said buy it since the Apple store in the mall is on my way back to the hotel.  Probably a good thing to have (as I would learn later in my travels).  Gotta love my intuitive hits.