19 October 2014...where am I?

Today I am in Vancouver, BC.

Arrived 11 October and been staying at my friend's.  She and her husband live in Kitsilano.

Will be here until next Tuesday when I fly back into the US...Los Angeles...to stay with a long-time friend there.  And looks like November, I will land back home!

The body is ready.  Was glad to have access to a Vitamix at my friend's here so I could make my 'tea' of puréed raw garlic, raw ginger, lemon, honey, chili pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and hot water.  Last Sunday until this past Saturday have been under the weather!  So this, PowerImmune and not doing a lot have greatly helped!  I feel like I'm back to optimal!  And will give myself a few more 'sick' days.  My friend from Concord, CA arrives on Friday for a long weekend of touristing in Vancouver!  And I will be optimal well-being for that :-)

All for now!

Susquehanna River and Geneology Search (25 August 2014)

Today we take a riverboat ride on the Susquehanna River!

And WOW...for once I qualify for Senior Discount!

The tiny green dime between and far behind us is the State Capital.

Which my friend drove by later.

Then we went for lunch on the Susquehanna River.  And I "had" to get the mango drink :-)

TASTYYYYY!

And we 'had' to try the bagel baked with cheese on top! Yup, that's a dinner plate it is served on :-) Yes, we had a to-go bag!

And this was my lunch which I only ate half!

Now that I was full...we headed back so I could pack for tomorrow's 5 hour Amtrak trip to Pittsburgh PA.  While I packed, my friend tried on a couple of ancestry sites she's used for her own research to see if she could find anything on my family.  She found the 1930 census record for my grandparents on my mother and father's side!  That is exciting!  Since I did not think she would find anything!  Resurrected my interest in documenting stories to pass along to my nieces and nephew!  And their kids!  She also found a draft registration card for my father.  And his name listed in cadet corp section of his high school yearbook.  I had forgotten he was a cadet!

Next stop...Pittsburgh, PA on 26 August 2014.

Harrisburg PA (21 - 23 August 2014)

Today is Thursday, 21 August 2014.  And a long travel day.  Amtrak at 11:05 AM to Philadelphia.  Layover.  Change train leaving at 3:45 PM to Harrisburg.

That's okay as I am ready for the train ride with my provisions :-) I was able to get a seat with an empty seat beside me and it was peaceful.  Here's my lunch of soft shell crab from last night.  Love Lock and Lock leakproof containers!  Thank you June for introducing me to Lock and Lock!  I can place ice around it to keep the contents cold and the water out of the contents!  Now if I could just take a better photo :-)

And veggies!  And cookie (in a wax paper bag no less - very compostable).

And some wine!  Like my placemat/napkin and wine bottle :-)

My friend in Harrisburg--we were neighbors when I first moved to Charlottesville and lived at Barracks Road apartments.  She's a retired Spanish teacher.  And for the past two years, she's been researching her father's side of the family.  All the way back to her great, great, great grandfather.  I think I got the correct number of greats correct!  Anywho, it was fun to catch up with each other.

And her home-made soup from freezer to stove to table was a pleasure after a long day of travel.  And arriving to Harrisburg with rain.  Thank you my friend!

We managed to do a lot in the four days I was there!

Friday, 22 August.

Leisurely day.  Grocery store and checking out thrift stores.  Thank you my friend for indulging in this!  Look what I found at the Goodwill near her home.  For 3.97 no less :-) and a P series!

Perfect for soup :-) Winter is coming soon!

And synchronistically...the Goodwill had moved from where she remembered.  And when we finally found it, it was in the same strip mall as a salt room, that she wanted to check it out.  Since we're so close, let's check it out.  The owner of the place gave us a tour.  She was good to chat with!  And had a good energy about her.  Looked to be a relaxing experience for tomorrow.

Saturday, 23 August 2014....

A Himalayan salt room experience!  Boy oh boy was that ever relaxing!  45 minutes in a room with a layer of Himalayan salt on the floor!  The salt naturally sanitizes itself so just need to keep dirt out as much as possible.  No shoes worn in the room.  The salt felt like beach sand only it did not stick to me as I laid on top of it.  I wish there was one in SF.  The owner looked up on the internet, to see if there was any salt rooms in San Francisco.  Closest one is Campbell, CA!  Darn!  Oh well, it was relaxing!  And I am envious that my friend has this place so close to her home --less than 15 minutes driving!

Now to zzzzzz land :-)

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (4 October 2014)

Forecast is rain and voila....rain!

Perfect day to be lazy and NOT rush out to explore Montreal!  Besides I am tired.  I love hearing the sound of rain coming down while I am warm under the bedcovers!  Luxury at its best for me!  This a great studio I have here with a balcony.  Here's a pic of it at night!

So I finally ventured out around 1 PM.  In search of a thrift store :-). And mostly to use Metro for the first time and walk in another part of Montreal.  The hotel is one block from Berri-UQAM Metro stop so I went there.  WOW...down the elevator yet before getting to the Metro gates--no pic :-) there is this great store of paper, cards, pens, games, etc.

Then I went down to catch my train.  This mural catches your eye as you come down the escalator for the Green line.

And I chuckled at the floor signs to show folks the flow of passengers entering and exiting each train cabin :-)  Need these instructions at time for Muni and Bart riders back home.

And this is definitely a bike-friendly city!

I looked up the station after I got back to the hotel.  Wow, who knew?

http://metrodemontreal.com/orange/berri/index.html

On the way to find this thrift store (friperie), I found this one!  GREAT store (at least for me).  As I en-joy looking at all this second-hand things.

Found the thrift store (friperie) I was looking for.  And for me...too small a space and too pricey!

AND was fun just walking and looking at the storefronts.  The people.  The rain -- pretending I am in France :-)

There was a line waiting to get into this place.  So I bought some brisket from the take away side!  They handed me the paper bag and it was still hot!  DELISH!  Turns out Montreal is known for its smoked meat and this place is good (thus the line).

Back at the hotel and this brisket is DELISH!  Bon Appetit!

Oops mis-read the baggage policy :-) [30 September 2014]

It's 30 September 2014 8 PM and I am packing up.  I train it tomorrow to Montreal at 12;45 PM.

All is going smoothly with the packing (because I don't un-pack that much).  Then I read my train 

Itinerary again.  This time I read the baggage portion!

OH NO...as I read the limitations.....

One luggage 40 pounds maximum and 62 linear inches maximum

Plus

One carryon bag (and I forget what it read)

Plus

A purse

All this time, I have been traveling with one luggage, a large backpack (the one I used when I walked Camino de Santiago) and a bag that is about the size of a large plastic grocery sack (doubt this is "a purse").

Now my leisurely packing time transforms into FRANTIC re-organizing!  In the process, my math skills go haywire as I add 15 inches + 15 inches + 26 inches and get 66 linear inches!  I ask Source to have them overlook the extra 4 linear inches!  After I finish re-organizing into one luggage, one carryon, and what I hope will be viewed as "a purse", I realize that 15 + 15 + 26 is not 66 but 56.  I am truly focused because I have no photos of before and after :-)

And Source -- have them overlook the weight of my one luggage -- since when I flew from Pittsburgh to Manhattan, I THINK the scale said 45 pounds :-| for the one luggage.

PostScript.....

after all my frantic-ness.....boarding the train went without questioning my three items or the weight of my one luggage!  Source, please repeat this when I check my luggage for the cross Canada train trip!