Qubec trip, Ottawa Marathon, Senators, Samba, canoe capsize etc....

Ok it's been a couple of weeks since I last wrote - lazy bugger, well no both Miriam and myself have been busy. So I write this post listening to Ladysmith Black Mambazo & the Arctic Monkeys - weird combo but it works for me. I'm also writing while looking out the window (from 15th floor) where there is a mass gathering of people wearing red t-shirts (thousands), what the..? Will go and have a look later.

Speaking of mass gatherings, Laurier Ave (where we live), seems to always be the place where the Ottawa people congregate for events. Over a week ago, the Ottawa Senators ice hockey team (well 'hockey' team - 'hockey' is ice hockey, field hockey is the other & apparently 'girls' play it) made it into the Stanley Cup finals against the Anaheim Ducks from USA (out West). Anyway it is a big deal for Ottawa as it is the first time in many years that they have been in the finals and hockey (Stanley Cup) is a big deal over here - so much so that they have changed the 'Elgin Street' (a popular place to go out) name to the 'Red Mile' for the finals period (7 game series) - Red is of course the team colours and the chants are "go Sens go" - it gets annoying after a while. The 'Red Mile' is just off Laurier Ave and the festival plaza is where they had a mass gathering of over 7000 fans before the playoffs started (see photos) - the word around was Ottawa was the best team and this was their year. They are 2 - 0 down in the finals. But the fans are 'oat and a boat' enjoying it - so much so it is hard to get in anywhere, so they have big screens outside all over the city, including Laurier.

Another gathering on Laurier was the start of the Ottawa (Canada) Marathon last weekend. Over 40,000 people gathered to compete in the 2km, 5km, 10km, half and full marathon races. Some of the runners can be seen on our 'silent crappy videos' on YouTube. The winner of the marathon finished in 2hrs 10 minutes - unreal. We are thinking of competing next year - well we thought that at the time while watching all the runners - a year is long way off eh.

Yet another gathering 10 minutes off Laurier was the annual 'Glebe garage sale'. The Glebe is an area in Ottawa central where there are a few restaurants, wealthy homes, student flats etc. Thousands turned out on a 32 C day - we ended up getting a free bread maker - good buy eh, all we had to hand over was our hand, and only that was a shake!

Well we have now seen almost all the types of wild life with four legs that Ontario has to offer. We bike a little bit in the great (36,000hec) Gatineau park, 10 minute drive from our place. I saw the bear and cubs, we both have seen raccoons, deer, groundhogs (both roadkill and alive), beavers, porcupines, squirrels, etc on our bike rides. Gatineau Park is full of lakes, forests and bike/walking trails. With the humidity lately there have been some amazing electrical storms that come over from Gatineau towards Ottawa. I was out driving last week and had to stop as the rain/hail was so intense I couldn't see a damn thing. Last nights electrical storm went on for hours, heaps of forks etc - tried to take a photo/film but was always too late or too quick in taking the shot - but I did take a lot of photos and films of the night - darkness.

Two weekends back, over the long Victoria weekend, we took the car for its first roady through Quebec and up some of the East side of the 'mighty' St Lawrence River past Quebec City. We drove 1600 km over the 3 days and got way out into the wops and small farm villages (each with their own steeple church - the governance of all small villages back in the day) and where the English language was not spoken. We went to Saint Francois, Saint Paul, Sain Joseph, Les Eboulements, Saint Hilarion, Saint Irenee, La Malbaie, Clemont, Massif ski-field, St Annes Canyon, Saint Fidele, Port au Persil, Hautes Gorge, Saint Simeon, Baie Saint Catherine, Saint Agnes and back through the Old Quebec City.

The trip was amazing - the people, scenery, St Lawrence river, the old Quebec city, St Annes's Canyon, Hautes Gorge etc. At Saint Catherine, along the St Lawrence, many whales come in from the Atlantic Ocean. Almost every species of whale arrives at certain times of the year, including the big Blue Whale in July-August. At Hautes Gorge, they take conservation to a new level. You can only take your car to a certain point, from then on you must walk or catch one of two buses into the area close to the rivers within the gorge. The visitors centre is self sufficient - running on solar power, the ranger vehicles run on bio fuel etc. And the gorge is spectacular, with some of the highest cliffs in Canada - behind of course the Rockies etc out West. St Annes's canyon was amazing too - huge falls and heaps of power behind the rapids - we were lucky the day was sunny, as the mist formed rainbows (see photos). There were also falls closer to Quebec city - but our camera batteries were flat so no pics (no pics of Quebec City either - next time). These falls were amazing as well. In the winter 90% of it freezes and people skate etc under the falls (that aren't falling). Also this area was the point where the English set up camp to come up with a plan to attack the French in Quebec City back in the 1700s. The French had their own fort in what is now Old Quebec - a walled part of Quebec city. The English travelled up the St Lawrence to attack the French - The Seven Years War began in 1756. Back to the trip. We were based in St Annes, a little village about 1 hour up the St Lawrence from Quebec City. It was the opening weekend of the backpackers (it closes during winter - too much snow), so there were only a few guests. Awesome view of the town and St Lawrence, as the backpackers was situated up a hill. I practised my French, by saying I don't speak French in French - Je ne parle pas français. I will learn it before we leave!

The old Quebec City. A beautiful part of the city that seems to be in a time warp - ie it is set in the 18th century. More European than Europe, even more French than France. Narrow cobblestone streets with tall old buildings - arts, crafts, cafes, restaurants, touristy stuff, fashion, antique stores. Quebec City is amazing, defiantly a place to go back to - especially in the winter. Sorry words can't describe it properly - you have to go there.

Our adventure sports nights are good - meeting a few people and learning new sports and Canadian pastimes - like how to canoe in a rapid - from our point of view not very well. Canoes are new to us, we did well in the calm waters, even did well going upstream - up the rapids. But our last down rapid run of the night was a bit of a disaster - my fault, as I was steering (not steering). We went into the rapid side ways, capsized and floated down stream, bruising our butts on rocks along the way. Bugger eh. We will be professional canoeists before we leave Canada. The other sports are cool too, sea kayaking next week in the river - that's more like it!

Samba (more percussion, Batucada stuff than dance) nights are good to. A big group that practise once a week and play at various gigs - including the FIFA under 19 World Cup match between Brazil and USA, and various Senator gigs - we need to practise a bit more to get into the gig thing. Djembe drumming hasn't taken off yet - One course is half way through, so too late to join. I put a message on CraigsList (like TradeMe back home - can put classified ads online etc) to 'anyone out who wants to start up a drumming circle'. Have had two responses so far - not enough to make up a circle as such - unless we play really close together. Early days will wait and see. Tennis lessons Thursday nights with an ex-pro - no we are not paying shitloads for the lessons, it's cheap community organised lessons. We both were bumped up from beginner to the intermediate group on the first night. I must be doing something right, as I've improved enough to get in the advanced group;)

Workwise. Miriam is enjoying her work but wishes she had a window. I have applied for a few jobs but am still waiting on Social Insurance # so i can work. Many of the jobs require you to be bilingual (French/English) which is a bit of a bugger. I may get work at a certain place so I've been told, as the person in 'my' position is quite ill. Hey, I'm not wishing.... I hope she gets better - seriously! I have applied to do a post grad 1 year diploma at Ottawa Uni in 'Sustainable Development'. Very now.

The car is in good company in the garage (see photo).

Long blog entry, sorry. Listening to Bob Dylan now - will see him live in a month at the Blues Fest - never seen him before.

Still have a lot of pics to add to FlickR - takes too long - but will get them up eventually.

Mercury Energy gives $10,000 to the family of the woman who died when the power was cut from her home and her breathing apparatus because of an unpaid power bill - what a load of bollocks!