Montgolfières/Hot Air Balloons

This event is held every year in Gatineau over the Labour Day weekend.  They need 1,850 volunteers, so I was happy to put up my hand ...

 

 

The balloons are only inflated when the conditions are perfect - and then only early in the morning or in the evening.  Over the course of the weekend, they went up twice - but I had just finished a shift on Sunday 1st Sep and took these pictures.

Skies

Everyone who now knows me in Canada is tired of hearing me waxing lyrical about the beautiful skies (er, and cloud formations).  When you're out and about, it is common to see the whole horizon, virtually uninterrupted.  I try to explain that it's not the same in the UK.

Indonesia tourists

As there are some Matt pics, I can't leave Isla out.  Here are some of her in the last month.


Sitting in the sea in the Gili Islands on her 22nd birthday




Isla and Jade have just hiked up Mt Rinjani (an active volcano) on the Island of Lombok

Ottawa tourists

It was great to see Matt and Dan on their way though from Nova Scotia to Manitoba.

 

'Maman' outside the National Gallery

Ottawa Parliament in the background



Just before our cycle along the Rideau Canal

Matt and Ma in the Ottawa Jail Hostel

A pause for a brew (not the tea kind)

Beaver Tails/Queues de Castor

Have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BeaverTails *
Little did the visitors (or their guide) know the importance of this stand in the ByWard Market.  [Maple butter topping, if you want the details]

* please don't yell if the link doesn't work (I did look up Bloggers help, she cried)

Views of Ottawa ...

Ceiling in the Canadian Museum of Civilisation



Canada School of Public Service

Let's Twist ....

Because summer is so short, much is made of the warm weather.  People take to their skates, bikes and boats, and if you're not into participating in energetic activity, there are many local Festivals for the more passive - who still want to have an outing.   Music, cultural, educational, artistic - and combinations of all the above.  So late-August found me at the Twist Festival, a two-day event in St Andre Avellin (an hour's drive outside Ottawa) to celebrate all things fibre.  Over the course of the weekend, there was a documentary film 'Be Linen', a conference on the story of yarn (in English only) with two speakers, and a textile art exhibition.  Activities for children included skipping rope, finger-knitting, and doll-making workshops, for adults there were crochet and knitting workshops, there were demonstrations of spinning and weaving, and not least, nearly 70 vendors including All we Knit is Love (ouch), Association des Eleveurs de Chevres Angora pur-sang du Quebec (let them not be mis-sang) - The Black Lamb etc.

It was a fun outing; suggested by my friend Cati who is a lovely knitter.  She has a large enough collection of wool and yarns to start a small shop (or two).

Constance Bay (by speedboat!)

Constance Bay is in Ontario, about 35 mins upriver from Aylmer by boat.  My flat-mate got us invited out on Saturday afternoon.   Being on Stephane's boat was very exhilarating; there's no chance to be modest if you're wearing clothes for the beach - it's merciless when you're going along at 45kph, everything moves!

 

We drank beers and clamato juice with vodka (called Caesars), and I brought along some dill-pickle crisps.

 

 

Below are some efforts at bird pics, a young gull was hanging about for pieces of apple. Yes, the i-pad does have its limits as a camera ....

 

 

Montréal, Québec



At the beginning of May, on a very hot weekend, I had my first visit to Montréal.   [When you are from Québec, it is not pronounced with 'awl' at the end; nor with a 't' in the middle!]  I was shown around the city by a couple whom I'd met in Vietnam earlier this year.  (Having breakfast one morning at my hotel in Hoi An, I heard them speaking in French.  I asked them if they were from Canada, and we fell into conversation, and I said I'd be travelling to Québec in the Spring - so we swapped e.mail addresses).  Anyway, Maurice and Viviane came to pick me up from my hotel on the 2nd May and took me on a tour which included:

- Palais de Congres
- Victoria Square
- International Trade Centre
- Some banks
- Basilic du Notre Dame de Montréal, Place D'Armes
- Palais de Justice
- Hotel de Ville
- Chateau Ramezay
- Place Jacques Cartier
- Bonsecours Market
- Maple Syrup Museum
- Science Parc
- Vieux Port
And the next day, I went to the Olympic Village (1976) and the Biodome.

V & M in front of the Hotel de Ville





Stade Olympique


Vieux Montreal

Basilic du Notre Dame de Montréal



Interior of RBC HQ

Interior of RBC HQ
 [you can tell who had all the money]

More Montréal pictures ...



Maple Syrup densities



International Trade Centre