First, a warning to visitors to Montreal. The Biodome and the Insectarium, both on the grounds of the 1976 Olympics, are supposed to be awesome. Penguins, porcupines, and all kinds of roaches. What's not to like? Unfortunately, after driving out there, we discovered that they were closed, and had been since June 16, because of a "labor action", i.e. a strike. What a bummer. Unfortunately, even in times of unprecedented economic woe and stress on public finance, Francophone public sector workers are still keen on getting what they perceive to be rightly theirs.
Our greatest highlight was, quoth Natalie, the visit to Montmorency Falls Northeast of Quebec, which are some 30 meters higher than Niagara Falls, we'll have you know. The ride up and back in the cable car was a big winner. On the way down, we had the car all to ourselves! There is apparently a beautiful road along the hillside from the falls out towards the Catholic cathedral at St-Anne-de-Beaupre. Unfortunately it was a impassable when we were there due to construction. We went on a "detour" that took us on some winding residential streets out to where the road ends. Literally, it backed up to forest and, judging by my inspection of Google maps the night before, there was nothing back there except for trees, lakes, and critters. I was very curious to see it.
Natalie, on the other hand, was not interested in bucolic country driving. After checking out the cathedral, which wasn't entirely her cup of tea, she said she wanted to head back into town. And who can blame her, Quebec is an awesome little burg. But, after lunch, first we stopped into the Musee des Beaux Arts de Quebec. It was a cool looking building. Unfortunately, they were dunning us for $15 for adults and $7 for kids. That's more than the frickin Met in NYC suggests you contribute, if memory serves correctly. Our guidebook told us of a fascinating part of the core collection explaining the conflict between academicians and the avant-garde in Quebec from 1860 to 1945. I can tell Natalie how that looks myself in about 5 minutes. There's no need for us to subsidize Quebecois exercises in generalized finishing school. Natalie was as outraged (if not more so) than I was. So instead we walked around in the park outside and saw some silly
statues and some excellent historical plaques, including one from the decisive 1759 battle between the French and the English, in which one side "cleverly outflanked" the other. We were certain that Graham would love this.
One thing we can say of Quebec in the fall is that, though the leaves are purty, it's getting chilly. Our hotel was one of the tallest in the whole town, and when you stepped outside, wind often whipped ferociously round the corner. It actually blew my prized Camp Gwynn Valley baseball cap off my head! But a friendly cabbie retrieved it from under his car and said "Bienvenue a Quebec!" There was also a fair amount of rain. On our first night in Montreal, Natalie and I went out for an utterly non-notable walk through generally boring parts of town, getting pretty drenched in the process. In Quebec, we also got wet. Ah well, the place is lovely, and the Hotel Frontenac is pretty enchanting. I think Natalie will remember our trip for some time, and I know I will.
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