Happy Canada Day!

Yep - July 1 is Canada Day, which perhaps explains why it sounds as if there is a parade going on outside my window. I wandered leisurely through this 400-year-old city last night, and wished I weren't alone, as it is so romantic. If you have a chance to visit, come with someone you love - or even want to fall in love with! I'm so glad I made the decision to get a hotel within the walled city. My plan today is to just continue strolling up and down the cobblestone streets, and visiting nearby sites, such as the Plains of Abraham and stopping for lunch at a Moroccan restaurant I found last night when I noticed the word "Sahara" on a sign. :) Don't worry sis - I'll post pics soon - but right now I'm just enjoying living in the moment!

tgfw

If tgif lets us embrace the end of the week, (as well as a good cheeseburger), then I think tgfw should become our new saying every time we encounter wifi - especially when it's free - as it is right now on Canada's ViaRail line from Montreal to Quebec City. How convenient that I can actually be posting in real time, and not just typing out my random thoughts to be shared at a later date. And while I'm on the subject of convenience, let me say that I had a first last night on my Air Canada flight - a power source and USB port in the back of the seat in front of me, right on either side of the screen! Now, maybe I'm behind the times and everyone has witnessed this, but I've flown at least four times in the past year, and this was the first I had seen that setup. My first taste of on-board wifi just came in March with a flight to Tucson, and although I didn't use it, I have to admit I was happy to see it. Now that I'm constantly online thanks to my MLIS program, it is nice to have convenience at every turn. And as I'm sitting on the train, exhausted but not wanting to sleep because I'd miss the scenery (and that was the whole purpose of taking the train instead of flying), I really appreciate it. So, speaking of scenery, here are some quick observations - lush, green, flat farmland just outside of Montreal, with a few quaint towns so far. It's a weird mix of Seattle lushness and Indiana flatness, with French in the background. Too bad I don't know how to say more than "petit soya vanill latte" because my middle-aged seatmate doesn't know English and seemed to be disappointed at not having any conversation on this three-hour ride. I took out my phrasebook and muddled through "I'm a school librarian traveling from Idaho," which brought a polite smile, followed by a nap. :) Despite the lack of communication, I'm so glad I'm here. Just having a different language in the background is enough to satisfy my desire to experience something new and different, even if it is "just Canada" and just for a few days.