Well, after Montreal we decided to try and make a little more progress than had previously been the case. It was our goal to do the whole 12-hour stretch from Montreal to Halifax in one go, plus pee breaks and such of course. Nobody who knows us would be surprised to hear that for various reasons we ended up leaving the campground rather later than we had intended. It was a lovely day for a drive, and we did get partway into New Brunswick before we ground to a halt.  It was 4am and we were facing another 4 hours of driving, so we drove through the foggy and deserted streets of Grand-Sault until we found a pleasant little motel which gave us a discounted rate (and was not a bordello or strip club). We settled into our little cottage at the shores of the little pond with the little island, and settled into blissful sleep.

The next day we again got off to a late start, though we did eventually get going. We stopped in Fredericton for a few hours, doing some laundry, getting the dog extremely dirty at the dog park, then taking her to a wonderful u-wash place to get all shiny again. She probably enjoyed the getting dirty part the best.

Our arrival in Halifax drew very little fanfare, considering it was the middle of the night. A tired brother got out of bed in the hotel and came downstairs to let us in, we schlepped a bit of stuff up, and then conked out in the 16th floor suite. Definitely a step up from most of our previous accommodations on this trip. Halifax was all about family visiting, both with my extended family and with my mother and brothers. We shared some lovely meals, some chatting and laughter, compared notes on where we all were in the scheme of things. It was all too brief, but even though we changed our ferry bookings several times, eventually we did have to go. Hopefully we'll be back there more frequently than has been the case these past few years.

Northeastward next, to the ferry at North Sydney. Our first time ever driving our own vehicle onto the boat, and our first time sailing on the newest addition to the fleet. It made a fairly good first impression -- lots of deck access, improved services and food -- but the lack of rentable bunks (cabins only) meant we slept most of the trip out on deck. I've always loved this ferry trip, especially the mysterious night crossings.

Coming off the ferry in Port Aux Basques, we had originally planned to drive all the way through to St. John's, but for various reasons ended up overnighting in Corner Brook. I can't say I was heartbroken, since that meant I got to spend a little more quality time with my mother and brothers.

So that was the last leg of the trip. I'll save the next chapter for another entry. It was certainly an adventure, filled with fun bits and disappointments, people visited and people missed. I hope to get the chance to do something similar eventually, though hopefully not as part of a move. Did I mention I hate moving? 

Take care
-J-

The trek continues, with perhaps more browsing than travel happening for the most part. It's 3am and I'm sitting at a picnic table at a gas station somewhere in New Brunswick. After spending several days making our way from Ottawa through Montreal, we're doing the 12-hour drive from Montreal to Halifax in one long slog. Unfortunately, since we're having to tackle it at night (for scheduling reasons) it means we can't stop in and visit people along the way. There are some friends I haven't seen in ages, and I regret not being able to drop by. But this trip, with all its good points, has also been all about  having to choose between things out of necessity.

We stayed at two campgrounds in Ottawa, one rather underwhelming and the other very pleasant (in a highly manicured sort of way). We weren't particularly ambitious in our sightseeing, hitting Parliament and the locks and a little bit of wandering. Though politics don't fascinate me, it was fun to see where all that stuff happens, and the buildings are great. Every night during the summer they run a projected multimedia show, which was neat.

Next it was off to Montreal. We arrived at the campground in the middle of the night and were baffled. This place had looked good on the website, but in reality it was over 50 sites jammed into a space more appropriate for a dozen. Looked like a used trailer sales lot. We laughed a lot and decided to move on. It was so late that we thought we'd just give up and try a motel. We pulled into one, and though it looked dubious we went inside to ask. It turned out to be a low-class strip club and brothel! No pictures, since we left rather quickly and laughed our way down the highway.

Montreal is a great city. We soaked up the energy, did some people-watching, and saw some sights. I've always wanted to visit Habitat 67, and thankfully we didn't see the "Private Property, Residents Only" signs until after we'd spent an hour wandering around taking pictures.

It's a much better city to be a pedestrian or cyclist than a driver. Montreal's reputation as home to vehicular maniacs is well-earned. We did some waking, as well as a little biking on rented bixi bicycles, and generally had a great time.

Anyhow, I've been sitting out here in the cold for too long, and the dog is getting whiny and chilly. Time to get back on the road.

Take care
-J-