This is the sixth in a series of posts covering my trip to Eastern Canada in September 2019, adapting emails originally sent to friends. I use NOW to refer to any updates since I did the trip.
As before, not doing accents unless they get autocorrected in. Got up before 6 to study plans for today, then had breakfast a same McDonald's as yesterday lunch. Different machine and didn't print receipt.Walked along rue Ste-Catherine and looked at dog sculptures including one that looked like it was about to poop. One guy shouted, "Hey dude! have a good day!" I shouted back "You too!" which he seemed to appreciate. Got a little turned around reaching Le gare d'autocars but I recalled seeing it on Ontario St yesterday so found it soon enough. Was concerned because the line was a lot longer than expected but it turns out it was for two buses going to different locations so I still got a decent seat on the Orléans Express.
[NOW: I added the accents in for this blog post where applicable]
The other bus took off on time but my bus left 9 minutes late as the driver was talking to two other guys. Camera
blurred more than I'd have liked so had to occasionally turn it off and
one to correct. On the way over a woman on the radio kept saying
something accompanied by very forced but loud male laughter. There was
one stop in Drummondville, than an earlier stop in Quebec City
(hereafter called Quebec this report) before finally reaching Le Gare du
Palais in Quebec. For both Quebec stops the driver only announced in
French.
[NOW: Most of the muincipalities between Montreal and Quebec City have Saint/e in their name.]
I got off and went to the Couche Tard,
the French version of Mac's, still with the owl so not Circle K. I did
my best to ask for a daypass in French. The guy said, "At least you
tried. You did pretty good, actually." I also grabbed a pocket map.
It
took a bit to get my bearings (first time in Quebec) then I went to rue
St-Jean and visited Librairie Pantoute (Books), off to the side
Libraire Première Issue (comics), Libraire Compte du Livre (movies and
music; bought a bunch of francophone DVDs; this place wasn't on
itinerary but glad I visited), Libraire St-Jean Baptiste (books),
Librarie Laforce (comics), Libraire Nelligan (books); going my memory;
some sore types might be off. Also visited CD Mélomane then on rue
Cartier visited Bouquinerie 4 Seasons (book store slightly larger than a
typical closet), Le Bouquinerie du Cartier (books).
I
noticed that my pocket map was missing as one one printed map, but
found the bus stop anyway and took the 800 bus to the mall Place du Cité
(all buses within Quebec are RTC). After a quick check of the mall
decided I wasn't interested in any mall stores so skipped two. I walked
to VidéoDrome but it wasn't open yet. I walked to Librarie La Liberté
which was in a construction site (another theme this trip) but I somehow
made it to this bookstore.
[NOW: RTC is short for Le Réseau de transport de la Capitale. VidéoDrome has closed.]
I walked to the
nearest bus stop south of the construction and took an 801 bus to
Université du Laval and took it to a stop that should have been near a
CD store but wasn't. I also noticed that a bus that was supposed to
connect didn't. I later realized that I somehow got wrong info from
Google and this bus ran parallel but further away from where I needed to
be. I decided the CD place was forfeit but I did get DVDs from Vidéo
Centre-Ville. My bag didn't beep on the way in but did on the way out
creating confusion especially with language barrier. He finally asked to see my bag so I showed him the earlier purchases so that satisfied him.
The
1 bus I had intended to take was not due for 17 minutes according to a
screen so I walked a little ways and took another 18 bus back to Palais
du Gare, where I grabbed another map. I had a late lunch at the
McDonald's on St-Jean. Kiosk printed the receipt.
I
visited the outside of much of the old town and vicinity including
Hotel de Ville, a lookout with a view of the water, the Plains of
Abraham, La Citadelle which was partly blocked by construction, the
Fortifications (basically the top of the wall that surrounds much of the
old town, a staircase leading to a tackier area and whatever else I
felt like photographing.
[NOW: I realized later that the Plains weren't where I thought they were so I didn't actually make it to them this trip.\
Returning
to Le Palais du Gare, I got a sandwich from Couche-Tard. When the
Oreléans Express bus arrived I could have grabbed the front seat but
certain electronics were forbidden that seat so I erred on the side of
caution and moved further back. At the other Quebec stop (Sainte-Foy) a
guy sat beside me and apparently obliviously elbowed me from time to
time as he did his thing. Ate the steak sandwich while taking photos.
Mostly spam, blech.
[NOW: Auberge Bishop has closed.]
No comments:
Post a Comment