Mer Sea

We had a perfect day for being on the St. Lawrence when we left Quebec. It was clear and calm, and we had a great ride. We had originally planned to stop in a little town called Portneuf, but chose instead to continue on to Trois Rivieres, where we’d stayed enroute to Quebec. I’d vowed to do some exploring of the park in which the marina is situated this time around, as Flore had told me about a great walking path all along the river.

 

Sure enough, when I investigated after our arrival, I found a map depicting the walking and biking paths all over the island, and I chose a path that followed the river for about half the distance, then went inland on an elevated boardwalk, through a forested swampy area, complete with plaques talking about the wildlife in the area. The circle was completed by another short jaunt by the river back to the boat. It was wonderful!!!

 

The next day, we headed back to Sorel, where we’d joined the St. Lawrence more that a week before. We again took down our bikes and our knapsacks and did a good grocery shopping at the excellent grocery store nearby, and stopped for ice cream at the little shop we’d discovered last time. It’s kind of fun to sort of know your way around!

 

We headed out bright and early for Montreal the next morning, and had a fine ride in spite of the considerable wind. Since both the wind and the current were going the same direction, “against” us, there was no wave formation, although we did probably burn extra fuel getting to our destination! But at least the ride was pleasant!

 

We were met at the dock in Montreal by Debbie, the excellent dockmaster from last year. When we were here last year, the marina was still under construction, in fact, they had just installed the electricity to the completed slips the day before our arrival, and they didn’t have any water to the slips yet. Additionally, only a couple of the docks had even been built. Now, however, the whole place has been finished, and it’s really beautiful. And full…there was obviously a need!

 

Who should we see a few slips away but Sanctuary, with Jim and Peg from Burnt Store Marina!! We’d seen them briefly in Kingston, NY, and had been in touch since then, but this was our first time to get together. They weren’t on the boat when we got to the marina, but showed up not too long afterwards. It was a happy reunion, and we met their eleven-year-old grandson, Nick, who was fun to have around. We invited them over to watch the fireworks from the top of Mer Sea that night. We’ve sure been lucky with fireworks in Montreal – last year, too, there were fireworks the night we arrived. And there’s not a better vantage point for watching them than the upper deck of Mer Sea in that particular marina!

 

The next day, Peg, Nick, and I took the metro to the open air market in Montreal. Last year, we only got barely out of the “touristy” part of town, to go to Chinatown, so this was my first real taste of Montreal. I love a metro in a city – it makes getting around so simple, and you have more of an opportunity to see and do things. We had lots of fun at the market, and getting there, which was part of the fun, and Nick cheerfully helped carry the goods back to the boats! Great to have a “pack mule” along!

 

I met Roy on the way home, and he and I stopped at Café Mozart to make reservations for dinner that night. This is the Eastern European restaurant that we’d so enjoyed last year, and Roy has been talking about and dreaming about those pierogies ever since! Although this could have easily been a recipe for disappointment, we had at least as wonderful a dinner at the restaurant that night as we remembered having the previous year. Thank God for quality control!

 

The next day was a little drizzly, and we took the opportunity to get indoor things done on the boat: cleaning, computer work, organizational things, and like that. Not very exciting, but needing doing! We had a drink with Flore and Duane, who had arrived in Montreal, and were staying at the other marina. Flore’s son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter were there, too, and it was a fun visit.

 

Flore called us the next morning to ask if we’d like to join them for and open-air bus tour of the city – apparently they had tickets left over from the day before, so there would be no charge! Now, that’s my kind of fun! We happily agreed, and really enjoyed it. Of course, you cover much more territory this way than on foot, you see much more, and you get professional commentary. A winning combination!

 

After the tour, Flore and I went in search of a haircut. She asked at the information kiosk, and one of the young girls told her where she gets hers done. Off we went! Flore is perhaps the only person I know who walks as fast as I do all the time, and we zipped along to the appointed address. When we got there, Flore explained (in French) what we wanted (remember, she’s originally from Quebec!), and it seemed at first that there wasn’t going to be anyone to cut our hair. Flore talked to them some more, and I could make out that she was talking about our short hair, and how easy and fast it would be to cut (hers is much like mine), and she persuaded a young man to do the job. Yippee!

 

Well, that young man was really good, and I got one of the best haircuts, language barrier or no language barrier, that I’ve ever had! Flore went on to another shop to get a manicure and pedicure, and I went to a bakery for some bread. Then back to the boat to change for the dinner out together that we’d planned.

 

Dinner was delicious, at a fairly fancy French restaurant. The building was old and fun on the inside, and we had a really good time. The service left something to be desired, but we were having so much fun that it really didn’t matter much.

 

The next morning Roy and I went to the Science Center to see the exhibit about the human body. I regret that I can’t remember the name of it, but I do know that it’s been traveling around – it was also in Atlanta when we were there at one point. It involves actual bodies that have been plasticized somehow, and all the parts have been revealed. It’s fascinating for anyone who is interested in anatomy or medicine, into both of which categories I fit, and we both really enjoyed it. I was there for two solid hours – looking, reading, and studying. It was truly fascinating. Not only the skeletal, but the soft tissue and all the organs were visible and their operation and function explained. I highly recommend it if you like that kind of thing.

 

We had decided to go to Chinatown for dinner, trying to find the good Chinese restaurant that we’d discovered last year. We walked to Chinatown and tried to find it, and finally were successful! Alas, the restaurant wasn’t what it used to be, and we both had pretty mediocre meals. Oh well, it’s just one meal. But we felt bad that it was our last meal in Montreal. Next time, we’ll try a new place!

 

We left the next morning at oh-dark-hundred, meeting up with Flore and Duane to traverse the infamous Seaway locks and head into the Ottawa River. We’d had such bad experiences with those locks last year, and were prepared for the worst. We’d also primed Flore and Duane for the worst. Well, we got lucky. As we approached the first of the two locks, we saw that the doors were just opening, and a big freighter was exiting. As soon as he was out, in went a big working tugboat, followed by a sailboat, and then we and September Morn just toodled on in behind them! No fuss, no muss, no waiting!

 

When we got to the top of the lock, the lock tender told us that, since the tug was commercial, he was guaranteed a green light at the locks, and if we stayed with him, the next lock, too, should be waiting for him (and us!). Well, no problemo! We followed the sailboat out of the lock, but when he started letting some distance develop between the tug and himself, we said, “Speed limit be damned, we’re keeping up with that tug!” We passed the sailboat and made up the distance, as did September Morn, and went right into the lock behind the tug! By the time we were settled in, the sailboat had caught up, so he got in too. It was GREAT!!

 

With the worst part of the trip behind us, we now crossed the shallow Lac St. Louis to St. Anne de Bellevue. We were arriving earlier than we’d anticipated, and were at the end of a long holiday weekend, so were somewhat concerned about finding room on the canal wall to tie up, but that, too, worked out for both of us, and we were happily secured to the wall by lunchtime. Life is good!!