Quebec – Page 3 – OldPlaidCamper

Kick and glide

That’s the idea when xc skiing, isn’t it? Kick and glide! Yup, we got out for our first xc skiing trip this winter. Our first time on skis for many years, and, just like riding a bike, it’s perfectly possible to fall off.

Not that either of us did, but only because we were sensible enough to stop when we found ourselves tiring. I’m often told I’m tiring…

Muscle memory, or the memory of once having leg muscles went some way towards keeping us on track. We went to the flattest part of the Plains of Abraham to test ourselves. It wasn’t too much of a trial, the morning being bright, the sky shining blue, and the sun bouncing off brilliant white snow. A crisp and sharp winter morning where it feels so good to be alive.

On brilliant, I’m happy to share that I invented a new “kick and glide” technique that isn’t in any of the instruction manuals or guides to xc skiing. It involved a complicated and (un)coordinated set of movements likely missing both a kick and a glide, and yet it still somehow propelled me forward. Remarkable!

She knew her stuff! Unlike a certain someone else…

I suspect the gradual lowering of my centre of gravity in recent years, certainly those years since our last ski trip, coupled with a possibly stylish and rakish into-the-wind lean (mostly the first stage of the ever present possibility of a fall – never happened) was what provoked gasps of amazement from our fellow skiers. I think they were gasps, might have been curses, but I couldn’t be too sure, as I didn’t dare break my concentration…

Anyway, having survived this first outing, and managing almost an hour of high speed circuits, we’re looking forward to getting out there again soon. We might even take on a gentle downhill or two, and then see how we do on the uphill parts! Kick and glide, huff and puff, and how about coffee and cake after?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Be careful what you wish for…

…the universe might be listening!

A short post this week, because if we take even a ten minute break from snow shovelling, it’s like we never even tried. Who was it complaining about no snow? Hmm…

“I remember this stuff – it’s snow, isn’t it?!”

Before the heavy snow arrived Tuesday overnight and all day Wednesday, we had enjoyed a couple of lighter snowfalls. Scout and I went out to play in the woods, happy to be there in less muddy and more wintry conditions.

Mrs. PC has been getting over a cold (she’s much better now) and was happy to have the children out from under her feet for a while. Reminded me of when I was younger, and we were sent out to play. I think the instructions were along the lines of “Look after each other, be back before dark, and don’t get arrested!” Instructions from my mother, not Mrs. PC, although my woolly hat, her scratchy voice, and Scout’s eagerness to get out the door muffled clear directions… Anyway, off we went, looking for trouble.

We scrambled up a few snowy slopes, mostly because Scout wanted to visit the troll house, throw a few snowballs, and see if they were hibernating. Trouble is her middle name. I think she also wanted to see if I’d slip over climbing the inclines to the troll house. Trouble, I tell you. When we get home, I’m telling mum…

We didn’t wake the trolls and I didn’t fall over – it was a controlled slide, Scout. We argued over what constitutes a fall, and we argued over if trolls really hibernate. On the second point, my clinching argument was asking Scout if she’d ever seen one in winter? Ha! Case closed.

The troll house – shh, they’re sleeping…

No trolls spotted, no bad falls, playing outside without supervision or needing the long arm of the law – not too bad. If we include this past weekend along with the many previous decades of playtime, speaking for all four brothers, and also for Scout, I think it’s so far so good on the not getting arrested front. That’s possibly, like a Tory setting targets you can’t miss (but still screwing everything up), a low bar? Scout made me say that. I’m telling mum.

Right, on that “what story this week?” note, let’s leave it here, get back outside, and see if we can locate the shovels to restart digging operations!

I thought we’d finished, but the universe said no…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

The snow no show season continues…

…and, fortunately, you’ve not been able to hear me complain about it! But I have been, don’t you worry!

We’d planned, overconfidently as it turned out, to be spending the past week or two on snowshoes or skis, enjoying the thrill of a Quebec winter. That hasn’t happened – yet!

Scout earlier this week, enjoying the thrills of a Quebec winter. Look at that snow!

Going for glass half full, I can be excited all over again if and when proper winter returns. I hope that is soon, because as much as I like mince pies and beer, we might be approaching the point where I can’t see my feet or be able to reach down to said skis… I’m becoming a contender for Santa employment next year if things don’t change. Ho ho ho.

So as 2023 meanders to a slightly grey/green and no snow end, I’ll sign off for this year by thanking you for taking the time to read and comment on this blog. It’s always a delight to know that thoughts are being shared and we’re not going slightly mad all alone as the world takes a few strange turns.

Wishing you all the very best for 2024! Who knows, perhaps the flat earthers, election deniers, populists and other assorted liars will come to their senses in the next twelve months? You have to hope… and in the meantime, there are outdoor concerns and pursuits to follow while we still can! Let’s get out there (just have to finish this mince pie…)

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Holiday spirit…

We’ve been searching…

Looking in the old town, there were some bright sparks:

I think this old fella might know a thing or two about it:

The chap above seemed to have some competition from the chap below (we’ve been keeping an eye on him, looks the sort that might attempt a chimney-based home invasion, and he’d be tough to spot…)

“Come back, young fella – I can tell you where to find ho-ho-holiday spirit – I’ll drop in later!”

Yikes, I found him a little scary and way over my head. I turned to these friendly looking types, but to be honest, whilst they seemed to be in good spirits, it was all rather wheezy and too smoky to get to what they were saying:

Before the big glitter of the big town got too much for me, we retreated into the woods:

“Follow us, OPC, you’ll be fine!” They seemed friendly enough…

I have to say, for me, it was a touch more manageable. A breezy day, so the wind whistled through the treetops, and if I couldn’t make out the words, well I was happy enough with the tenor and tone:

In fact, with a whisper of light snow, and the rattle and rustling of dry leaves, I’d say there were plenty of spirits in the woods. Holiday spirits? Who knows, but it was pretty and peaceful:

To finish, we absolutely found some holiday spirit:

Full(ers) of good things

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Still or sparkling?

Why not both?! Still and sparkling!

A brief piece this week, celebrating recent bright and brilliant weather days – we got out there when we could. Most of the past ten days has seemed somewhat overly (but necessarily) medical, from getting COVID and flu shots (never doing both at the same time again, didn’t work too well for me) to meeting every eye doctor in town (or so it seemed), as we went from one escalating appointment to the next, each doctor wanting a second opinion to the previous second opinion.

Fortunately, once all the information had been gathered, the most senior opinion won the day (or week) and declared all was well, with no new news and to please come back in twelve months. Phew…

I hadn’t been experiencing any symptoms, but once one doctor took a look, they all wanted to peer in there, and really, can you blame them? If you’ve met me, and gazed into my beautiful grey-blue-green (that’s right, can’t even get agreement on this) eyes, you already understand the attraction. If you haven’t met me and you’ve yet to gaze into my eyes, well, join the line and you’ve so much to look forward to…

I think on that modest note it’s time to start wrapping this up. Most importantly, thank you doctors – always better to be safe than sorry…

We celebrated the eventual no news is good news with some still and some sparkling, and goodness, it was very well chilled. Minus 10 was the daytime high midweek – cool! To my lovely eyes and clear sighted thinking (huh?) these are the very best sort of winter days, with fresh snow, blue skies, and barely a hint of wind. It was wonderful to be outside this week, on the Plains of Abraham and in our local woods in near perfect conditions – some truly splendid sights for sore eyes!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

A pinch of cold and a dash of colour

A pinch of cold and dash of colour? Sounds like a recipe for early winter…

Ingredients? Nope! Essential, though? Maybe!

It has been the coldest week of the season so far, and, for the first time, we could feel the cold pinching, almost painful, on our earlyish morning walks. After a dull and rainy (in parts) weekend, it was good to get a light dusting of snow followed by cold and bright days. Yes, frigid enough to find “proper” gloves and toque, and to dig out the thermals. Not for now, those thermals, but soon, very soon…

We’ve been into the old town as well as the woods, and earlier this month had fun in and around Old Quebec, showing a friend some of the sights on their first visit. They thought it was so cold, whereas we thought it was almost warm – still above freezing and sunny!

To keep warm, we focused on food and drink (stores, bars, and restaurants) in between roaming some of the more photogenic streets. In the end, I think we spent more time eating and drinking than we did walking – great fun!

I’ll keep it brief as Scout is nosing me toward the door – maybe she can already smell the snow we’ve been promised this week? Or maybe she thinks I could do with an extra walk or two after all the recent eating and drinking…

Cheers! And happy thanksgiving if that’s for you this week…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

“*C’mon PC, follow me – you need a walk!*”

Fall-tastic?

That’s not a word, but it is an attempt to convey how much we’ve been enjoying the season. Being up with or even ahead of the latest thing is so very much us, haha. Identifying fall is beautiful? Couldn’t be more on trend… Moron, you say? No, but I’ve been called worse, by worse…

Where was I? Clearly, you’re not going to get high quality season-centric (huh?) writing here (see “fall-tastic” above) but we really have enjoyed our eastern woodland leafy fall into autumn.

What a mood enhancer! We’re pretty chipper anyway most of the time, (don’t judge a book by it’s cover; it’s a smiling – on the inside – visage I present to the world) but being out in the woods the past few weeks has further boosted our generally sunny outlook. Each recent morning we’ll approach the local trail and murmur “that’s beautiful”, then a few yards on and a few turns into the trail, say again “that’s beautiful” and on and on we go.

The crisp air, the bright blue sky, the green through yellow through orange and into red leafy splendour, plus Scout’s bouncing gait, the wet-dry smell of leaf decay, and the satisfying crunch and scrunch underfoot? We add it up and our answer is “that’s beautiful!”

“Bouncing? Me? I’m far too dignified for that. But if you wanted to say beautiful…”

Yup, here we are this week struggling to find words and phrases to describe our autumnal adventures. Fall-tastic? Fallsome praise? Autumnulent? Why I autumn do better… Hmm. Should I stop, leaf it for now?

If you’re looking to read about fall – about any season – with thoughts on the joy found in the natural world, then head over to Walt at Rivertop Rambles. He posted this week, and, like always, it’s a great read. I’m not blowing smoke from a leafy bonfire up his a- … read him, and you’ll see.

Anyway, it’s far too nice outside to be in here writing. I can see the trees from my office window, glowing in sunny autumnal glory, and let me tell you, it’s beautiful!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great weekend!

“His vocabulary really is limited, isn’t it? I mean, bouncing?! What’s wrong with regal, majestic, purposeful…”

Old town wanders

Oh this past week or two! I mostly (mostly!) avoid the political sphere in this blog, but recent political news locally and globally has been something else, hasn’t it? Goodness, the whining and bleating of many of those on the right, the far right and alt-right! Avoid and avoid! What a void… What is it with the never taking responsibility, it’s always somebody else’s fault, and othering whoever doesn’t share their groupthink? Alternative facts, gaslighting, lying, doubling down on a lie and then blaming their supposed victims and targets if they answer back, so terrified of any comeback in case it turns out they have underachieved and are at fault? Don’t they ever stop to look at themselves and listen to what they are saying? Climate change deniers, election deniers, post truth – huh? – fact deniers, “we’ve had enough of experts”, lies on the side of a bus, promising sunlit uplands knowing the impossibility of such promises, putting immigrants on unsafe barges, denying basic human rights, and encouraging a hostile environment if you look or sound different. Painting over cartoon murals for children in immigration centres because that is too welcoming?! Who can support that?! Lies, lies, denials, and more lies! What is wrong with these people? It’s inhumane to behave in such a way. What do they hope to gain or achieve by being thoroughly unpleasant? It is so tiresome…

How to explain it? Perhaps they are weak and very likely personally ineffective, utterly and drearily so… Yikes, try to imagine living such a scared and self loathing life, appeased by fearful cronies and projecting their shortcomings onto others, completely unable to take any responsibility for messes of their own making. Sad little conservative nobodies clutching their pearls if there’s a different opinion expressed… Only feeling like they’ve achieved something if they’ve belittled or lied about someone else. Pathetic. Thank goodness we don’t have, in our very immediate circle, to put up with anyone like that. I feel rather sorry for anyone who does, particularly if they are afraid, and find themselves appeasing these awful people. Being so scared that they might turn on you, being so scared that you condone them, even enable them. Yes, how sad, although, scared or not, I suppose they choose to do so. If you lie down with…

Enough of these dreary people and the bad news they create! No more politics today! On to more interesting items!

Ever since we moved here, one of our favourite activities has been to wander through the Old Town streets. A friend (thanks, JH) recently mentioned how pretty parts of this city are, and she’s right, so I thought I’d share a few more sights and stops we’ve enjoyed the past few weeks. You don’t need a destination; it’s enough just to let your feet point in a direction anywhere in or near the Old Town, and it’ll be interesting. (Most of this past week has been spent in and out of various government offices completing and filing applications for health cards, driver licences, and car number plates – we didn’t take photos of the government office edifices as they weren’t so attractive!)

Found at the end of a cobbled street – worth the potential turned ankle!

People watching spot near the parliament building

Yes, very happy to be here, particularly as the paperwork and other dreary stuff this week is firmly in the rear view. Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Shudder

Judder. Shake. Quake. And here’s a bit of wobble thrown in. Am I dancing? Huh? No. Well, maybe later. Read on for that. Is this an early Halloween post? No, nothing as interesting as that. Ok, PC, what’s going on?

As I write this, our house is shaking and there are huge thudding sounds from outside. An earthquake then? Nope. Those contractors who were on vacation? They’re back and they’re working, rain or shine, on our backyard and driveway. Oomph! There’s another one. Let’s keep this brief.

They left the keys in the ignition, and I was tempted…

Scout is hiding under my desk because she’s not a huge fan of big noise. As a result, I keep hitting my head whenever she gives a muted bark. I was here first, it’s my safe place, but I’ve had to scooch along a bit to give Scout some space. (Scooch? Or scootch? Are these real words?) It’s getting crowded under here. Mrs. PC? She checked in on us earlier and is rather less bothered by the noise and rather more bothered about why I’m not using my desk properly. I said I’m under here for Scout…

Fortunately, we have very understanding neighbours, and one side used this time to get a bit of yardwork of their own done, so they’re all good. Our neighbours on the other side aren’t quite ready to do their yard yet (these are all new builds) but have been happy to let the work crew access our space across their lot. An outdoor meal in our new yard could be some sort of thank you. After the last meal we shared, who knows if they’d like that?

A culinary tale and explanation as to why our neighbours might not enjoy another meal with us? Here goes. Two days before the outdoor work started our immediate neighbours joined us for dinner. Me being of European descent, and only mentioning the adult names when making the invitation, I’d assumed just the adults were having dinner with us. Being of African descent, our neighbours assumed the whole family was invited. I didn’t even blink as five children followed their parents in. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome and welcome. Quick peek up the street, nope that’s it and close the door. Yikes, five extra! Anyway, I remained very much the appearance of kitchen calm (but paddling feverishly under the surface) as I prepared extra servings. Luckily it was a pasta based menu and I hadn’t gone for making those individual soufflés. Beer, wine, speedily defrosting an extra baguette and dancing papered over any cracks caused by the suspiciously small servings. Yeah, we think it went well…

*Driveway?! Do you mean parking spot, OPC?* Yeah, ok…

Jolt! An enormous boulder has just been prised out of what will be the driveway and dropped onto our neighbour’s land. Thump! We owe them – I’d better search out that soufflé recipe, scale it up for nine…

Let’s leave it here, since it’s actually quite challenging to write with Scout sitting on my lap. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful (long – hooray) weekend!

Do I look like I’ve been upstairs hiding under a desk?

Two vehicles could almost squeeze on, so isn’t that a driveway? Oh, ok…

Festibière

As mentioned last week, Mrs. PC was determined to attend the Festibière. I’m guessing here, but perhaps it was the thought of over 100 Quebec beers presented in one location (plus we could get there by bus) that caused her eyes to light up? Ever supportive, I went along. A bus ride? I’m in!

We went on the opening afternoon, a fairly quiet time, with most attendees seemingly retirees or young parents with small children. The daytime vibe was quite family oriented, very much a tasting and trying rather than big drinking event. Save that for OktoberFest and leave the young ones at home?

It being relatively uncrowded gave us the chance to chat to the vendors and brewers, chew over the various offerings and mostly still end up with IPA or APA. Adventurous, me? No, not with beer. Not after The Gose Incident. If you know, you know…

I did have a maple influenced saison that was really good, and Mrs. PC opted for a Belgian blueberry ale that was way better and more subtle than it could have been. Actually, looking back, somewhat hazy of memory, I also had an amazing stout from a tiny producer that was as good as any I’ve tried. There, not all pale ales!

Tiny (the volume produced, not the brewers – they were on the tall side if you were wondering…)

Aside from chitchatting with tall brewers in Franglais about the beer, we also learned about the small towns where the beer is made. The enthusiasm the brewers from Baie St Paul shared for their region had us looking up the area, and we’ll be heading there sometime in the fall, and not just to visit the brewery. But mostly to visit the brewery.

We tried eight new to us beers, four each, and if anyone thinks we overdid it, the servings were 4 oz, so we had the equivalent of a pint over the afternoon! Quality not quantity, and that’s something my younger self took some time to learn with beer…

Anyway, we spent a delightful afternoon down on the docks, and for the most part the weather cooperated. We (I) got absolutely soaked in a heavy downpour that lasted the five minutes it took from bus stop to venue. (One of us packed a light rain coat. And one of us steamed gently when the sun reappeared…)

Next year, following a better training schedule, and packing another light rain jacket, we’ll aim to taste the other 92+ beers we couldn’t quite manage this outing.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

	Maria on A short trip…
	plaidcamper on A short trip…
	Maria on A short trip…
	plaidcamper on Striding out…
	plaidcamper on Winter mountain hush