visited Niagra Falls

Niagra Falls was to me a childhood dream - I remember the time my Mum and Dad laid out brochures on our lounge floor and asked my sister and I to pick where we would like to visit - my choice was Niagra Falls.  It seemed so majestic.  I was finally fulfilling that desire to visit the Falls and with my husband in tow it couldn't have been better.

So at 7:30am we left the Greyhound terminal and headed for our hostel.  When we arrived, the door was locked, there was no sound when we rang the doorbell apart from the occasional shuffling.  Just as we thought we would have to head back to the terminal, a man appeared at the door, he opened and closed it without a sideways glance at us, and we weren't quick enough to keep the door from closing.  My husband and I just looked at each other completely disheartened.  Then turning back toward the hostel, you would not believe the relief in our eyes as we were greeted by a wave from the lovely gentleman we had met in Quebec!!  He let us in and greeted us warmly - it was so nice to see a friendly familiar face.  We asked him what the hostel was like and he answered 'what this place - oh it's a dump', but instead of worrying we just laughed and laughed...we were completely exhausted and knowing our friend was here, everything seemed okay - if it was good enough for him, it was good enough for us.

The gentleman made us laugh some more as he became quite irate with an Italian man, whom we had also met in Toronto - that saying of 'it's a small world' is just so true.  The Italian man just wanted to make himself a fresh coffee before heading out to watch the fun run in Niagra.

Saying our goodbyes, the receptionist let us have our room early as noone had been in it the night before.  The room was not great, but it was livable - we made the bed, had showers then set off to see the Falls - no rest for us!!!

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

We walked in the direction our friend had told us the Falls were in, about a half hour journey and saw a sign for Downtown, we took a detour to find a supermarket, but then changed our minds as I became more and more excited about seeing the Falls.  The supermarket could wait!

We continued along the river road, and caught a glimpse of the Falls - all I can say is 'magical'.  I was trying not to look until I reached the main Falls but I couldn't help it.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

When I saw the full extent of the Falls I could not believe my eyes - we saw the US side first, which stretched in a straight line, water billowing down and spraying high into the air...but my favourite by far, were the Horseshoe Falls.  In the shape of a horseshoe, the water thundered down at an amazing pace...the sunlight reflecting off the water - the green from the trees emphasising the white and blue of the water.  For me, this was a dream come true, a place I'd always longed to visit and the sound, the spray, the colours, everything, just made it that bit more special.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

We walked a long distance past both falls to ensure we didn't miss a thing, and we remained snap happy with our camera.  I finally felt at peace - and stress and worry just seemed to lift away from me and be replaced with a sense of belonging.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

Once we'd spent a few hours exploring the falls, hunger got the better of us so we wandered up Clifton Hill to find a place to eat.  What a contrast, it reminded me of Blackpool in England - arcades, take outs, Imax Cinemas, haunted houses, neon signs.  It seemed unbelievable, but clever all the same...for at least they had kept it away from the beauty of the Falls.

We wandered up the hill and found a Chinese restaurant at the top with a lunch special on, it was nothing special but it filled us up.  As we finished the Chinese lady emphasised 'no tip included', so we left the equivalent of about 5 pence annoyed that she'd hinted so much for a tip and made a quick exit in search of a supermarket.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

By this time, our feet were killing so we gave up the search for a supermarket, but instead of heading back to the hostel we opted to cross over to the US side of the Falls.  We walked over Rainbow Bridge, paying the 50c to get there and once Immigration had finally let me through, we wandered through the park and saw the Falls from a close up angle from behind them.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

This is just my opinion, but  I don't feel that the US really have as good a view as the Canadian side, and this is probably reflected in the fact that there's nothing really on that side - no great hotels or shops. The park was nice though and we spent time taking silly shots with the camera pretending to be swimming away from the Falls.

By that time, it was getting dark so again we tried our best to find a supermarket, but had no joy - they do seem to like to hide them!  We passed the viewing bridge which earlier in the day, they had wanted to charge us for, but now, being no longer manned, we could get through for nothing.  We then headed back toward the Canadian side, and waited on the Bridge until 7pm when the Falls were illuminated with beautiful colours.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

This time, we were really heading back to the hostel, but again via Downtown to find that mysterious supermarket - we walked and walked, everything was closed, shut down and old looking.  People were hanging around on street corners, and so I started to sing to stop myself from feeling so scared, then drifted into silence as I concentrated on making sure we weren't being followed.  Eventually we turned back, and went into a small local shop where we could buy bread and bacon for the morning.

Back at the hostel, we spent time catching up with our friend, and finally retired to bed in the knowledge that this day - day 20 -  had been the best day since we had started our trip!!

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

It was inevitable that the next day we would wake up late, and so it was not til early afternoon that we left the hostel to return to the Falls.  The weather was quite overcast so we were pleased we had had the opportunity the day before to take some great photographs.  We had been told last night by our friend, that today was the last day of the season that the Maid of the Mist would be running.  This was fortunate as we would have been gutted if we had missed this opportunity.  We were in no rush though - it was about time we started to chill a bit on this trip, so we arrived in the queue about 2pm, paid our money then descended down to the river level and the waiting boat.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

On the boat trip we positioned ourselved on the top deck, and at first we visited the US side of the Falls - just to give us a taster of what was to come but still impressive nonetheless.  With our ponchos now christened, the boat edged towards the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.  Within minutes we were in the eye of the storm and absolutely soaked.  It's a surreal moment watching the shear load of water cascading down into the 50 foot pool below.  The sound is immense - like a continual rumble of thunder.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

We were completely enthralled by what we had seen, but it staggers belief when you turn and look at other people and they are obviously not in the least bit happy that they are soaked to the bone...but isn't that part of the exhiliration and the experience - do some people not understand the wonders of the world and how lucky they are to be experiencing something like this?

Onshore, we trekked for three miles to a no frills
supermarket which a friendly hotel receptionist had told us about.  We loaded up on supplies for the next couple of days and then headed back to the hostel.

Peller Estate © Orrell 2004-2005

Niagra on the Lake © Orrell 2004-2005

We booked ourselves into the hostel for another evening, having decided to take a trip somewhere different the next day.  We cooked a meal of jacket potatoes and lasagne, and then sat at the kitchen table and were joined by our friend who had that day completed his third marathon.  He made a really nice gesture to us by offering, actually insisting we have 2 cans of his Milwaukee beer, which we gladly accepted.  We finished cooking our meals at the same time, so sat together at the table returning the kind gesture by offering our friend cheese for his chilli.  The night was great we sat chatting to our friend, and his room mate who was also on a tour around the world - our discussions ranged from marathon running, to travelling to marriage and all things inbetween - it was great to just sit back and relax with like minded people.  Before we knew it, it was late, and we had all been fighting back the yawns, so we said our goodnights and looked forward to the next days explorations.

Niagra © Orrell 2004-2005

We woke early the next morning, gobbled down a bacon sandwich and met Chris, a retired school teacher in the hostel reception - our local guide for the following four hours.  We said our goodbyes to our friend who was returning to Toronto today, then followed Chris to his car.  Within minutes, we had reached the gorge and whirlpool - where our friend had told us many people who had tried to raft down it had unfortunately (not in all cases) lost their lives.  It was stunning nonetheless, surrounded by trees and their autumn colours.

Further down the river, Chris took us to the power plant which controls the Falls and creates electricity.  It was fascinating to find out that the falls were only ever at 50% when people were visiting so as to control the amount of water travelling over the Falls and to restrict land degradation.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

Chris told us about the US Falls and how at one time they had turned them off, to find out why the land was eroding so much.  Experts investigated and tried to fix the issue but they realised that no amount of human involvement could help and instead they would have to live with the knowledge that the Fall will continue to erode.

Onwards, Chris told us about the English and French invasions, the war against the Americans with the Canadian and English forces united, and then he told us about the Americans wanting to reduce the loyalty to the English Monarchy, which meant many Monarch supporters had to move to Canada, which is why there is such a strong influence of English particularly in the Niagra Falls area.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

 It was an interesting drive not only through the
viewings of some amazing sights but also listening to a local.  Chris showed us where an English General had been shot and then we travelled on to Niagra on the Lake.  Here Chris left us for an hour so we could explore the area - we wandered up and down both sides of the main street and enjoyed the lovely shops.  Interestingly we found one specialising in English produce such as Heinz Baked Beans, jaffa cakes, maltesers etc.  We opted for free jam and crackers and free fudge on offer at some of the other shops.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

It would have been good to stay for longer to visit some of the many restaurants, cafes and local pubs, but for us our journey moved on.  The houses surrounding the town were gorgeous and we spent some time at a local real estate shop realising that if we sold our house in England we could afford to live there.

Meeting back up with Chris we visited wineries.  The first was called the Peller Estate - it had a beautiful building surrounded by the vineyard.  I imagined a summer, sitting enjoying a meal there in the award winning restaurant and staying in the
Riverbend Inn nearby which had caught my eye earlier.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

Inside the Peller building, we were greeted with a roaring fire and a friendly face.  We spent the next half an hour on a winery tour given by a lovely lady who seemed really pleased to have met an English couple.  During the tasting, we learnt how to try the wines properly and whilst we could not afford to buy anything we insisted that they really should consider exporting!!

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

We visited the German Reiff Estate winery - which was nice but not quite as nice as the Peller Estate.  Then we visited an orchard where we were able to sample many jams and spreads, and a Fruit Market where we learnt about ornamental sweetcorn.  We were sure Chris was trying to get us to buy some of the produce but we couldn't justify spending any money.

The final winery was again good, but I think I had been spoilt by the Peller Ice Wine.  Our trip which had cost us C$16 was well worth the money.  Feeling a little tipsy by this point, we ate and planned to relax in our room for a bit, but us being us, decided instead to walk the distance back to the Falls to watch the illuminations again.

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

Niagra Falls © Orrell 2004-2005

The next day we checked out of the hostel, left our rucksack in a locker in the basement and made ourselves some breakfast.  It was today that reminded us of our student days, when we realised a tin of our Campbells Tomato soup had been taken by another traveller.  It was not what it was, or how much it cost, but the fact that that would have made another meal for us.  We cast our eyes over the people in the kitchen, and then feeling frustrated we made our final journey back to the Falls.  The temperature today was noticeably higher and the crowds had swelled making it seem like a busy summer's day.  We spent time relaxing, watching the wonder of the Falls, then returned to the hostel via an incredible ice cream parlour.  We had our final meal of the trip in the hostel and in broken Italian, French and English we said our goodbyes to our Italian friend who was travelling onto Washington DC.  Then asked the Hostel to book our next accommodation in Chicago...this was no mean feat and so we had to leave to catch our bus not knowing whether we would have anywhere to stay.

We arrived at the Bus Terminal to be greeted by the Italian man - he was on the same bus as us to Buffalo.  The Canadian driver was a funny chap and with only four of us on the bus, the journey was relaxed and friendly.  Arriving into Buffalo we said our goodbyes for a final time to the Italian, called back to the Hostel who confirmed that they had managed to book our first night's accommodation in Chicago, and then boarded the bus to Cleveland.  By now Buffalo and Cleveland terminals were familiar places. Our final trip of the night was to Chicago - a 7 hour journey - we hoped we would get a good night sleep but must have had the worst seat on the bus, next to the wheelchair exit which would not close, so we spent the first half of the journey freezing to death and the second part of the journey once some people had left the bus, thawing out!!

We finally arrived into Chicago at 6:30am...for me a familiar city as I had lived there during a summer when I was at University, and I was looking forward to sharing the sights with my husband.

visited Buffalo, Detroit and Cleveland

To be honest, the main reason we were visiting Buffalo, Detroit and Cleveland was not because we had an overriding urge to see these places or Lake Erie, but because we were trying to save money.  A couple of nights sleeping on a Greyhound bus meant we avoided accommodation costs, saving us a fortune and helping us to stay on target with our money spend.

So from Toronto, we boarded the 11:15pm bus to Buffalo, and travelled for approximately an hour through Niagra Falls Imigration to the Buffalo terminal, where we waited for two hours for our onward bus to Cleveland.  That was the extent of our visit to Buffalo apart from a later return trip to catch our connecting bus to Niagra.  I wish in a way we had seen more of the place, but time did not really allow this.  It will just have to be somewhere we visit in the future.

 

Eventually we arrived into Cleveland at around 8:30am - tired...actually probably more exhausted than tired, with aching limbs from being scrunched up on a bus for far too long.  We headed for the lockers to keep our backpacks safe whilst we explored the area, but we were limited to 6 hours and they were $5 each, which might not sound a lot now, but to two travellers that was a lot!!  Instead we decided to lug our bags around with us.  We asked a woman at the Station Cafe where the Visitor Information Centre was located, and the blank look told us everything - this probably was not a tourist destination!!

We trekked down to the waterfront to enjoy a breakfast picnic on a park bench, next to the Rock n Roll Museum and the Cleveland Browns Stadium.  We must have looked odd with our backpacks on and our travelling attire, as each passerby stared at us as if we were from another planet.  I think by this stage we were just so tired, thinking of where to go and visit whilst hoisting our backpacks was just too hard, and so we took the easy option, and decided to take an earlier bus to Detroit.

By 4:10pm we were in Detroit - it had been a good trip chatting to a lovely guy from Cleveland who was heading to Detroit to do the marathon - we discussed our travel plans with him and he was more than happy to share some inspiration.  We now had renewed vigour and so with our bags safely locked away this time, we left the station.  Our thoughts of Detroit before arriving were of a city with its heritage in cars and music.  We were welcomed openly by the people of Detroit and they seemed happy and jovial.  

As we wandered toward what we hoped was the centre of the city, we were looking for somewhere, anywhere to eat, but we were struggling.  The city seemed to have seen better days although it did look like it was being rejuvenated.  It seemed strange there were no people around and most places seemed to be closed or in a state of disrepair. In amongst all this though, we found a running exhibition which seemed to be at odds with the rest of the city - it was modern, forward thinking and attracted people.  They were offering all sorts of free samples, which was fortitious for two weary travellers.  In return we appeared interested in their stalls for a few minutes then made a swift exit.  

Back at the station, we caught the 8:10pm bus back to Cleveland - and settled down for our second consecutive night on the road!

At just after midnight we arrived into Cleveland and endured a two hour wait for our bus back to Buffalo.  We people watched...it ceases to amaze us how many people travel on the Greyhound at night - obviously there are our fellow traveller type folk, but 'normal' people also travel at night too from all walks of life.  We rushed to get our connecting bus to Niagra being overtaken by a bus load of New Yorkers - luckily for us the driver seemed to like us and had saved a 'couple' seat for us on the bus knowing we would be the last ones to board - what a lovely gesture!

Finally at 7:30am the next day we arrived into Niagra having completed our own 'marathon' - a tour of the south shore of Lake Erie and a fleeting explore of Cleveland and Detroit.

visited Toronto

So on another Greyhound, grasping at what little sleep we could manage during the night, we arrived as scheduled into Toronto at 6am, and immediately sorted our onward tickets to Niagra Falls.

Toronto
Then, exhausted we trod the streets of Toronto to our hostel.  Luckily for us they let us in, and let us sleep on the sofa and use their kitchen to cook our breakfast.  Then whilst we waited for hostel check-in time, we decided to find a library to email our family.  Again we had our friend from Quebec to thank for telling us about the free internet services in libraries.

On the way to the library, we strolled along the front, and just as we reached the CN Tower, the sky cleared to give us just enough time to take a photograph.  A small ladder stood next to the Tower and I felt an urge to tell the workers that their ladder really wouldn't reach anywhere near the top...but refrained and laughed to myself instead.

Back at the hostel, we checked into our room - all I can say is it was basic, dirty and obviously hadn't been cleaned in a very long time.  My husband seeing my distressed, downbeaten look, took it upon himself to complain to reception, and they sent a young lad to clean it whilst we retreated to the laundry room to do some washing.  When we returned, apart from smelling of disinfectant from the toilet, it really was no cleaner.  Someone appeared and asked if we wanted the floor mopping - I said yes then looked at the state of the mop - when was the last time the mop itself was cleaned!!!  As the mop glided over the floor surface more and more hairs were strewn everywhere - as he left, I got down on hands and knees and started trying to clean the hairs from the floor - but after one too many wretches, my husband asked me to leave the room to get the washing, whilst he cleaned it best he could.

We cooked dinner that night, and surprisingly I managed to eat it ignoring the dirt by eating out of a smoked mackerel container, and by focusing on a couple next to us, with the guy slurping his food like he'd never eaten before.

Despite our surroundings, we slept well that night - 13 hours in total.  By now we had been travelling for two weeks, and were both mentally and physically exhausted.  So after a brunch / lunch, we left the hostel and headed west towards Chinatown, believed to be the biggest in the world outside of China itself.  We loved the buzz of the 'mini China'  and the feel of walking from Western to Eastern cultures within a couple of blocks.

From Chinatown, we continued our journey to Kensington Market - an ecclectic mix of exotic Afro-Carribean 'coffee-shop' emporiums.  It reminded us of London's Camden Market and for two cagool wearing travellers who stuck out like two sore thumbs, it was time for a sharp exit.

Onwards to the Portugese Quarter where we were met with cafes, a fishmongers and Samba music, then onto the slightly more civilised Little Italy which oozed style and sophistication.  Trendy looking eateries, boutiques and coffee shops lined each side of the road, with every street displaying individuals who would have been ideal characters for The Sopranos!

From here, we headed back towards the city and Yonge Street, famed for being the world's longest street! I think both of us secretly wanted to see how far the street really was, and when we had walked to Davenport which was the turn off for Casa Loma, I'm sure we must have been nearly at the end.  Casa Loma, my husband argued was the site of Canada's first Castle - I wasn't too sure, but what I do now know is that it was once the home of the Canadian Financier Sir Henry Pellatt.  I also researched it whilst I was there and found that it was designed by E J Lennox, and was built by 300 men over a 3 year period being finally completed in 1914.  Casa Loma and an old style Castle nearby which housed the city's festival music interests, were both stunning.

The walk back to the City was arduous - our legs and feet swollen and painful, and our bodies chilled to the bone by the cold biting wind.  Our minds drifted back to our home in England, and images of a roaring fire in our lounge kept us going until we reached a coffee house to re-fuel.  Opposite we noticed a Bookstore, and spent a relaxing time reading through travel guides in the comfortable surroundings.

The next day we were suffering from shin splints, and so opted for a few leisurely walks followed by a pint (just the one) in a local pub.  I plonked myself next to the fire and sighed into my beer - I was finally starting to get used to this travelling way of life and actually starting to properly enjoy myself.  I guess the barriers of work and professionalism had finally come down, and I could start to be myself again and enjoy the less material things in life, and instead appreciate the beautiful things around me - including at that moment, the heat from the fire and the beer that coursed my lips.

What we had found out about Toronto was that there were some very interesting characters there...

We encountered a crazy cab driver who became very irate with us as we waited at the side of the road for him to go past.  Whilst we knew as pedestrians we had priority over the crossing, we did not want to take any chances, but as he approached the crossing, he beeped his horn at us, gesticulated with his hands and we managed to delay him by a meer two seconds.  We crossed the road infront of him, as he seemed to want us to do, starring at him as we did - he shyed away from looking at us.

The second incident was as we were walking to the library.  A man was walking with huge and I mean huge strides across the road following a very concerned woman.  He was preaching something to her at the top of his voice and kept bounding infront of her so she would listen.  He looked like Crocodile Dundee in a dark raincoat.  Even a homeless man at the side of the road was laughing uncontrollably as he watched.

The next day after visiting the bus station to organise our onward journey, we ventured towards Cabbagetown famed for Irish people who had settled there and planted cabbages as ornamental features in their gardens.  We never quite made it there though as the neighbourhood became decidely rougher - we opted for the safer option and walked back towards the centre.  As we turned a woman shouted something in our ears - I couldn't understand what she said but she looked a bit like a witch.  Moving away we continued down the road, and spotted a man darting in and out, hiding behind lampposts - we weren't entirely sure what he was doing but it was as if he thought he was being chased.

We decided to retreat to the safety of the CN Tower.  We spent a long time reading about the history of the tower, how it was opened in 1976 to the public, how it can withstand enormous lightning strikes by channeling the energy down the centre of the buiding and how on a clear day you can see as far as Niagra Falls.

We took the lift to the top and the views from up there were really 'wow'.  It was then that we realised how far we had actually walked!  We spent hours in the tower relaxing and taking in the views.  Then with food for our onward journey and a large take-away pizza in our tummies, we walked with backpacks to the Bus Station for our onward trip which would involve two nights on a bus travelling around Lake Erie and taking in the sights of Cleveland and Detroit, before our next destination of Niagra Falls.

visited Ottawa

By contrast to Montreal, we found Ottawa to be a beautiful city - clean, spacious and full of culture.

Ottawa
Our first task as we arrived into Ottawa was to find a room for the night - I spent what seemed like ages phoning as many places as I could - and just when I thought I'd found a 'nice' hotel for the same price as a hostel my hopes were dashed as they told me the last room had been taken.  We gave it up and walked the long distance into Ottawa to the Visitor Information Centre.  I don't know what made me call the same hotel again but our luck changed and this time they had a room available. This time, we were able to enjoy a swimming pool, hot shower, large comfortable bed, and we dressed for an evening of delicious food and each other's company.

The next day we awoke slightly worse for wear having consumed a litre of fine house red.  We had forgotten the potency of red wine and the prospect of raising our heads from our pillows was not pleasant. However, being travellers we had to make the most of the facilities and so by 9am we were blasting off a few lengths of the pool before relaxing in the jacuzzi.  We checked out at 11 and left our backpacks with the hotel for safekeeping, then began to explore the city.

We were impressed by the large government buildings: the House of Commons and the House of
Senates within the Houses of Parliament.  The British influence was visible everywhere - the building, the customs...and all because of our Queen Victoria who helped founder Canada back in 1867.  It was Queen Victoria, so we were told, that chose Ottawa as the nation's capital, a surprise apparently to many Canadians.  Our Queen Elizabeth II remains the Queen of Canada, so we felt proud to be the sole representatives of England on the tour.

The Peace Tower with it's clock and spire was based on Big Ben in London, and from there the views over the city were amazing.  We used the view to help us to choose where else we wanted to visit in Ottawa.

So leaving the Parliament buildings, we crossed a bridge over the River Ontario and temporarily left Ontario state and revisited Quebec, where we entered an art museum but the fee for two travellers was far too high so we moved on towards the Museum of Civilisation, in which we relaxed on their comfy chairs and enjoyed a few minutes of respite.  The rest of the afternoon and evening we wandered around the city, and then late into the evening we picked up our backpacks from the hotel and returned to the Bus Station to catch the overnight bus to Toronto.

visited Halifax in Canada

We spent our final day in Quebec visiting markets selling delicious produce and sampling as much as we could, then marvelling at two cruise liners the 'Deutchland' and the 'Rotterdam' both of which stood proud as two men were tasked with painting them.  By late afternoon, we were exhausted and returned to the hostel for our evening meal and to retrieve our backpacks for the next journey at again just after midnight, to Halifax.

Halifax
It was a long trek on the Greyhound from Quebec to Halifax - for the first leg of the journey to Riviere de Loup we slept as much as possible as there were very few people riding with us.  On the second leg of the journey the bus was crowded and so our only saving grace was the view from the window and the display of Autumn colours.  By the time we arrived into Halifax the weather had closed in, the grey skies of the Atlantic coast welcoming us.  We walked the short distance to our hostel and said our goodnights as we retreated to our same sex bunk areas, where my husband had to cope with the stench from the guy on the top bunk, and I had to try for sleep inbetween the fog horn snores of the girl in the next bunk.

Early morning we met each other back in the kitchen, and outside we were greeted with glorious weather both sunny and warm.  We spent a fun day visiting the sights of Halifax - there were boats everywhere, historic buildings, markets, small boutiques and such friendly people.

We caught a ferry across to Dartmouth and a number 60 bus to Fisherman's Cove.  We'd asked the bus driver to nod to us when we had arrived, which he did then as we left the bus he said to us 'good luck' - we were a little perturbed as to why we would need luck and when at first we couldn't

see anything except a road and deserted land I was disappointed.  I'd seen a picture of Fisherman's Cove and I'd been so looking forward to visiting it.  But as we turned the corner, there infront of us lay the most beautiful fishing village.  We followed a pathway through the waterways, and weren't in the slightest bit put out when an old Gentleman overtook us twice as he did his morning exercise.

We wandered through the fishing village, visiting a few gift shops and then stopped in a sheltered spot to bask in the sunshine and eat some fruit.  This was the first time on our trip that I'd actually properly relaxed, and that moment and that feeling of contentedness will forever stay with me.

On route back to the bus, we saw fishermen lounging around next to a river full of mussels.  What a beautiful existence.  The moment broken only for a second by a car driving down the wrong side of the road narrowly missing the oncoming cars and our bus by driving onto the pavement, seemingly with not a care in the world!

Back on the bus for our return to the ferry, we sat amongst all sorts of characters with interesting names such as Gandolph.  When the young lad got on the bus wearing a woolen hat and a baseball cap cocked to one side, my husband and I had to exchange smiles.

The ferry took us back to Halifax, where we visited the Citadel 5 minutes before closing...we had just enough time to run around the British fort, take photographs and admire the views before leaving and starting the long walk to Pleasure Point Park on the edge of Halifax, passing through salubrious neighbourhoods where we argued about which house we would like to live in.

Finally when the feet had almost given up, we stopped at a supermarket to buy food and then headed back to cook and to read, and for my husband to be talked to by a young besotted lady who seemed to have the inability to come up for air!  Not that I minded really - it was interesting learning all about her travels.  Later when we had returned to England, my husband told me about the mice he saw in the lounge area of this hostel - as all of us fellow travellers either read, chatted or watched television, the mice scurried around enjoying the crumbs on the floor.  I'd not noticed, and my husband thought it best not to tell me at that time - probably wise, but at least I was on the top bunk!!

The next morning, we had planned to take in a few final sights before heading to the bus, but this was cut short by torrents of rain and us having to dart between shelters.  So seeing as much as we could, we picked up our backpacks and headed for the Greyhound terminal.  It was now just after lunch, and with rain soaked clothes we travelled the 19 hours or so back through Quebec to Montreal.

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Arriving into Montreal we checked our next bus time to Ottawa, and then leaving our backpacks in lockers we set out to explore the city.  It was early morning and every block seemed to be adorned with homeless people and graffiti - we gave up our trek and opted to return to the terminal.  Whilst the centre of Montreal may well be worth a visit, we had not seen anything to convince us to stay and we praised the lovely gentlemen and Australian guy who we had met in Quebec and whom had told us it was probably not worth spending 3 days visiting this city, hence our change of plan to take in Halifax.  By 9am we were on our connecting trip to Ottawa and by 11am we had arrived at the Capital.

visited Quebec

The journey to Montreal was actually not that bad - we spent most of the time sprawled out on separate sets of seats fast asleep, when we did wake it was for the border control.  We dismounted the bus, struggled with our bags, and then faced a barrage of questions: 'where are you going?', 'what are you going for?', 'how long will you be there?', 'when will you be back in England'...and so it went on.  It's very difficult to explain when you know you're away for months but only have a loose plan of where you are visiting, and know that you will be crossing the border a number more times before flying out of the country.  Eventually back on the bus, we arrived into Montreal, from where we caught the next bus to our destination: Quebec.

Quebec
This time, we had succumbed to the traveller way, and booked ourselves into the hostel there.  We trekked up a very long hill to the hostel, and actually it was a welcome sight - not nearly as bad as I had imagined.  In fact it was a great place to stay, full of fellow travellers and having a real buzz of excitement and friendliness about it.

We were given our bedding and set to making up our bunk beds within our dormitory.  We then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening wandering the streets, buying food from the French Marche and then cooking pasta in the hostel kitchen.  It was quite surreal - it felt like we had gone back to university days fighting over utensils with our fellow travellers, then sitting in the bar eating, drinking murky pints and listening to a French man singing Bob Marley songs.

The next morning we awoke to the alarm clock of the couple in the adjacent bunk beds - they were away for the weekend from school, and it was very funny watching them trying to be so quiet and yet failing miserably.  That evening we were moving into a private room - after all we were a married couple.

We spent the day exploring the architectural wonders of this amazing city, and the views from the castle walls.  We wandered down cobbled streets lined with boutiques, gift shops, restaurants and bars.  It reminded me of Sauz D'oux in Italy where we had been skiing the year before.  The Fairmont Hotel in the Old Town with its elegant furnishings was a haven for two travellers trying to escape the cold and wet and just have a few minutes of heat.

Quebec is a beautiful city and whilst we enjoyed being there and seeing the sights, we were beginning to look forward to the National Parks which were on our travelling agenda in the next few days.  We had planned to stay longer in Quebec or return to Montreal, but there's only so much to see in a city, and with no money to spend we were beginning to wonder if we had trodden the streets one too many times.

That's why at 11:30 that night we chose to change our plans, and opted to do a 19 hour journey to Halifax to see the second largest harbour in the world.  That is the beauty of being a traveller - with no firm plans in place you can chop and change what you are planning to do.  So with our room cancelled for the next night, we booked a room at the Halifax hostel and we hoped that Halifax would be worth the 38 hour return trip.  At least by travelling for all that time, we saved ourselves quite a bit in accommodation costs.  I never realised how much a bonus that would be!

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It's a funny thing travelling..it's not a holiday so you don't have much money to spend, you know how long you're away for and suddenly it dawns on you what that means...you crave contact with family and friends.  One week away seems like an eternity maybe because you know how long you're going to be away for or maybe because there's not much to do on an evening - alcohol - you can't afford it, rooms - either shared, freezing or dirty, and so you spend your time talking and thinking.  The only time reality hits is when you're in a kitchen cooking, when the room is buzzing with people or when you see an individual sat on their own reading.  It's a lonely existence - you could be in a room full of people but your world consumes you.  So many people say they find themselves when they are travelling, and at that time in Quebec, I truly came to believe that they were right.  One things for sure, already we have met some amazing people on our travels - today we met a 60 year old English Gentleman who was away doing 3 marathons in 5 weeks - such an interesting and intriguing man, and unbeknown to us we would be meeting him again in the not so distant future - let's say for now - it's a very small world!!

visited New York and Boston

So having decided to give up our jobs and move into the world of unknown, we boarded the plane to our first destination New York.

New York
Not being avid travellers, rather holidaymakers, we were not really aware of the traveller way including the likes of hostels and so our first stay was in a hotel, if you could call it that, which we paid over the odds for and which wasn't really worth a penny.  We had carefully budgeted for each country, and you will notice over our first few days and weeks in North America we start to realise how our way of travelling needs to change sooner rather than later.

Whilst the hotel was damp, basic and dirty, the city of New York captured our imagination.  The hustle and bustle of the city, the skyscrapers, the yellow cabs, the paralleled streets....Standing at the top of the Empire State Building we were consumed with the size of this beautiful city.  As I stood there taking photographs, my thoughts went to the twin towers of The World Trade Centre....back in 1996 I had taken the exact same photograph but with the twin towers on it.  You just can't imagine how these things happen and the lives that are affected.

Our first day of travelling we spent 11 hours trekking around New York, visiting as many tourist attractions as possible but also trying to see some of the real everyday New York.  It was a day well spent and although we missed our family and friends, we couldn't have asked for a better start to our trip away, and promised ourselves that we would be visiting New York again in the future - perhaps next time with a little extra cash in our back pocket!! Our next destination via Greyhound Bus was to be Boston.

Boston
We spent 4 and a half hours on the Greyhound travelling from New York to Boston.  That drive was out of this world: the autumn colours, the lakes, the rivers.  Some people chose to watch the film on the bus - but for me the film was outside the window, although I have to admit my eyelids did close on occasion - the jet lag, and the carrying of my backpack was finally catching up on me!!

On arrival into Boston, we had to find somewhere to stay - there was a room at a hostel but I was still not quite in traveller mode, and so the thought of sharing a room with two other couples was not my idea of fun.  I can laugh at myself now, thinking back to the start of our trip, and how fussy I was at first, and really how much nicer the hostels would have been than some of the hotels we ended up staying in.

Two and a half hours later, we finally found a room for the night! As a career, my work involved project management, and yet I had not particularly project managed this trip.  We knew where we were heading, but through our naivety many of the basics had not been organised believing that this could be done on arrival into the country.  A lesson to be learnt from this - if you are planning a world wide trip - make sure you have thought through where you will be staying as whilst flexibility is great you do not want to consume your time with trying to find somewhere, anywhere..to stay!!

Our first day in Boston was spent much as the same as in New York, trapsing the streets seeing as much as we possibly could.  We visited Chinatown, Boston Common, The Financial and Theatre district, the Government Centre, Little Italy, followed the Freedom Trail which took us past a Holocaust Exhibit, the old North Church, the Boston Inner Harbour, a USS Constitution ship and then finally to the Faneuil Hall and it's North and South marketplaces.  Here we dined like Kings for just less than US$8!!

Early the following morning, we joined the commuters on the subway heading for Boston Downtown and North Station, from where we caught the train to Salem, further up the coast.  This place was steeped in a history of witchcraft and maritime.  We visited the museum to learn more about the witch hunt stories and spent time relaxing by the boats.

It was then that we decided we had to plan more, know where we were going and where we were staying.  So like two naughty schoolchildren we spent considerable time in the travel section of a bookstore, writing down as many telephone numbers and addresses for future potential accommodation.  Then with dollar bills exchanged for coins we called as many places as we could until we had finally sorted our next few days, and could then relax back at Faneuil Hall watching street performers, and the what seemed to us now as aristocracy dining at the many restaurants and bars, whilst we looked on with mouths watering and finally gave in to treating ourselves to a pizza - one slice only though....that was all our North American budget would allow us!!!

At just after midnight, we boarded the Vermont Transit Greyhound ready for the long journey to Montreal and then onwards to Quebec City and Canada.

travelled around the world

I was a mad career woman, climbing the ladder and proving to everyone that I could achieve high and earn lots...but one day I started to question whether there was more to life...did I always want to be on the treadmill working from 7am til midnight most days of the week, and that's really what I did.  For years all I had done was work, granted I refused to work weekends but every Sunday I packed my suitcase, got that awful feeling of another week away, and then in the very early hours of Monday morning I would travel to wherever in the world my next project took me to.

Was it glamourous?  I can honestly say no not really.  Did I ever get to see any of the places usually cities where I worked? Again no not really.  I spent my time either in the client's office block or in my hotel room, and on an evening I'd usually dine alone.  I always remember the time I went to a restaurant, and the waiter seated me in the middle of the restaurant...it was Valentines Day, and I could see all the eyes on me, probably thinking 'oh poor thing...she's been stood up'!!  I hadn't been, my husband well boyfriend at the time was hundreds of miles away probably eating alone at our home.

I lost lots of friends in my early years of work...I didn't have any spare time to see my friends, and I usually worked so far away from them going out in the week was not possible.  Then weekends, were there for family and my boyfriend.

It's quite sad when you think you've lost out on a lot from a social side of things, but then sometimes you have to make sacrifices to achieve more in your life.  My sacrifices meant that I could pursue my career and be rewarded for doing this.

But then that day came when I did think there has to be more....and so my husband and I decided to give it all up and go and explore the world.  My husband had to leave his job, but luckily for me the company where I worked said I could come back after 9 months and resume my career...at least we had a lifeline knowing one of us could start earning as soon as we got back...after all we had a mortgage to pay.

So..after saving lots of money to cover our travels and mortgage payments, we contacted all the energy and water companies to tell them our property was going to be empty, we covered the furniture in dust sheets, and left the keys with our families...and then we set off on our mammoth trip around the world.  I'll never forget the look on my parent's faces when we were leaving them at the airport.  Although I was all grown up and had lived away from home for years, this time they wouldn't see me for a number of months, and it was heartbreaking...but you only live once and for us there is so much of the world to see...so we said our goodbyes and entered the unknown...promising to keep in touch via email and text.  We hadn't learnt the wonders of Skype at that time.

In my next few blogs I will tell you about our experiences both good and bad, and how two people who have stable lives suddenly find themselves a long way from home, struggling for money and wondering whether they really have done the right thing.

About me

So many times, I hear people saying 'I wish I had done that when I was younger' or 'before I had children' or 'before I started work'...., my husband and I have always vowed that when we are older, we won't be sat together regretting the things we have never done.  It's hard at times, and if I'm honest there are some things I do wish I had done earlier, but then I still (hopefully) have a long life ahead of me to fulfil some of these things.  Priorities change over time though, and now with two young children, some of my 'wants' will have to wait.

I'm writing this blog to capture our adventures in life to date and decisions that we are currently making about our lives and our children's lives for the very near future.

I hope you enjoy my blog....feel free to leave comments on my page...but remember whilst sometimes I might offer my advice to others it is just that 'my advice' and that might not always be the best advice.

To set the scene, I am a 36 year old woman now with two beautiful children, a son and a daughter and a gorgeous husband whom I have been with for 16 years.