Day 7 Sept 8^th:

Amanda writes….

That morning we met Nicole (my cousin) at Bayview and Eglington.We spent the afternoon relaxing. While she was busy we had dinner at Lemon Grass, on Bayview, best Thai we have had. Dessert: Hollywood Gelato, also on Bayview-skor, caramel, lemon, pineapple and pistachio. MMMMM

….. stayed the night at her apartment.

Sept 9^th Day 8:

Amanda writes….

Amanda and I, we found this lonely gaint
sunflower taking Calliegh for a walk

11:00am we leave the big city to drive to Kingston. First stop is to see my best friend, Amanda.  Jamie, Amanda’s bf and Calliegh, the famous pitbull who not only is a champion long distance jumper but has managed to escape the harsh laws of pitbull ownership regs in Ontario, met us at their house. When Amanda knew we were at the house, she was soon there. Like every time we see each other it’s excitement, sigh of relief, sisters meeting after a long awaited reunion, and just like we had left off from the last day we were together. Best friends never loose the connection.

Arrived at my mums, that night after a good visit with Amanda and Jamie. It was great to see my mum and she was just as happy to see me. The next 9 days we visited with lots of friends and family: Lunch with Kell, my friend from high school, she is great, expecting her first baby, a girl,  with her boy friend Justin. That night is BMX racing, every Wednesday night at the one and only track in Kingston, founded by Jamie’s dad. Nick tried it and was very successful, unlike me, last year who could barely make it through the kiddie track. Later that night we visited Tab another friend from high school and her bf Billy. We chatted while her possibly pregnant chawawa, bounced back on forth from my lap to hers.

The rest of the week was spent catching up and talking about Nick and my future adventures in Australia. We visited my grandfather in Trenton.  Hearing about Nick’s Segway, he was excited when we said we would bring it back so he could try it.  He rode it around the lobby as others watched in interest. We even got the director of the retirement home to try it. He will be 97 this December and there is no stopping his capabilities just make sure to talk into his left ear, other than that he is a wild man on a Segway.

Sept  19^th.   An elegant MacDermaid family reunion at Lake of the Mountain- a unique spot in Prince Edward County marked the end of our time in Kingston. At the top of the hill on one side there is Adolphus reach, which connects to Lake Ontario, and on the other side is a lake which could probably take an hour to canoe. This lake has many theories how it was formed. Whatever hypothesis you chose to go with there was no doubting it was a neat spot.

 It was time. We said our good bye to my mum, a few tears, a couple pictures in front of famous bus and a long hug. Now it was off to Quebec City then onto NB for a visit with Nick’s mum and his family……

Sept 19th-21st Kingston to Woodstock:   

Taking a break in Upper Quebec

Nick:  At this point we are anxious to make time.  Fewer stops for sights and food until we get to old Quebec.  With packed lunches and a full tank of gas we put the pedal down and gunned it to 88.  We stay in the bus just outside of the city.  Well rested we head in.  The next park proved to be one of the hardest parts of the whole trip; finding a place to park a bus (which is too small for their “bus” parking and too big for regular parking lots). After two hours of driving round and round one way streets Amanda spots a metered place on an end and we are set.  Old Quebec is a must see to anyone who hasn’t.  Its buildings and horse drawn carriages place you back into a different time, if not a different country.  We explore many shops and take in a bite along side the harbour.  French onion soup seemed to be appropriate.  The waiter was most impressive with his greetings in all languages as the cruise ships passengers came and went.  We left the city as twilight started and were NB bound.

 Finding a place to sleep was getting harder as the hills increased and our No. 1 rule (no slants) was becoming harder to abide by.  We wound up pulling in with the truckers along the border where Andrew Taylor and I once spent a night in C2C 1.  We covered the windows and fell asleep next to the purring diesels.  This location worked in our favour as we awoke to bathrooms and showers and even breakfast.  The new NB highway took us with good time all the way to Heartland without a hitch.  There we walked the longest covered bridge in the world.  From there we went into Woodstock to get a Greco garlic finger which I had been craving for years.  Then off to Limestone (where I grew up) to start the unpacking process.

Sept 21st-Oct 2nd  Final chance to pack:

Nick:  I will not bore you all with details but I will toss in a couple highlights to our final week in Canada.  

Worlds Larget Axe, Nackawic NB

B.F.A.M.'s
 (brothers from another
mother)

Much like our time in Kingston, the majority of our time was spent in NB was visiting family and friends.  The largest gathering was hosted by my gracious mother over a turkey dinner.  I have got to say thanks to her as I will likely not see one at Thanksgiving or Christmas this year.  Amanda made it through the baking, and the “grilling”.  We hoped to have a chance to work the harvester for a day or two but the weather had a different plan.  Tea and pie seemed just as tasty none the less.  The segway had its rounds here as well.  The Fredericton boys maxed out the km on more than one occasion.

Falls on the Maliseet Trail 

 While waiting for the weather we toured the world’s largest Axe and hiked the Maliseet trail.  The majority of the rest of our stay consisted of cleaning out the bus, packing unneeded possessions away, and tossing the rest in go/no-go piles.  Then up at 6:00am and off to Halifax for the 2 day journey to Australia......