Photos by Jeri Edmunds, Betty Kessler, Randy Thomson, Bob Urban, Barbara and Bill Worthley Click on thumbnails for a larger picture. Fort Worth Monday September 6 0 Jo Thomson Our pre-flight day was a busy one! I was up until 2:30 AM packing - hard to decide on what clothes to take. While Ayni, my dachshund therapy dog and I worked, Randy went to our granddaughter Elizabeth's house to board up a gap under her back deck. Ayni had demonstrated she could crawl under it, and, since Liz was keeping Ayni while we were away, we didn't her getting under it and getting stuck while we were away. It took Randy much longer than he thought to finish the job. We finally left for the Ramada Inn, north of DFW Airport around 6:45 PM. The Ramada Inn is a really good deal. Their rooms are reasonable, and for $15 you can leave your car their for up to two weeks, and take their shuttle to the airport, at no additional charge. That is especially nice when you have a "dark thirty AM" flight. Our fellow ambassadors had already settled in by the time we arrived. So, we ate at the Denny's across the street, and were in bed for the night as soon as possible. Fort Worth, Toronto and Ottawa Tuesday September 7 1 Jo and Randy Thomson Off to Discover New Friendships It was a short night. We awoke just before our 3:30 AM wakeup call, and were in the lobby shortly before the van arrived. The Ramada had kindly set out coffee and continental breakfast for us before we left. Betty Kessler, Erma Fennema (from FF Houston), Myrtle and Howard McMahan, Taylor Stephens-Parker (who was travelling without Stan, who had injured himself in a fall, earlier), Randy and Jo Thomson, and ED Barbara and Bill Worthley boarded the van at 4:15 AM for our trip to the airport to catch a 6:30 AM flight. Carolyn and Peter Lombard met us at the airport. There were eleven of us flying together to Ottawa, via Toronto. The other half of our group of twenty-two were either driving or flying from other departure points. Those included Nan Miller and her sister, Patti Marraro from Morehead City, NC; Ardia Kentfield; Ed and Genier Furber; Bob Urban and Stella Norman; Berry Bock and Jim Young; and Jerry Edmunds and her friend, Elaine Herzog, from Cincinnati, OH. Our Air Canada flight to Toronto was on schedule. We all especially appreciated being able to check one piece of luggage at no additional charge. These boots weren't made for walkin' As we went through security, we were both given the option of either a full body search (not sure what that means), or an electronic body scan. Jo asked if there was any radiation exposure, and was assured that it was only sound waves (like an MRI). We both opted for the electronic scan. Jo had forgotten to take her vitamins, at breakfast, and they were in her pocket. The vitamins were detected, and she was questioned about them. After an uneventful flight, we retrieved our bags in Toronto, cleared Immigration and Customs, and proceeded to the security checkpoint for the domestic flight to Ottawa. One of our group had taken a different route to the domestic concourse. When we arrived at the checkpoint, he was nowhere to be found. Randy and our wayward ambassador's spouse waited at the checkpoint while the rest of the group proceeded to the gate. After waiting awhile, Randy decided to backtrack and find him. Randy went the way that the "lost" ambassador had gone, and found him at the security checkpoint, but his spouse was nowhere to be found. It was beginning to appear like a magic trick! Most of our cell phones were still off, from the Toronto flight, so there was no way to communicate with each other. Randy looked around and had a feeling that the checkpoint didn't quite look like the one he had first been to, but he wasn't sure. After waiting a while, Randy decided to go on through security and check at the gate for the spouse. She wasn't there, but cell phones were now on. After all this confusion, it turned out that there were security checkpoints at two different floor levels going to the domestic concourse, and our missing ambassador was on the upper level, while the rest of the group was on the lower level. Randy had forgotten the fact that he had changed levels in the process of backtracking. Eventually, we were all reunited, a few minutes before the initial boarding call. We boarded for a short flight to Ottawa on a much larger plane than the one on the longer flight to Toronto. A Warm Welcome The hosts or their representatives were waiting for us at baggage claim when we arrived. The hosts presented their guests with an information packet that included an excellent exchange brochure, one from which we may be able to take a few helpful hints. Our awesome hosts, John and Brenda Worswick guided us to their car, and we took a short drive, on the boulevard beside the Rideau Canal, to there nice home in Nepear. Nepear was formerly a suburb of Ottawa, but a few years ago all of the suburbs were consolidated into Ottawa proper. The expectation at the time was that this would make governement more efficient. However, in actuality, this has not been the case, because the needs of the various areas are so different. Rideau Falls We arrived, were shown our room, and had tea on their comfortable patios. Afterward, we were offered the opportunity for a short nap, which we gratefully accepted. When we were refreshed, John and Brenda took us on a drive to give us an overview of the city. We saw several of the sights that we were to see again on the Wednesday bus tour. It was a very nice preview, and we were able to stop and stroll around at some spots that we otherwise would have missed. Following our tour, we were treated by Brenda to one of the many ways the Canadians have of preparing salmon. (We were to experience several others as the week proceeded.) Brenda is a gourmet cook, and a fantastic entertainer. Later in the week, Brenda and John had back to back dinner parties for twelve, in addition to which, Brenda prepared meals, on several days, for a friend whose wife was seriously ill and in the hospital. And, she made it look so easy! After our long travel day, and very pleasant afternoon and evening, we turned in for a much appreciated nights rest. Ottawa, Canada Wednesday September 8 2 Nan Miller and Patti Marraro On Wednesday morning, light rain was falling. We had breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, tea and coffee. Patti dubbed this the “noble breakfast” and we used the saying in our comments at the Farewell Dinner. With umbrellas in hand, we visited Dow’s Lake and nearby park areas. The lake is a site during Winterlude which features ice and snow sculptures and ice skating. The lake level can be lowered because it is part of the Rideau Canal system and the water freezes solid for skating. (The Rideau Canal flows to Rideau River which meets the Ottawa River.) Man with Two Hats In spring, the nearby gardens are planted with thousands of tulip bulbs. During World War II, the Queen of the Netherlands came to Canada for the birth of her first child, Beatrix. The Canadian government designated part of the hospital as Netherlands property, so the baby could be an heir to the Dutch throne. The tulips are given each year to commemorate this act and recognize the friendship between the two countries. There is also a sculpture in the park, H’Omme a Deaux Chapeau – The Man with Two Hats, which was a gift from the Netherlands. John, our host, is Dutch and remembers the Canadian troops liberating his city when he was 5 years old. Five years later, his family immigrated to Canada. We also visited an experimental farm and ornamental gardens where plants are developed to meet climatological challenges. Exchange Director Doug McGregor Welcomes Us Our next stop was the Welcome Luncheon where we met other hosts and day hosts for the week. Jim Young presented a brief program on Fort Worth and one was given on some of the differences between Canada and the US, such as milk being sold in plastic bags. “Two four” beer is a package of 24 cans; “poutine” is fried potatoes with gravy and cheese; and a “Beavertail” is a pastry with sweet toppings. The Psychedelic Magic Bus After lunch, we boarded the “Psychedelic Magic Bus” (aka a brightly painted double-decker) for the ride downtown and a city tour. We began at the National War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier across from Parliament Hill. We passed the Supreme Court, National Archives and War Museum. Crossing the bridge to Gatineau, we saw the Portage where 20,000 federal employees work. It is second only to the Pentagon in the largest concentration of a government’s workforce. We also passed the Museum of Civilization and on past the Rideau water falls; and the homes of the British ambassador, Prime Minister and the Governor General, who is appointed by Queen Elizabeth and resides at Rideau Hall. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Horses We drove along the Ottawa River which flows on to Montreal where it meets the St. Lawrence River. We passed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police complex where horses are trained for the performing troupe that travels internationally. The nearby Aviation Museum is being expanded to include a Space Museum being built by Lundy Construction owned by FF member, Mike Lundy. We headed back to town along a greenbelt where no development is allowed. Ottawa has 300 kilometers of bike paths and values its green space. The “Psychedelic Magic Bus” was able to pick up speed and it started getting pretty cool and very windy up on the top deck. We passed the Royal Canadian Mint; National Gallery of Art and its famous spider sculpture; the Peace Keeping Monument and the US Embassy which opened in 1999 with an estimated cost of $250 million due to extensive security measures. We finished the trip seeing the Byward Market area, (home of the “Beavertail”) and construction of the Ottawa Convention Center where the glass domed roof was being installed. We were well chilled by the time we got home. Patti and I sat in front of the fireplace and we all had a Canadian concoction our host calls “rye,” but we call it by its given name “Crown Royal!” Kay cooked a delicious shrimp and pasta dish and our day host, Elizabeth, stayed for dinner. Thursday September 9 3 Bob Urban and Stella Norman Parliament Building The parliament tour started at the NCC information center across the street from the Parliament complex with a presentation showing a scale model of the city. From there, we walked across the street to the Parliament building. A new group of pages were being sworn in that day so we could not get into either Houses of Parliament. We were only afforded access to the Prime Minister's hallway. We were allowed to take pictures of the art work on the walls and a peek into the House of Commons. Our Guide Describing the House of Commons Our tour guide took us into the Library of Parliament which was spared destruction by a fire that destroyed the House of Parliament in 1916. Parliament was rebuilt in 1960, after decades of meeting in temporary quarters. We were only able to go into the entrance of the library which has more than 17 kilometers (about 10 miles) of books, periodicals and documents. We all enjoyed lunch with our hosts, many eating at the famous Tim Horton's restaurant. Our host took us on a drive to Gatineau Park which is located in the green belt surrounding the city of Ottawa, while many of the group took a tour of the grounds surrounding Rideau Hall. Gatineau Park is a beautiful park with many places to picnic in the summer and ski areas in the winter. The following was written by Nan Miller who was a part of the group touring Rideau Hall grounds. Rideau Hall - Governor General's Residence Rideau Hall is the residence of the Governor General of Canada. The Governor General is the queen's representative in Canada. He or she (the last two have been women) is appointed by the Queen of England, on recommendation of the Prime Minister of Canada. The hall was built by Thomas McKay, a stone mason, as his home. McKay became wealthy from building mills at Rideau Falls. Rideau Hall Grounds All of the dignitaries that visit are invited to plant a tree while they are there. Many U.S. Presidents have planted a tree, including G.W. Bush. President Obama has yet to plant a tree. While President Obama has made one visit to Canada, he did not go to Rideau Hall on that visit. All of the trees that are planted are identified by whomever planted them. The royal family of England all plant oak trees to commemorate one of the royal family who took refuge in an oak tree during a seige. That evening, we were hosted at a small dinner party hosted by Mike and Carol Landy. Along with our hosts, were Nan and Patti and their hosts. Friday September 10 4 Taylor Stephens-Parker Museum of Civilization - Great Hall The Canadian Museum of Civilization is the largest Canadian museum. It covers Canadian culture their earliest years until 1960! Here are some snippets: The first exhibit we saw was The Great Hall, all of which was built by the native people who lived ONLY on the Pacific Coast of Canada (British Columbia). These native people occupied that area 15,000 to 24,000 years ago. I counted 19 huge totem poles in this exhibit. The second exhibit included a down-sized replica of cedar bark house. The docent said that in the old days the house was the size of a football field and housed as many as 100 people! Mushka, which are a fish rich with oil, were their staple food. The canoes, from which they fished, were made of birch bark. L' Espirit de Haida Geoaii Bill Reid, a Native Indian sculptor much revered in Canada, sculpted a large, totally white piece, L’ Espirit de Haida Geoaii, which is in the Great Hall. We were encouraged to look at both sides of this delightful piece. The front depicted very serious, morose faces while the back depicted joyful, happy faces. What Reid wanted us to understand is that people can work happily together to make their country better OR they can be angry and discordant and not have as much fun working together to make their country better. As for me, I choose the former. Next time you see a Canadian $20 bill, look at the back and you will see this sculpture! "Mrs. Gordon Powell" There were too many exhibits to include in this journal! One that I thought was priceless was an 1887 exhibit of Mrs. Gordon Powell’s home. “Mrs. Powell” (a live female docent) informed us about her servants, one downstairs and one upstairs, her children, and her husband. She was fully dressed in period clothing, including a bustle, a hat, and gloves. I wish we could’ve stayed longer! At lunch time, most of us ate in the Museum Café. Grace Strachan, my host, prepared a gluten free lunch for her husband, Peter Turner, and me. Joining us at our table were Ardia Kentfield, Kim Gagnon (Ottawa), Myrtle and Howard McMahan. After we ate our sandwich, salad and fruit, Grace and I walked outside and visited the Japanese Garden and the Buddhist Zen Meditation garden. It was a glorious sunny day, and our view from the Museum was of the Parliament Buildings. We found some treasures in the Museum Gift Shop and also squeezed in a visit of La Horse Exhibit---very interesting to learn that horses used to have 3 toes on each foot. Over time, the 3 toes have morphed into 1 hoof for each foot! Bet you didn’t know that! Court Room of the Canadian Supreme Court Grace dropped me off at The Supreme Court, where I met my Day Host, Gail Nevereumont (pronounced Never-Oh”-Mohn). A very passionate, enthusiastic third year law student told us about the workings of the Canadian High Court. She was very knowledgeable and able to field questions from the group. After the presentation, we were able to sit in the Supreme Court Room, where final appeals are heard. The architecture and symbolism in this room are much like those of The Parliament Buildings—awesome. Natural Stone Statues Gail and I started home to Nepean (Neh-pee’-un), but first she wanted to show me “The Nuck Chucks” in the river. It turns out that the Nuck Chucks are rock sculptures of all sizes and designs. This project was started by an artist many years ago. I was told that he comes back to the area every June “to put them all back together after a year’s worth of being battered about by the river.” Gail said that the artist now charges for his work. Dinner at the Worswicks On this crisp, cool evening, our Small Dinner Party was scheduled at the Worswicks. I knew from the previous night’s dinner that Brenda was fixing a gluten free dessert for Peter and me. Brenda’s desserts are well-known, so my mouth was watering! We visited all over the kitchen, living room, and dining room. We were joined by Berry and Jim and their host, Bob Nichols, Hugette (You-gett’) St. Pierre, Randy and Jo, Grace and Peter, and Ulysse (You’-lis) Nevereumont, Gail’s husband. Our wonderful Entrees were scallops and shrimp in a delightful sauce and veal in a tasty gravy, accompanied by rice, carrots, and wax beans. Everyone was asking about Stan and how he was doing at this point in time. I updated them and told them Stan was still having a lot of difficulty maneuvering to get in bed or to get up from a chair. They learned that Stan had been a bachelor for 57 1/2 years, and the story of Stan’s and my 19 year courtship began to unfold! Just about everyone in the room said that they sure wished they had got to meet Stan on this trip! So in the midst of all this fun, Glenda served us not 1, but 2 desserts. I can easily recall the gluten free dessert that Peter and I had first shots at --- it was a roll of chocolate cake filled with whipped cream, sliced and delivered with a cherry on top! To die for! We were all very mellow when we left Brenda and John’s home. Smokey greeted us as we opened the door, and all was well. Saturday September 11 5 Elaine Herzog and Jeri Edmunds Ship's Galley Restaurant Saturday dawned warm and sunny. Marjorie Phalen, our wonderful Night Host, and her son Larry drove us south from Ottawa to Rockport, Ontario. We journeyed the back roads along the Rideau River passing many cyclists participating in a bike rally. Don't Squat on the Toilet Seat We arrived at Rockport and joined the Ottawa Club and other Fort Worth ambassadors for lunch at the Ship's Galley Restaurant. We had a good laugh about the sign in the restaurant restroom--"Don't Stand on the Toilet Seat"--like any of us were agile enough to try! Tom Thumb Island The afternoon boat trip took us amongst the Thousand Islands in the Saint Lawrence River. This said to be the prettiest and most photographed area in Ontario. Actually, there are over 1800 islands in the river. The smallest island is called "Tom Thumb." Another called the "Mother-in-Law Island" has a lone house. Legend has it that the son-in-law would take his wife's mother to the island in May and pick her up in September. She couldn't swim! Mother-in-Law Island The Thousand Island area contains many marshes which provide sanctuary for numerous birds including Canada Geese, ducks, and Cormorants. Elaine and I were later hosted at a dinner party by Mary and Arthur Roy. Queen Elizabeth on a royal visit could not have dined better than we did. We nominate Mary for Top Chef of Canada. Sunday September 12 6 Free Day - Numerous Authors Randy and Jo Thomson We overslept and had to rush a little to get to church. Brenda, who is a devout Catholic, graciously agreed to attend the small Unity church in Ottawa with Jo. Brenda prepared poached eggs on toast, coffee and orange juice for us before we left to find the church, which used the facilities a local services organization. After church, we took an easy drive through the beautiful Gatineau Hills, in Quebec, traveling much the same route that we would have taken had we chosen the train ride over the 1000 Island Cruise. It was cloudy and a little rainy, but the trip was very enjoyable, nonetheless. Covered Bridge - Wakefield We ate lunch in a small restaurant, in Wakefield, that had once been a train station. Paintings from local artists were on the walls, and were for sale. Afterward, we visited the manually operated turntable where the train engine is reversed for the trip back to Gatineau from Wakefield. Then we drove around a very picturesque covered bridge, which Brenda who is a painter, has done in oils, on more than one occasion. The bridge is actually quite new, having been built in 1997. We returned home in time to dress for dinner, and took Brenda and John to The Keg at the Manor. The Keg is the same chain as in Fort Worth, but the location was in a quaint old mansion, with artistic ambience. Everyone agreed the food was delicious. Bob Urban and Stella Norman We were invited to stay Saturday night and Sunday at a cottage on Hog Island. Hog Island is one of the Thousand Islands located on the St. Lawrence River. There are approximately 1800 islands situated there. We took a walking tour of the island and a boat tour around the area. Saturday night we treated our hosts to a dinner at the Hotel Kenney located at Elgin, Ontario. Betty Kessler After a great breakfast, Hazel, my wonderful host, and I were off to our "day in the country", the Ottawa Valley, where she has a house that she is repairing. Her husband died 2 years ago and it needs a lot of repair and renovation. This is in the town of Westcurl, Canada. Canada was first called Kanata. St. Mary's Church - Westcurl We first went to the cemetery where many of the original families are buried, many of the Baskin families, dating back to 1827. The original St. Mary's Church was built in 1827 but in 1909 was rebuilt. One of the beautiful church windows was donated by the Baskin family. We did not attend church services there but did visit with friends there afterwards. This is "Baskin Country". We then went to see her house where she is doing the repairs. The neighbor who had installed a new oil tank came over and explained what had been done. It seems he comes to McKinney, Texas maybe once a year to visit a son or daughter who lives there, and drives his RV around the country when he is in the U.S. He plans to visit at Thanksgiving again. Hazel even has a small garden and we picked some tomatoes and green beans. We continued our drive and stopped at a Tim Horton's restaurant for soup, doughnuts and bananas. There is a lot of construction on the roads everywhere. They will have only about another month to work on the roads before winter arrives and it will be too cold. The roads and lots are all named and laid out in 2 mile by 3/4 mile sizes. Interesting! Hazel has lived in many places in Canada, even 3 years in Goose Bay, Labrador, when her husband was in the military. We stopped and browsed around another small town with lots of shops and decided this would be a good place for me to treat her to dinner. We ate at an Italian restaurant called Fiddlesticks and had emu, pasta and beer there. It was a great day to see the countryside and see some of the places and things that she has experienced. Howard and Myrtle McMahan The morning started out with brilliant sunshine, which changed to rain shortly after we ate a huge breakfast consisting of eggs, what they call Canadian bacon, toast, fruit, coffee and tea. Our hosts, Susan and George Nielson, offered to take us to the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa church service. The service was it’s “In Gathering” or the first service of their congregations year. The congregation has about 500 members (over 2 ½ times the size of ours) and is in a very contemporary style building. Next door to it is a senior citizens apartment complex that they own. We found the service to be very similar to our own. We stayed for coffee and fellowship, meeting many of their members who also belong to the Friendship Force. Canadian War Museum After the service we drove to the War Museum, and spent the next few hours touring it. The men were fascinated with all of the tanks, guns, and other machinery. Susan and I were more interested in the parallel history of Canada and U.S., and especially the women in war. After touring the museum for a few hours, George took us for a ride, catching a ferry boat to cross the Ottawa River into Quebec. We did a quick tour of Gatineau, going to an outdoor market that was closed due to the rain. Sunday night was our time to take our hosts to dinner. They chose Robbies, an Italian Restaurant, where the cooks were Lebanese. We had the specialty of the house, spaghetti with tomato sauce, meat balls, meat sauce, pepperoni, green peppers and mushrooms. It was delicious. Then home, and the Cowboy game which George and Howard watched. I begged off, and went upstairs to read. Alas, the Cowboys lost. Erma Fennema My hostess, Helen McDonnell and I were invited by Marjorie Phalen to go to her place on the lake for a picnic outing. Early Sunday morning, we got a call that after we left Marjorie on Saturday evening, the elevators were off in her building. She took her two guests to spend the night with the day host she had arranged, and then went to her daughter's. She did manage to get into her condo, and we were still planing to go on the picnic, but later in the morning. We packed a picnic lunch and took off at 10:00 AM. It was cloudy, but not raining, and we drove for about two hours, through the city, the through the countryside. Reading the Paper We arrived at the lake, and after unloading the car, we went out to sit on a platform over the water. We had a newspaper that was in English. Marjorie came out in her bathing suit and invited us to join her as she had bathing suits for each of us. We declined, and she got in the water and swam a long way out. While reading the paper, a piece was blown into the the water, ane it was a long way out, but Marjorie got it. Marjorie got out and wrapped in a towel, and soon decided she was cold. About that time it started raining, and we went onto the enclosed porch. One person had binoculars ans saw something swimming on top of the water. Marjorie said they were little black snakes, and they do not bite -- another reason I do not swim in lakes or creeks. We decided it was time for lunch and we had a great arrangement of good sandwich makings. We did a lot of visiting, talking about the places we had visited while we were in Canada. We went to see her son's place, that he was remodeling. It was going to be a beautiful place. Marble in the first bathroom was finished and beautiful. We walked back to Marjorie's, and it started to rain, so we packed up and left. We went back to the city a different way, which included a ride on a ferry. We got back to our car and went home to Helen's. I took her out for dinner and went back to the house to do some packing and another round of visiting. I had hosted Helen and another lady when they were in Houston two years earlier. When we arrived home, the other lady I hosted was their to see me, and we had a good time. Barbara and Bill Worthley Today was billed as a "free day", but we certainly enjoyed a full day of activities with our hosts, Paul and Anna Rochon, in spite of the intermittent rain. The day started with one of Anna's usual big breakfasts and then we were off on the road. Mammoth Pumpkins and Squash The Rochons live quite a ways south of Ottawa in Kemptville, I guess about 45 minutes. We traveled south some more to a town called Spencerville, where they were having a County Fair. We enjoyed looking at all the exhibits of the usual fair stuff, like homemade pickles, cakes, quilts, etc. and then we saw the LARGE pumpkins! The biggest one was 349 pounds and Paul said that wasn't really big...sometimes they get at big as 1000 lbs.!! There were a lot of other huge pumpkins and squash of different varieties. Demolition Derby The Demolition Derby was the highlight of this part of our day! About 12 to 15 beat up cars get into an arena about the size of maybe half a football field and try to "demolish" each other! They crash and then back up and crash again...trying to eliminate all the other cars so they can be the last one that can still move! It takes about 30 minutes before the referree declares a winner and the forklifts come and scoop up the cars than can't make it out under their own steam. The crowd cheers the loudest when there is a big crash! There is a rule that you can't crash into the driver's side door, so no one is usually hurt. If a driver does get hurt, the referree stops everything until the hurt driver gets out and returns to the sidelines. We stayed for 3 different sets of cars...the last one being the cars from the first two sets that could still operate. It was a hoot! I didn't think it would be my cup of tea, but I did enjoy it once I realized no one was getting hurt. After the fair, we went back north towards Kemptville, but veered east to the farm where Anna grew up. Her brother, Leo, now runs the place by himself with just the help of his teenage son and his wife. He has over 1500 acres of land, and he grows corn and soy beans. He also has 70 dairy cattle that never go outside. They are born in the "barn" and stay in the barn their whole life. They are milked twice a day, seven days a week. He has several barns on the land, and one of them has over $2 million worth of John Deere equipment. Another barn is under construction that will house more of his farm equipment...an 18-wheeler, various tractors, etc. Quite an awesome operation for one man!! Then back to Rochon's house in Kemptville for another great meal prepared by Anna, with assistance from Paul. We had invited them out to dinner, but Anna decided it would be just fine if we got "Shanghai" noodles from a local restaurant and she fixed vegetables from their garden to supplement the noodles. It was a wonderful meal as usual and the conversation, as always, was animated and meaningful as we discussed not only the day’s activities, but life and the pursuit of happiness. Another blessed day with our new Canadian friends!! Monday September 13 7 Ed and Genie Furber National Art Gallery and Spider We arose at 6:15 AM and met with members of our group at the Ottawa Art Gallery at 9:40 AM. Gary, who was our guide conveyed us through much of the museum. This included paintings from classic to modern times, and in particular there was a partial replication of a chapel, some of the interior building having been disassembled and reassembled within the museum. It was quite inspiring and was available occasionally for group meetings. Skylight - National Art Gallery Atrium We ended the guided tour in the Inuit section. This was followed, in our case, by viewing films regarding the Intuit in a special seating area outside of the gallery. These were videos of Inuit art and life, in which various people spoke about their lives and their religion. Their religion consists of two spirits, good and bad. Although they had converted to Christianity, their basic beliefs remained intact. This for example included washing blood from one's hands with urine. It amounts to shamanism. Another video had to do with blubber usage for light and heat (for use in oil lamps), entitled "Qulliq" and dated 1992. A third video entailed shamanism stories, "Angakkuit." There were several films; however we did not have more time to spend on this endeavor. Genie then left to eat lunch in the cafeteria and I continued viewing other parts of the museum, this being a very large museum. Security at the US Embassy We met our hosts Judy and Pat Whyte at 2:15 PM, and at 2:45 PM we all walked to the American Embassy, at the McKinsey entrance. We had to go through security at the entrance to the embassy and were met and given a talk from two cultural attaches. There were apparently some art objects to be viewed in the embassy, but unfortunately they were unavailable for our viewing at this time. We learned that the first consulate had been opened in 1927, in Halifax. The cultural attaches are foreign service officers and as such are rotated from one country to another. There are seven consulate offices in Canada. We did not meet the U. S. Ambassador David Jacobson, for unclear reasons. New US Embassy Building Ten years ago the embassy was relocated to its present location from a location across from the parliament buildings. Sculptor, Joel Shapiro has art works in the embassy. This is a four story building, plus a basement. Four different fronts reflect various views. The building is art deco with various art objects scattered throughout, which we did not see. The attache stated that we were not "badged" for tour of the buildings, for which reason we could not view much of the building. The attache stated they would have needed much more time to have badged us for that purpose, apparently meaning that we would have had to be investigated first. In addition. they would need to have two attaches to accompany ten visitors. Outdoor Art at the US Embassy They discussed some of the political peregrinations through which the American administrations have recently undergone. There are 300 employees in the embassy building. Each embassy has its own web address and also is available through Facebook and Twitter. We left the embassy at 4:30 PM. We had tea and coffee with our hosts at the Earl of Sussex restaurant and left at 5:40 PM. We arrived at the Grayhawk Golf Club at 6:20 PM, in the Cumberland Hamlet for our farewell dinner. A sumptuous repast was then given us. Ottawa Club Entertainment Introductions were made and comments about hosts were given by ambassadors. All had glowing reports. Seven French Canadian singers from the host chapter then sang a number of well performed songs. The Cotton-Eyed Joe After this our chapter sang "Getting to Know You" and "Deep in the Heart of Texas." Bill Worthley recited a poem with the assistance of Nan Miller. Randy and Jo Thomson performed and led "The Cotton-Eyed Joe" dance with an invitation for the Canadian hosts to participate. Bob Urban then led "Let There be Peace on Earth" to close the evening. At around 10:30 the evening ended and we were home around 11:05 PM. Montreal Tuesday September 14 8 Betty Kessler Today we left Ottawa and began our three-day tour of Montreal and Quebec City. Eleven of us boarded the train at 9:20 AM. We arrived in Montreal two hours later, picked up our luggage and walked approximately 1/2 mile to our hotel, Square Phillips. Upon checking in, we were told that the rooms would not be available until 3 PM but they allowed us to leave our luggage there until we returned from our tour which was scheduled for 2:30 PM. It was raining off and on, but with our three hour bus tour we were able to get a good overview of this historic and beautiful city. We learned many interesting facts. (I hope my notes are accurate). Olympic Park First, Montreal's population is 3.5 million people. It was originally a walled city, but most has crumbled or has been removed, and only a few sections still remain. There are about 2,000 bike stops where bikes can be picked up and rented in one area and dropped off at another. The flag of Canada is red and white, the blue is the flag of the province, and the blue and gold the flag of the northern provinces. The harbor is about 1,000 miles from the ocean and many cruise ships sail from here. There are four universities, two French and two American. A brewery dating back to 1786 was started here but later merged with Coors Light. The oldest business here is the Hudson Bay Company. The subways here are safe and widely used to transport commuters to various parts of the city. Many buildings in the center of the city are connected either by underground malls or with connecting walkways so that residents never have to travel outside in the winter months. Olympic Park is also located here, where the Summer Olympics were held in 1976. Following the tour, we returned to the hotel, unpacked and settled in. Our rooms were very large, with 2 queen size beds, a breakfast table and small kitchen, even a refrigerator and microwave. Since Stan was unable to come on the trip, we decided that Ardia and Taylor share a room, and Erma and I would have the other. The four of us walked to various places in the area and finally decided to eat at a nearby restaurant before returning to the hotel for the night. We were tired, but it has been a very interesting and enjoyable day. Randy and Jo Thomson We did not take the post-exchange tour and went directly home. John and Brenda took us to the airport for our mid-day flight back to DFW, via Toronto. The flights, including clearing US customs in Toronto (rather than DFW) were uneventful. However, there was a literal snag in getting our baggage at DFW. The Air Canada baggage handlers had placed a hangup bag on the conveyor without putting it in a plastic bin. The bag became snagged under the metal lip at the top of the conveyor, and they had to stop the conveyor. An attendant attempted to remove the bag to no avail. Eventually a mechanic was called who had to go inside the conveyor system to reverse it in order to free the bag. This took about an extra 45 minutes. The baggage snag did not cost us too much time, though, as we also had a little confusion about where to meet the shuttle. Eventually, we found the correct spot, and the shuttle arrived. We took the shuttle back to Ramada Inn transferred to our car and were soon home. Quebec City Wednesday September 15 9 Carolyn and Peter Lombard “The Magnificent Twelve” Travel to Quebec City via Gray Line Bus Tour. Our group left for Quebec City at approximately 7:30 AM, traveling beside the St. Lawrence River. Quebec City, a fortress city founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, is the Capital of the Province of Quebec and in 1985 was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Quebec City is the only fortified city in North America. “Keebec” in the native language means “where the river narrows”. Just to the west of Quebec City is the head of tidal influence. At this point salt water begins to mix with the fresh water of the Saint Lawrence River at high tide. The river at Quebec City is brackish and becomes increasingly so with the influence of the tides as it flows to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Some of the interesting facts we learned from our tour guide are that 96% of the population speak French and that Canada means “Little Village”. The winters can be very harsh, getting to minus 40 degrees, but it can get quite warm in the summer months. Quebecers love to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as it usually signals the last snow storm for the season. Some other interesting facts learned were that 75% of all the maple syrup in the world comes from the Province of Quebec, the first hospital in North America is in Quebec City, and that 16% of all fresh water in the world is in Quebec. After arriving in the City we immediately met our local tour guide who gave us a brief walking tour of the lower square and then we took a lovely cruise on the St. Lawrence to view Montmorency Falls, which are higher than Niagra Falls. Our tour guide on the cruise was dressed in traditional French attire from the 1700’s. We learned that Quebec City is a blend of French and English architecture. Hotel Frontenac The day was beautiful, just the right temperature, and the bus tour fantastic. While our lunch took longer than expected at the Parmesan Restaurant and we did not have quite as much time to explore the City, we all did manage to do some serious shopping. We saw the imposing Hotel Frontenac, with its 621 rooms that can range from $350 to $2500 per night, and learned that Churchill and Roosevelt met in secret there during 1943. Old Town Quebec and the Funicular While the bus drove us to the top of the Plains of Abraham for the magnificent view of the St. Lawrence, it was up to each of us to get back down to the old town at the bottom. Some of our group choose to ride the famous funicular, while others choose to walk down the narrow, twisty, cobblestone streets of the old town. Some of us had trouble getting to the right level of the City for our bus pickup (and we were two of them). We had a great time and we were certainly glad we choose to do the day trip to Quebec City, a truly unique city to North America. Montreal Thursday September 16 10 Free Day - Multiple Authors Barbara and Bill Worthley Japanese Garden Bonsai Exhibit This was our free day in Montreal...no planned activities. The "Sensational Seven", of which I was one, travelled via the Metro subway train, to the Montreal Gardens. The other six were Bill Worthley, Howard and Myrtle McMahan, Ed Furber, Betty Kessler and Erma Fennema. It was a short walk from the subway stop to the gardens, unfortunately uphill. Once in the gardens, we took the little train to the far end and enjoyed the Bonsai Gardens first before we began our journey back by foot. Japanese Garden Lantern Exhibit The highlight was the Chinese Garden which featured "The Magic of Lanterns" display. I have never seen so many colorful lanterns in all different shapes and figures, such as butterflies, grasshoppers, dragonflies, animals, boats, people, mythical scenes etc. In addition to the thematic lanterns, there are over 700 traditional lanterns. All the lights were on and the sky was overcast, so we got an idea of what it looks like at night. Lanterns used to be made of paper, but now they use nylon and other modern materials. The wire frames are recovered every year. Bill and I left the group about 2:00 and ventured out on our own. We transferred from the subway to a bus in search of Schwartz's, a Hebrew deli that our Ottawa hosts told us about. It is a Montreal tradition since 1928 and features smoked meat. Even in mid-afternoon, it was crowded and we had to wait in line to be seated. It was worth the wait. Student Protest On the way back to the bus stop, we passed a bunch of people with signs protesting something. They were blocking an intersection and the police were negotiating with them. Bill asked someone what they were protesting and they said that the college had fired the school nurse and they now had no medical care on campus. Guess we'll never know how that turned out. We made it back to the hotel in time to get ready for the evening. First, we went to "And then there was light" at Notre-Dame Basilica. We had English-speaking headsets and enjoyed learning the history of the Basilica. The high-tech sound and light display was spectacular, as promised. After being misdirected, we finally found Vieux Port Steakhouse. It was in walking distance of Notre-Dame and would have been a pleasant walk if it hadn't been for the rain and the incomplete directions we received. The Sensational Seven who enjoyed the Montreal Gardens were joined by Genie Furber and Peter and Carolyn Lombard for the light show and for dinner. Several of us enjoyed a great steak dinner and Ed Furber had a huge lobster dinner, but that is another story. Back to the hotel for our final night. Montreal to Fort Worth Friday September 17 11 Myrtle and Howard McMahan Morning was relax time since our transportation to the airport was not till 1 PM. Ardia Kentfield left earlier in the morning. The remaining eleven checked out at noon, and at 1 PM. We boarded the three large Suburbans with our luggage. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. The Air Canada plane from Montreal to Toronto was a Boeing 757, the largest plane we had on the entire trip. In Toronto we had to pick up our baggage and clear U.S. Customs, and then return the baggage for loading. Ed Furber took a wrong turn and had Genie’s boarding pass. We had to go through security clearance again, and most of us made it down to where we were to depart from. The time in Toronto was very tight. It turned out that our departing plane was delayed over two hours, otherwise, some of our party might have had to catch a later flight. We spent the time eating, and spending our left over Canadian money. We arrived at DFW about 3 hours late. Several of the group were met by relatives or neighbors. The bus to the Ramada Inn, where some of our cars were parked took awhile to arrive. The car trip home was uneventful, the best kind of trip. Though the ten days in Canada was wonderful, it was good to be home.