I'll depart on Friday, have to give some concerts there... and I'll take some time to visit some battlefields of the Seven Years War, if there'd some one left. Could you guys help me in suggesting battlefields there, maybe some web sites so I can find the exact location and maybe a route? It will be very appreciated. It turns that my Seven Years War book is lent to someone...
Great choice Freddy. I visited these some years back, the year after the ice storm – had a good friend in Montreal. Re Quebec City, must visit/do the old walled town - last walled town left in all north America. It’s not that big and very ‘do-able’ – take tea in the Fontainebleau Hotel (that’s all you’ll probably afford). Visit the Citadel fort – still flies the British flag. You will be staggered by its commanding position of the St. Lawrence and how impossible it was for the British forces to take it from that aspect. On one side are the Plains of Abraham (just a park now) from were Wolf’s men eventually stormed it. Further down the bluffs they climbed to reach these flats. This action was Britain greatest Combined Operation mission prior to W.W.I. Some regard it as the first true Combined Operation. Whatever, it was truly outstanding in it’s accomplishment, and when you stand on the Citadel’s battlements, it will all come home how outstanding it was. (British fleet pilot was one ‘Captain Cook’. Same Cook as in Australia – not a lot of people know that.) Oh, they’ll try and tell you the French General Montcalm was a great as Wolf – was he bollocks. The historical Centre of Montreal will take you about 30 minutes! Check out Montreal’s underground city – useful in winter when you don’t want to be above ground. I visited in January – believe me! In a way it’s a shame you’re not going in winter. End of January in Quebec City they have the Ice Carnival – this is fun. For me, the biggest problem was language. Quebec Province insists it’s all French and they enforce their regulations very strongly. The French they speak however, is a bastard French, or ‘horse’ French. A man I met visiting from Paris said he couldn’t handle the crap they talk. I should qualify this and point out I’m referring to Quebec City, not Montreal. Montreal is half Irish. There’s the parish of Notre Dame and the parish of St. Patrick. In Quebec City it’s so bad, some teenagers in shops, restaurants etc can’t understand English!!!!!!!! Children MUST attend French school, parents can’t even pay for their children to go to English schools – can only be done as secondary evening education. Re food, Quebecers eat ‘Poutine’ – potato, cheese and sauce. Looks, smells and tastes like sewer produce. Be warned! They make a lot of fuss about their ‘folk’ music. Basically something like Cajun – they dance or ‘hoof’ similar Appalachian style. Their accordion players are good and usually the fiddle players, but their banjo pickers can’t hold a light to the good ‘ole boys of Renfro Valley (Kentucky). Most of the guys I heard should stick to picking their nostrils! Montreal, on the other hand, has lots of class restaurants and some excellent venues for jazz. If you like flowers, Montreal has a beautiful botanical island. I was disappointed not to meet any affable native Canadians. Maybe just my bad luck, but on the whole, not friendly. Their homelands have a bad reputation for being ‘rough’ and women treaded poorly? Avoid biker gangs in Montreal as well. I’ve ranted enough. Enjoy your trip. No.9
Good luck! Do visit the underground city if you find time, and the language thing is a joke, but the PM doesnt have the balls to do anything about it. Have fun!
Have fun "F" and wish I could suggest anything to see there but--i've never had the pleasure of hopping across the border into Canada--just Mexico.
I just came back from 4 days in Montreal and I couldn't wait to get back to the good ol' USA. Then again I spent a good amount of time in the hotel room with my girl so I didn't see much for historical sites. Just visited a few places in downtown. Saw some nice Ferraris and don't eat at the Biftheque on Cavendish Blvd....the food is overpriced and horrible. Do vist the pub next door where you can play indoor hockey and be served by hot barmaidens only wearing a bra and hotpants...for obvious reasons, I didn't get to go. P.S.... They can't drive worth anything up there either...be careful. They're almost as bad as us Boston drivers
Thank you all, guys! This is my last post in two long weeks. First, I'll spend 11 days in Montréal singing and performing, trying to find the time to go to those places. And then, will come back to Mexico and rest in Mexico's virgin and not too crowded beaches... But speaking about Canada, I will not have the inconvenients of language ( je peu parler Français très bien! ) nor any econoomical barrier nor expenses-limit! The only problem just will be lack of time... I think I'll be staying in Queen Elizabeth Hotel... I'm not sure... I do regret it's not winter either. A friend of mine who lives there says it's pretty sunny and that I must bring a bathing suit... As I like heath that much... If I don't like the food there's always some McDonlads near, isn't it? Damned capitalism! And I, of course will be assisting to some baseball game. I can't miss that! I'm afraid I won't go to those kinds of pubs, you know... not quite for me And I hope I will enjoy Canada, since I CANNOT go into the USA thanks to the stupid VISAs and the stupid men in the US Ambassy!!! Well, please be good and have a lot of fun you all in this forum. See you later to chat! Carl, Stevin, Bish, Otto and Erich: there will be a surprise in your mailbox soon! Bye!
Have fun, Canada lets anyone (multiculturalism) in so you will have no problem. Have some poutine, and there should be no language barrier, as much as the Quebec government hates it, like 70% (not sure of exact figures) of the people are english or bilingual, and obviously your French is good, have Poutine it is good there I hear, and there is lots of military history places, I think Quebec city has got somthing nice from the war of 1812, where the Americans cut it off for a couple weeks and attacked, still lost ofcourse I am sure there will be some places with the battle of the St. Laurance, battle of the Atlantic in Montreal too. Have Fun [ 09. July 2003, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: Brad T. ]
Have a great time Friedrich. It is too bad that you can't come to the states but maybe some other time. Be sure to get a lot of pics for us all to see. Greg
