Sometimes

you just need to close your eyes and make a wish....

or keep them open just a little bit....

mmmwwwaahhhh dream big!

Smugglers Notch

Okay anything with a name like this has got to have some good history.  It is true to its namesake and was used to run booty across into Canada.  Can't have the government collecting taxes can we! 

Apparently it was even used to smuggle grog in the days of Prohibition. 

Its a freaky drive and you have to take it slow, don't know how many times I found myself trying to look around corners.  In winter it is closed to traffic, unless you are a snowmobile.

little red car we were following

still following

you get mighty close to the rocks

people just pull off, sort of and wander off into the bush!  Go figure.

A Visit to a cabane à sucre - Part 2

So once we had had of fill of maple flavoured food, we had a little wander around.  It was a bloody bleak day but nice to be outside.

The trees really do have buckets and taps on them! 

They were almost full and it is a milky thin liquid, kind of like coconut milk.

This is where they turn it into maple syrup

Lots of maple trees.....mmmmm

John holding the door shut!

Rhys making sure he can get out!

The sleigh they use where there is snow around, obviously not today.

What has he got here????

Why its a big beer.

Not beer drinking weather but it wasn't a bad drop.

Daffodil Day

Coming out of the shops the other day and ran into the Canadian Daffodil Day volunteers.  Needless to say I bought a bunch. 

Looks a little sad...

 

What a difference a day makes!

Thinking of my Dad xx

Spring in the Park

Bella and I enjoyed walking home through Westmount Park the other day.  It was beautiful.

my little ray of sunshine

A Visit to a cabane à sucre - Part 1

Quebec is one of the largest producers of maple syrup.  The stuff is everywhere and compared to home, its cheap.

The maple syrup making season runs from late Winter to the end of Spring, just as the trees are waking up from their Winters nap.  Of course it is weather dependent.  The sap starts to move throughout the tree and it is at this time it is at peak sweetness.

We had a few dramas finding the AMT station.  Gare Central was not easy to find, for starters it is underground and we had to transfer over from the metro to the rail network.  Lucky for us, a very nice man showed us the way.  Once we found it and picked up our tickets, I have to say I was stunned at the size of central station.  It is massive, super clean and we are going to give it a go when we come back from Toronto in July.

Most of the people going were adults.  It must have been the all you can eat part of it.  The trip out on the train was pretty good in itself, we got to see a different part of the country and no one had to drive.  Once we got to the station, they transferred us all via school bus - yep John and I got to go on one of those little yellow school buses.

When we arrived they let you explore the stables, which the kids were not impressed at.  Rhys decided it stank and went outside, only to come back inside to take photos.

Bella next to the bunnies.

Hayden found a stinky feather.

This horse kept trying to nibble Bella, the guy in the photo is laughing at Rhys saying to the horse "say cheese"

This was hanging above our table - it is real and they had stuffed bears, raccoons

and a moose head as well.

Pea and ham soup, it had maple syrup in it, actually everything did.

There was also eggs, ham, breakfast potatoes (which I can get use to), sausages, hot dogs in maple syrup (???)  sugar tarts, pancakes, salads, home made dill pickles...

Spring Blooms

One of the nice things about Spring arriving is this.....

Tulips...aaaahhh, don't have to say anything else..