“The French Connection Run” or “How I gave up and learned to love being 30”

Let’s see – there have been quite a few things going on in the last few weeks. I’ve turned 30 – as much as Mary can’t believe I’m ok with it, I’m actually loving it. I was, once again, facing the prospect of unemployment. What do I do, land a new job and give my employer the requisite two weeks, cutting my contract short by ONE – OH YEAH!! Plus, I made sure that they had to pay for my Thanksgiving holiday…suckers.

Back to the birthday, we had celebrated the night before with lots of wine and food at my place, then drinks at the King Edward Hotel with a friend of Mary’s – a very fun evening. Then Mary took me out for dinner at the Four Seasons as quite the celebration was due. Has anyone ever, and I mean ever, seen me with a piece of dessert still left on my plate? I’m not sure exactly what was eaten but I do remember tasting some of Mary’s caviar, seeing an actual truffle (the real ones aren’t supposed to be eaten – you cook with them and they cost about $100/g!!) and the last bit of molten lava cake, which I could not finish, but the taste has never left my mouth.

Ok, so what to do with an unexpected week off? We decided to take the 401 (the never ending highway between Windsor & Montréal) all the way to Québec City, then over to La Malbaie (Charlevoix) where the famed Fairmont Manoir Richelieu is located on the edge of the St. Lawrence River.

Québec City was fabulous. It's like something out of a storybook; the entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has an old European charm which is rare and lacking in our neck of the woods. I’ve posted some pics of our hotel, Fairmont Chateau Frontenac , in the daytime and at night. It has hosted the likes of Winston Churchill, Queen Elizabeth and Charles Lindburg. Our room was absolutely beautiful and elegantly decorated. The staff were superb – they even called five minutes after check-in to ensure that everything was to our liking.

Walking around the city, it was already pretty cold – go figure. To warm up, we took full advantage of their pool and jacuzzi. Then we headed back out for the evening, thank goodness the winds died down from earlier in the afternoon, so we were able to walk around to their parliament, which is built more like a national parliament (just let them separate already!!) and check out the only walled/fortified city north of Mexico. Then heading back we looked for a place to eat but our efforts were thwarted by our late departure, but that was all right as we ordered in the most wonderful pizza.


The next morning some buffet breakfast with fresh whipped cream and other favourites. Then off to the Fairmont Manoir Richelieu, but first a stop at the Montmorency Falls (which they claim is one-and-a-half times higher than Niagara Falls) and then St. Anne de Beaupre Basilica. It was a wonderful drive up the St. Lawrence - we took the scenic route to get the rest of the way to La Malbaie.

So we arrive, see our room with a riverview and then go for a walk on the grounds. It’s really gorgeous out there, very peaceful. It felt so good to get away from the reality of work for a while, just to hang and be me, with Mary, happy. Upon our return we headed to the outdoor jacuzzi and pool for some heated salt water relaxation. It was surreal in a way – with the mist rising in the night sky and the sounds of nature – couples canoodling and beautiful French music playing in the background.

Met some interesting people who frequent the Fairmont chains all over the world and were regaling us with tales of their time in Banff and Whistler overlooking the mountains in their heated outdoor facilities. It was a perfect time of year to head out there with the changing leaves and all the vibrant colours everywhere, the crisp country air, flurry of birds and other animals.

Food, followed by more food. Then more importantly, back outside to soak our thoughts away. Buffet breakfast the next morning for the most fantastic maple sugar butter crepes ever! We had dozens. We are going back, just for the crepes, seriously. And awesome crème brulee.

We headed even further north for a whale watching tour but came back when the rain made us question the viability of the excursion. Luckily, we returned, as another couple who did go weren’t too happy with the results due to the weather. We did stop into a little cheese shop for some great Québec Brie and Swiss cheese.

Back to the hotel for some more fun in the tub, then more in room pizza, and back out into the water under an overcast sky – I can’t imagine how many stars we would have been able to see if it was a clear night. The next morning, up early for another, and last dip for what we know will be a long ride, then breakfast, AND MORE CREPES. Luckily, it was a clear day, making the drive through the mountainous region very pleasant.

And off on our way back home – 9 hours straight – ouch! Stopping only for gas & bathroom breaks. I can’t believe we made that good time especially having to go through Montréal and their endless “rush hour.”

Back home, relaxed and content, to get ready for the new job which is going pretty well so far. So I guess it can be ok to be 30…who said that?

Oh, and I’ve added a pic from Toronto’s 1st ever Chinese Lantern Festival held at Ontario Place – it’s the first time this festival has been held in North America. Very beautiful. But we dropped our camera, causing some damage, hence not too many pictures. But luckily, good ol’ Clicky still works for now.

The Cool AGE