September Update

I am still here, alive, a bit lonely nonetheless

There is not much to update, besides that I am single ^_^ (kidding, only for a few months anyway)

• Work is busy on and usual, but it's better
• Personal life is busy with academics, but I am starting to adjust and get more involved. It's nice to meet new people
• Photo-wise I have only gone through half of the photos (posted some on Facebook as well)
• TV-wise I am amazed at the amount of TV shows I caught up
• Leverage 7 episodes
• Monk 8 episodes
• Entourage 5 episodes
• Season premieres - House (2 hrs - VERY GOOD), Grey's Anatomy (2 hrs), Criminal Minds, NCIS, NCIS:LA, Numb3rs, Dollhouse, The Mentalist
• Given up - Smallville

End of September, 3 more months until my wedding reception .....
I have written so many new chapters in the year 2009, and hope it will only get better with Wendy in my life

One last note, this is one cold year. Summer was barely here and Fall just skipped, now we are looking at 5~10C weather

Camping @ Bruce Peninsula

Aug 28 Friday

• Camping & bonfire in rain
• Dinner: too much meat - sausage, burger, chicken drumstick

Aug 29 Saturday

• Hike Hike Hike (9 km in a day, 5 km on very difficult trail from Halfway Log Dump)
• The Grotto
• Big brunch - oatmeal (canto style), and instant noodle (chinese herbal flavour)
• Dinner - Hot Pot (in rain)

Aug 30 Sunday

• Brunch - omelet
• Bruce Peninsula National Park Visitor Centre
• Tobermory
• Dinner @ The Fish & Chip Place

Notes

• We overpacked, again, as usual. Although overall it was a successful group effort
• Again, it rained and better weather would've been nice
• My tent is huge (6-person, fit 4 Single air beds with ease)
• Wendy survived, and amazed me in her hiking ability :-) proud of her
  

Montreal/Quebec City

Decided to take a "family" trip up north to Montreal and Quebec for the long weekend Sep 5-7, 2009.

It was filled with laughters, photos (2000+ of them), and lots of delicious food. Despite having visited Montreal a few times, this visit is still new and different. Between the two cities, we all fell in love with Quebec more with its relaxness in the air, and true French town while Montreal feels more like just another modern city.

Overall the trip was memorable and lovely to completely soak in the French environment (and only for a short while).

Day 1 Saturday @ Montreal

• Bagel @ St Viateur bakery cafe $24
• Smoked meat @ Schwartz $13
• Whopper/Poutine @ Burger King $7
• Centre Eaton walkaround shopping
• Old Port
• Old Montreal
• Dinner @ L'usine de Spaghetti Parisienne $85
• Hotel: Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain
• BIXI - $5 for 24 hours access
• Casino Montreal

Day 2 Sunday @ Quebec City

• Basilique Notre-Dame
• Dinner @ Le Continental (authentic French) $184
• Beaver tail @ Queues de Castor $15
• Old Port
• Farmers' market
• What else - Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac
• Hotel: Hilton Quebec

Day 3 Monday @ Quebec and Montreal

• Quebec City
• Guard change @ Le Citadelle of Quebec $40
• Crepes @ Au Petit Coin Breton $47
• Poutine @ Chez Ashton $9
• Montreal
• Oratoire St-Joseph du Mont-Royal
• Parc Mont Royal & Observation point

Expenses

• Hotel: Marriott ($168+$25 valet parking, free breakfast as Gold member though); Hilton Quebec ($144+$25 valet parking)
• Food: see above for detail breakdown. T&T snacks $20
• Souvenirs: ~$20
• Gas: 3 full tanks, $48 + $49 + $25 MC GC + $46
• Tickets: 4 x $10
• Shopping: Old Navy ($73)

Notes

• Distance driven: 1850 km @ 8 L/100 km. Average speed: 90 km/h. Hours driven: 20 hours

Too Busy to Blog and Organize Photos

I am very busy :) will upload trip details later and later. We're talking about thousands of photos

8.18 Wendy Landed

8.22~23 Niagara Falls

8.26 Dinner @ Rude Native

8.28~30 Camping @ Bruce Peninsula

9.4 Dinner, West Side Story @ Stratford Festival

9.5~7 Long Weekend @ Montreal/Quebec City

Niagara Falls

Aug 22 Saturday

• Inniskillin winery tour
• Niagara-on-the-lake
• Lunch @ The Anchorage
• Super8 1-night stay $100
• Clifton Hill at night

Aug 23 Sunday

• Maid of the Mist
• Lunch @ Riverview International Buffet
• Niagara's Fury
• Journey Behind the Falls
• White Water Walk
• Dinner @ The Lake House

Notes:

• It is so much more fun to travel with someone special
• Could wish for a better weather on Sunday, but it was all very memorable nonetheless
• Photos - will take years to upload them :-) I have thousands of photos (in a month) to go through