Tour of Quebec

 

The above photos are a mural on a large building in old Quebec. Flat wall but so well done and its massive.

The elevator going up, not usually my thing but I said to Warren that I would like to go on it. Later we were dropped off at the top and we found the stairs down. OM goodness, I had seen the stairs and it only looked to be about two and a half stories high. But no there were bends and platforms, think about 100 steps altogether.  Knees said thank you when we reached the bottom. $5 to go up, there was a family of four and another couple, 7 adults and a child but wasn't crowded, it only took a few minutes.  

Parliament buildings

Fountain, took photo here then realised we needed a photo for a virtual.  

Quebec

 We opted to do the tour of discovering maple syrup which included breakfast.

At the bus at 7.15 due to traffic and off we went. It was very cold.

This is the sugar shack, the tree to the right is estimated to be about 150 years old, it is tapped every year. A mature tree gives usually three buckets of maple water every day for between 35 and 60 days depending on the weather and season.

A close up of the tree and buckets used. 1000 trees on her property and she was a funny lady, told us it wasn't cold just fresh. 11 degrees at 8am.

After the talk we had to come up with answers, (I got the gallon buckets to one bucket of syrup right.), It's 40 to make one, we went inside for breakfast. Family style and when a plate was emptied she brought another out.

This was Warrens breakfast plate at one time. Scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, toast with baked beans and pie. Coffee and juice.

Wash rooms with maple leaf cut out for the rubbish.

Forest of maple trees

Very basic area to turn the water into syrup.

More Boston

 

Flower beds outside, Warren and I had to take a walk to the other side of the car path to grab a cache and we saw these.

Bull in the foyer of the hotel.  

Very old part of Boston, building built 1737.

Front of a church

Statue of a bear.

My mate Samuel Adams.

Back at the bus and there was a fire hydrate, never seen one in the flesh before only in movie and cartons with dogs seeing on them.

Boston

 We had a local guide take us around Boston.

We walked past a fire station and I couldn't resist taking a photo.

Impressive building.

Ha, Paul Revire wrong spelling, guide apologised for the construction.

I hadn't realised that my knowledge of American history was so bad. Of course I know about Paul and Sam and John Hancock but not where they came from or much of what they did.

Kids playing baseball on fake grass.

An old church.

Real gold of the top of the building, it is the city admin building

It is a glass building with the image like a mirror of the church across the road.

Old old church

Grand Central Station NY

 This was our last stop on our NY tour and also our spot for lunch.

It is massive with hoards of people but there was still lots of space.

Tried to get a good photo of the ceiling. 

Lots of eating places, Warren wanted a donut and a milkshake I decided on chicken fingers, not real7sing it was fried chicken.  I ordered a pack of three but there was about six altogether. I paid using my card, the amount is there of how much then the second screen has the amount of tip, 15, 20 or 25%, press one then the card reader takes both amounts, think it was $13.65 or $17au. 

9/11 memorial

 

The north tower pool, water is flowing over all the time.

The names of the people who died have been placed around the outside. Each morning the 9/11 park staff lay a white rose near any people who would have been celebrating their birthday

The survival tree. Lots of trees were in the parks surrounding the twin towers. The trees were covered with debris and when clearing, this one tree was still alive, the only one out of hundreds. They removed it to a nursery to be cared for and eventually it was replanted with ropes to hold it in place. It's a pear tree, all other trees in the park are oak because those grow in the three areas that were to be hit.

Church that was rebuilt.

Street food

 Food carts seems to be on many corners. Very well set up with a generator and several choices.

Warren wanted to get a "best hot dog", I studied what was on the menu, they hung a picture of the goods around the cart.

Many different types of hot dog, chicken and rice etc etc. I ended up with a chicken kebab. Probably thinking about our chicken kebabs he ordered two for me.

The food was lying out in the air which I didn't realise. The chicken kebab was big, already cooked and he just heated it, took about five minutes. Then my kebabs were pull into a bread roll with Mayo.

Warren's hotdog was small, my chicken kebabs were big I could only eat one.

One small hotdog, two chicken kebabs and a bottle of drink was a total of $47!!!

After the exchange about $60.

New York tour

 This morning was toured around the Big Apple.

Waiting in the lobby for the bus. It's very sixties.

Cute church

Our first stop off at the Rockefeller building.

Cute car.

High Line

 Thanks to geocaching, we found this. I googled it beforehand and read up on it. So pleased I did and we went. There are very few traditional caches around this area due to the high population.

We walked from w34 Street to w22 Street to do an adventure lab in the garment/fashion area. Good to learn more on this.

Walked on to a small children's park for a trad. Beautiful little park fully enclosed, we did go in but actually didn't need to as cache was outside under a plaque placed in a street garden for dogs to relieve themselves if they needed it. 

Another block and we saw the entrance to the high line, could either do the stairs or take the elevator.

The high line was a train line 30 feet above the street which has been turned into a great walk with artwork and gardens. We saw volunteers working in the gardens.

The path was on the left of this, can see the wooden sleepers and iron tracks.

The start going over the road.

Then the trees are shading the path.

The street below, lots of seating along the way

Very different buildings

Artwork

We saw two lots of little kids this group were going into the elevators two adults, one in front and one at the back. Kids were in pairs hanging on to a leash with handles and they were wearing a yellow pop over their clothes. 

Massive pigeon, seats in the foreground and there was the cache under the seat. It was teired seating so didn't even have to bend down.

At the end, there was a whole foods market.  Lots of bakery items and things that I didn't think I could have, then we saw this. Hawaiin rainbow salad. Yum, grated carrot, cucumber with avo wrapped in lettuce then smoked salmon and rice paper. Warren had a molten chocolate cake and we had coffee. Cheapest meal yet at $25.