Montreal Food Coma

July 5, 2016 by edwinandlisa

We left Quebec City just after noon and took the express bus to Montreal. It is a good thing and that we got to the bus station a little bit early because the bus left 15 minutes earlier than the posted departure time. After checking into our hotel around 4:15 and settling down, we headed off on our culinary food adventure for the evening…

First stop to Schwartz's Deli, famous for their smoked meat sandwiches, which is cancelled make corned beef this place reminded me of the joint we went to in Nashville Tennessee where you are in a big line and you order from a limited menu and eat at communal tables

We shared a plate Meal, which is basically meat, some sliced bread, and mustard. That's it.

Even between the both of us, we were not able to finish it and we ended up taking some leftovers back with us

Stop number two was to an ice cream shop, but they were closed on Monday. So we went to stop number 3, Fairmont Bagels, which has been known as Montreal's best place to get a bagel.

I got the museli bagel and Lisa got the cinnamon and raisin. Breakfast for tomorrow!

Our final stop was Juliette & Chocolat, restaurant that specializes in all things chocolate. Brownies, cookies, hot chocolate, cakes, ice cream, it goes on and on

12 pages worth of calories!

I I went with the brownie sampler plate and a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Verdict: all the desserts were delicious, unfortunately we just didn't have enough room for them. My brownies were super sweet and I probably would not order them again later. Just too much good food to eat

Ottawa’s Byward Market and a Train to Quebec City

July 3, 2016 by edwinandlisa

We spent our last morning in Ottawa in the Byward Market, eating breakfast and wandering through the area before returning to our Airbnb to get our bags and catch our train to Quebec City. After yesterday’s full day of walking, this was a low-key travel day.

They sure have some fun cookie designs

This particular bakery sells "Obama" cookies

The indoor market

Next year will be Canada's 150th year and they are currently in the midst of a lot of construction projects underway to help with next year's celebration

Scenes from the train, lots of pretty country and river crossings

Gare-du-Palais, out train station terminus in Quebec City

Prairie Blessings Bed and Breakfast

June 26, 2016 by edwinandlisa

We were fortunate enough to find a hidden gem in the air Airbnb Network, a former church that is now home to Prairie Blessings Bed and Breakfast. Located just outside of Portage la Prairie and about a little over an hour west of Winnipeg, we had a great overnight stay and we wish we could have stayed longer. We learned a lot about Canada and about all of life’s ups and downs from the husband-wife proprietors Jerri and Rick. They purchased the converted Church property a little over a year-and-a-half ago, and have been welcoming guests since July 2015. The digs are super comfortable , and although there is no TV, they do have Wi-Fi with many personal touches throughout. The space encourages conversation, reflection and peaceful relaxation. They shared stories about past guests that were passing through, including one woman who was on a Vision Quest and had hiked almost 20 kilometers with 80 pounds of gear on her back to get to Prairie Blessings. We had a rejuvenating stay and we would definitely come back on a future road trip!

The last service was back in 2004

Our bedroom, featuring a king-size Memory Foam bed

Room number two, which was unoccupied when we stayed.

Room number three, also unoccupied. The furniture in rooms two and three come from Jerry's family

The bedrooms are located in the basement and share a small sitting area and a well-stocked bar area

Hey welcome amenity fruit basket for guests

It is a shared bathroom comma but we were in no competition since we were the only guests

The bathroom was well-stocked with plenty of grooming products, towels, bathrobes and more

The included breakfast was served on the main floor, which are the living areas for Rick and Jerri

Outdoor deck area. We were not able to use the outside due to the constant rain

Jerri and Rick are both very friendly and personable and enjoy meeting their guests. They explained that they had a calling to open up this bed-and-breakfast and we are impressed and inspired by their story. They are not doing it for the money, they are doing it to engage and relate to their fellow man. We wish them continued success.