Quebec: Day 4

Oof, one week since I last checked in.  It's been a doozy!  Jason had knee surgery a week ago today.  He was hoping they would be able to get away with a "Healing Response" but they ended up replacing his ACL using his own hamstring.  Then the MCL was still a bit loose, so they did the Healing Response on that bit as well.  Turns out that the "healing" is more brutal than it sounds.  They basically take a meat tenderizer to the ligament and rough it up by poking a bunch of holes in it to promote blood flow.  The bruising is quite impressive!

All in all, Jason's been a champ.  While he has one more week in the straight brace, he got the thumbs up to drive.  Unsurprisingly, his first errand was to Home Depot.  I think he's a bit sore now that his nerve block is wearing off, but he hasn't whined at all.  No, instead it's me that's really dragging.  I caught a nasty cold and have basically stopped functioning.  Aside from forcing myself to class and essential appointments, I've been curling up in bed every chance that I get.  Yuck.  In moments like this, you wonder if the world will feel right again.

At least today I have enough energy to blog. Quebec!  Oh Canada, what to say.  I'd like you better if you hadn't just sent us a speeding ticket in the mail.  I am sure we were never traveling faster than the traffic around us.  Rather, I suspect we were targeted because of our out-of-country license plates.  Ah well, c'est la vie!

July 27th.  Another morning, another run.  So many gems to discover!

I enjoy experiencing busy streets in the empty morning hours.

Love the Maple Leaf flag. These ships are a reminder of how the St. Lawrence River is an important trade route.

Instead of following the known route back, I headed up this crazy long staircase which dumped me out at a park quite a bit farther down the road than I anticipated.  It added a couple miles to my run but was totally worth it.

If you are going to write graffiti in Quebec City, make sure you do it right!  Otherwise someone might come along to correct your grammar and give you poor marks.

That morning we went the Citadelle--an active military base that is home to the Governor General of Quebec.  Highlights included listening to the military band, meeting Batiste the royal goat, and learning more about he Van Doos, or Quebecoise 22nd regiment. (Apparently the British couldn't pronounce Vingt-deux, so they just rolled with it.)  I forgot my phone, so no pictures, but you can imagine the fun.

Afterward we settled in for the best part--authentic French meat pie!  After all, I think this sampling was the real reason we made the pilgrimage to Quebec.

Touring the town after.

Talia looks too big for this car, but it might be just right for Ruby and Annie!

That evening we gathered for an outdoor concert in the park on the Plains of Abraham.

Thanks to Uncle Lance for picking up the amazing pizza!

Violet liked it too.

Great place to toss a disc as well.

I don't remember who sang, but she was a crowd favorite with her crooning voice.  We may not have understood much of her Canadian French, but it was fun to be there!

A few close-ups of Ruby and Violet.  Just can't get enough of their adorable mugs.

Wrapping up the day with some swing dancing.  Great fun while it lasted!  We finally had to cut it short because we worried the rafters might fail.  Still, good times!

Nothing better than family!