Crossing unfriendly Borders, Chat-n-chewing in PA, Cooling off at the Jersey Shore, Sizzling in the Big Apple, Styling it in DC and taking the Primanti Bros All-in-one sandwich Challenge in Pittsburgh!

Sun and sizzling heat early Saturday beat down as we crawled in traffic up the bridge over the Niagara River to cross into the US of A at Fort Erie! Our last experience here in 2007 had been a disaster, we’d booked a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Buffalo, but a wait of over 3 hours for our visa’s to be processed meant we missed the tour completely.

With my new 'B1 10 Year Visitors Visa' all shiny and new in my passport I felt I had no worries. Pip was in need of a new Visa Waiver (the 3 month automatic visitors visa given to Kiwis) so we knew we had to go inside the border post for processing. All good. We rolled up to the booth as happy as clams!

Fort Erie Border over the Niagara River

That state of mind went pair shaped when the guard in the booth ran my passport. Stepping out of the booth he asks Pip for the car keys. My heart sinks. Then 5 armed guards surround our car, chocks are placed behind the left rear wheel and we are escorted from our car to the border post. I turned back to see Mac peering out the window at our retreating bodies.

Somewhat paranoid, since my last encounter at a border, my throat dried up and my stomach began some very unpleasant churning. It was obvious this was all about me. An hour or so later we were called through locked glass doors to immigration where the young and personable guard suggested that I tell him the truth because there was nothing to lose! He blatantly tried to goad me into revealing something not already documented. Luckily I’m made of sterner stuff and was not to be goaded !!, reiterating that my overstaying had been dealt with, I had been granted a new visa etc. Another hour, ten prints and a mug shot later we were on our way, with the comforting suggestion that I be prepared for this to happen each time I enter the good old United States of America. For life!

At that point I was pretty sure this would be my last trip. My farewell tour!

Both pretty strung after that ordeal we opted for the scenic route through bucolic upstate New York into Pennsylvania. Our destination the Pocono Mountains (part of the Appalacians) about 6 hours away. We passed quaint farms and big old barns, seeing very few animals, just lots of corn and hay! Little towns well passed their glory days slipped by with the miles of green hills and trees. Once we hit Binghamton an old coal town, just shy of Scranton (famous as the home of Jim Corel‘s ‘The Office’) we are back on very familiar roads. We’ve done the drive from Toronto to New York more times now than either can remember…its about 8 hours if all goes well…and a heck of lot stressless at this time of year. (Our trips run the gamut from the seasons heaviest overnight snow fall, torrential rain and searing summer temps)

Firecrackers, thrown by the eldest Paladino male, greeted our arrival at the Paladinos Bach at Lake Naomi. It was great to see the family after nearly 10 months. Jim cooked us spectacular burgers with blue cheese accompanied by lots of wine. Eating al fresco we caught up on all their news. Next day en famille, we hit the Chat-n-Chew for brunch.

 From top left. At the Chat-n-chew Blakeslee, PA are Griffin Paladino in Jim's arms, Rowan, Isabella, Pip. Front row NZ Nanny Nicola holding Grant.

Nick our fav waiter was there to greet us with his usual good humour. We always threaten to make him eat Vegemite again, his idea of a fate worse than many other things! A quick stroll round the Sunday market in the parking lot and I had a seriously cute little wicker chair under my arm, a mid-century gem for ten bucks. Pip scored a Pennsylvania number plate for our wall installation and we were done. Rowan and I then headed for the Club beach and kayaked around the lake, scoping all the private beaches and docks as we wended our way passed islands and bays. Each house-owner had trucked in white sand for their beaches, lounge chairs adorned docks over water for sundown drinks and some jetties even had waterslides for their kids.

Lake Naomi Club Beach. Julie and Rowan astide kayaks. Rowan paddles into the blue. Looking back to the clubhouse. Rowan Broughton and Julie sensibly wearing hats!

Monday morning and we were on the road again. New Jersey bound, winding once again through picture perfect countryside, horse barns, yummy mummies out walking doggies and dodging the odd deer. Pip was booked to play at Farmstead Golf Course in the GrassHopper tournament!! Green with envy ( the course and buildings were truly charming avec dear little deer browsing by the lake) Mac and I headed first for Pips office where the small white one was to stay with Uncle Juan, while I did some special birthday shopping. A twenty minute task that turned into a three hour marathon in 90+ heat. Finally my mission successful, Mac and I sped through light traffic down the Garden state Parkway to our friends house at Bay Head on the now infamous Jersey Shore.

Images of the Atlantic coast south of New York known to all as the Jersey Shore. Timber shingled houses line the dunes. An early morning Yoga class. Mcgregor on the beach before Dog Curfew. Quaint old boats are tended with pride. The Yacht club in the lagoon is where all the action happens on the water and tennis courts. An early morning catch called a sea robin (bit like a gurard). Breakfast menu at local diner.

The first thing I did was jump in Linda and Allan’s pool. Mac greeted Audrey, their 13 yr old westie, like a long lost lover and I cooled off until Linda arrived home with her boys. Later that night we ate clams and calamari from the Grill (BBQ !) Linda cooked the marinated Calamari under foil wrapped bricks to flatten the tubes, the clams were cooked in a cute wire basket shaped like a fry pan with handle. Served with spaghetti laced with lemon zest and a little garlic butter for the clams we ate dinner out by the pool even tho the air temp was crazy hot. Linda, fit and fabulous, is uber beach chic in her black racer back tunic over shorts with three wooden tribal bracelets up her super tanned arm. Seeing her reminded me how lazy I’ve got since leaving NYC.

Bay Head sign in Village. The Laymons backyard. Mac hopefully waiting for a frog or something !! Julie at the Tiki Bar talking to Pip on cell.

The next day dawned muggy and rainy so after a morning swim and stroll with Mac and another on my own through my fav antique store in Point Pleasant (snapping up a 100 year old wooden bowl had been asking me to take it home since my first visit in 2007) I headed back up the parkway through a tropical deluge for Hoboken. We stayed at Mac and Jennifers house, though they’re away in France right now, their cats were pleased to see us. Once again temps were in the mid 90’s which kinda stinks in the big smoke. Their brownstone was only just bearable in the extreme head, the air con in the bedroom a life saver.

Images of Jen and Mac's Hoboken Brownstone.

I hit Manhattan after the morning rush hour when the subways were hitting 100 degrees which tested my claustrophobia to the max. The boutiques and shops in Noho and Nolita, the areas below Soho and above little Italy are my favs. Today I was off to the New Museum of Contemporary Art at Bowery and Prince.
Underwhelmed by the exhibitions currently showing I power viewed the gallery and was back on the street in under 30 minutes, feeling even more jaded with the art scene than before. I have a growing dislike for video installations and indulgent try hard protest art. There were some interesting works by

Rivane Neuenschwander:A Day Like Any Other, especially her paintings on maps of NYC left out in a Brazilian rainstorm… aesthetically and texturally interesting but they kinda smacked of try-hardism…it all did… I mean why leave mulitple maps of NYC out in a storm in Brazil…then repaint in the streets of NYC and show them in NYC. WHY??? Derrrrr! Wouldn’t maps of the Brazilian rainforest have been more relevant??? Paint in the areas that have been deforested… I dunno! That I would have found interesting.

Anyhoo….I trooped around the streets visiting my fav haunts, house shops mainly, then headed on the F train for Moma. A quick flick through Anthropologies flagship store at Rockefeller Plaza . Groovy lights made from used herbal tea bags amongst other things continue to inspire me. Their store design team is the best there is. (I hope to put a post together of my old pics of their windows soon)

Tea Bag design at Anthropologie.

Even Moma couldn’t jolt me out of my art blues. It was wonderful seeing all the works I’ve become familiar with during the last 5 years of visits, (sadly my all time fav Cy Twombly’s ‘Four Seasons‘, four huge magical panels were not on show) as usual the design/architecture installations and photography gripped me most. There was the most banal video installation by Bruce Nauman called Days, where the days of the week were repeated endlessly by countless voices in a white gallery… a hideous cacophony ( the whole point) but yuck!

Cy Twombly's Quattro Stagioni my fav painting at Moma.

 Ultra cool was the What was Good Design installation. Familiar and forgotten objects popped up here. The McLaren push chair my kids rode in was there in all its folding glory making me realise how quickly design moves onwards (note today’s marathon-running mums who steer three wheeled strollers that withstand speed and bumps and weather) but how clever the original usually is.

For the first time ever, I was pleased to head out of the city. My intense love affair with NYC might just be waning. I have pined for it these last 10 months. Literally. But suddenly my allegiance has been usurped by Toronto!!!! Today I felt the hassle and hustle of the city but got none of its exciting vibes I’d thrived on before. It was way too hot. Full of slow walking tourists!! (not sure what I am…fast walking tourist maybe?) Note to all of you, do not visit NYC in July or August. Its too darn hot!

Back home at Jen’s I downed gallons of water then sipped a cool Chardonnay and waited for the boyfriend to come home. We were meeting Jim Paladino for dinner. After a quick beer at his house we three strolled together along Washington street, Hoboken, to the Los Charritos. We were joined by recent new dad, Col, also an expat kiwi working for ConEd in NYC. Once seated, they made a great Sangria with our wine. You bring your own wine and they make jugs of citrusy Sangria loaded with cooling ice. (Did I say the temps were hiking upwards towards 100 degrees) Somewhere between the Chardonnay earlier, the Sangria and the Mole Poblano I got a tiny bit tipsy!!! Oh well..it happens!! The evening was lots of fun, great catching up with our Hoboken friends again.

Mexican Memories!

Next day we headed for DC, taking the scenic route through Maryland. Yet more green corn fields, more green trees and no farm animals. Maryland Crab cakes are advertised at every roadside eatery along the way. Eventually we hit the Chesapeake and crossed over. The water was still and looked so inviting but we had a date in DC so while our GPS had deserted us hours ago at the New Jersey border I tried to finagle us into the city the old fashioned way. With a MAP!

Crossing The Chesapeake Bay

Oh boy….how confusing those old ways are. Our book of maps of states, had no useful city map so…after 1.5 hours of circling DC’s one-way system, driving north instead of south and finding detours and roadwork’s blocking our pathway…Oh boy oh boy.. so we did yell a bit. We did thump the steering wheel. Things did get heated. Those who know us well can just shut your eyes and remember what that sounds like!!!! Until we finally remembered mapquest on the Blackberry!!!! Deeeerrrrrrrr! Eventually we found our hotel. And we still loved each other when we did. Phew!

Our Swiss friend Marco, Director of Operations at the Dupont Hotel, was surprising girlfriend Kirsty (also Kiwi) with our arrival, they’d been ready to greet us since 5.30. We rolled in at 7pm and duly surprised and were happily met, then we all whisked up to our room for the bubbles and choccy coated strawberries Marco had arranged for us. A little later, taking Mac for the ride, we zoomed across the Potomac to their apartment in Virginia, riding there in their orange open top jeep. That was so much fun, warm air in our faces and Macs and my locks slashing around in the evening breeze.

Kiwi Sav blanc in Arlington.

Once there Marco, one-time chef, whipped up nibbles and we drank a lovely kiwi sav blanc to celebrate being together again. Then back to the hotel for drinks and light dins, where the very hip Dupont Cafe provided plenty of eye candy for the boyfriends!.

The Dupont Hotel sits on Dupont Circle in Embassy row. Its not that far from gorgeous Georgetown where Jackie and John Kennedy once lived and just up the road from the Obama‘s big White House. This part of DC is really charming. You feel you could live there in a heartbeat. You just need gozillions to actually live where it is so charming, for the rest there are upmarket old and new suburbs in Virginia outside DC.

Watching late night tv anDC from the Dupont

We loved the décor of the hotel. Marble, pony skin, tan leather, wood, flannel, hot coloured silks, green frosted glass, shutters and contemporary art worked a textural magic.

Next day, while Pip was in meetings, Kirsty and I did a tour of the Renwick museum housing the craft and decorative art collections of the Smithsonian. This small art gallery is very cool. The art blues started to dissipate seeing the eye defying skills of the artisans who’d created the works we saw. Of special note was the swordfish Gamefish by Larry Fuente’s …Beth Lipman’s Bancketje (Banquet) the glass dining table, amphora and venus dress molded on the body and caste in glass.

Popular works include Larry Fuente's Game Fish,and Beth Lipman's Bancketje (Banquet).

Lunch at Rugby, (Pip had discovered it on his last trip), next to Ralf Lauren’s boutique of the same name in Georgetown, was a triumph of Chesapeake crab meat for me and burgers for Kirsty and Pip. Outside the temps were 105 degrees, inside the air con was freezing. I had to keep popping outside to warm up. Yummy homemade lemonade helped to even me out. (Not sure why we don’t do more homemade lemonade in NZ….my mum’s is too die for….its soo much nicer than the fizzy stuff, along with iced tea it’s a summer standard everywhere in North America and once the yard arm drops it’s great with a little vodka added too!)

The Georgetown Canal and Lochs, Lunch with Kirsty Williamson at Rugby in Georgetown.

Later we met up with Kirsty, Marcus and friends at Circa, a bar near the hotel. The drink de jour was the ‘Dark and Stormy’ Light rum and ginger-ale. Very refreshing on a hot hot night. We dined in the Dupont and the food was fab. I was sticking to my seafood and eat it diet… so scallops and grilled lobster were my choices. Best other choices were mussels in a broth of chorizo, tomato flesh, and cream, Skirt steak with Bernaise sauce and the chocolate puddings. My tower of paper thin dark dark chocolate wafers sandwiched with chocolate mousse was far far too delish!

Dinner at Cafe Dupont, Brunch al fresco.

Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, a vacation home designed for the Kaufman family 75 years ago was our destination next day. The trip from DC along the Virginia and Maryland border took us about 4 hours, with a stop to stretch Mac’s legs overlooking the battlegrounds around Gettysburg. It was a complete joy to hit the hill country where the air turned fresher, though still very hot, the higher we climbed. Back in Pennsylvania, we whipped along The Laurel highway, passed more cute farms and silos, horse country and wooded slopes. We’d seen some very poor areas earlier. The term hillbilly shacks came to mind. Horrified that people lived in such tumbledown homes. But they do.

Anyhoo, there was nothing tumbledown about Falling Water, except that lovely clean mountain water tumbles down under its foundations giving its name true meaning and the house extreme beauty and serenity. Defying notions of gravity the terraces jut out over the river and waterfalls, the rounded walls and flat roofs of the main house and guest cottage sit at ease amongst the native rhododendrons and forest trees. For Pip and I it was love at first sight. Right down to the rock pool off the first terrace, a pool that is blocked off from the flow of the stream by the same stone used in the house.

From Top Left:  The pool at the guest house. Glass corner details. Views from downstream showing structural stonework beneath cantilevered terraces.

• Fallingwater was donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963.
• Actual building costs for the home was 5 times the original estimate of 35,000
• Nearly all of the furniture in the house is 'built in' meaning it can't be rearranged.
• All of the toilets in the house sit just 10" off the floor, the owner believing it to be more healthful.
• The house is home to several million dollars worth of artwork and furnishings by Picasso, Diego Rivera, Tiffany and others. (The original paintings are hermetically sealed in their frames.)

Covered Walkway between guest house above and main house below. Guest house terrace with pool. Stonework detail at front and guest house.

  

Interior shots show built in furniture, jewel bright linens, stone floors, steel and glass window. Covered entrance at side of house supported by rock wall below Guest house.

From here we drove to Pittsburgh. Neither had any expectations so were stunned by the lovely hills surrounding the confluence of Allegheny and Monongahela rivers, where the Ohio River begins. The place reminded us a little of Wellington! First stop were the space aged lookouts high on the cliff above Station Square where we had dinner with Mac on the Patio at Louie’s. We met a great couple, both keen fly fisher people who told us about the fishing in the Niagara River for Steelhead and who reiterated that there was great fishing to be had in Lake Ontario. Of course their dream was to get to NZ to fish for the giant trout everyone hears about!

Downmarket after the luxuries of the previous nights but definitely cheap and chic we checked in at a Motel 6 later that night. Funky colours, fresh paint and mod fittings impressed at this 50 buck a night joint!!

Next morning at sparrows fart we were off back to town for a drive by past Carnegie Mellon Uni, where had it not been for one large boyfriend and two young sons I would have attended for 6 months in 1998 on a transfer from AUT. Its something I have regretted but I made the right decision for the time. It’s a great university, fab buildings old and new covering blocks of wonderful grounds next to the Schenely Park and the Botanical Gardens. After a walk around the area we headed downtown for the Strip. Jim Paladino grew up in PA and sent us to an ancient and iconic sandwich diner there called Primanti Bros. Begun in the 20’s as a truck stop their all-in-one sandwich is a Pittsburgh must eat. Awarded for its historic significance to American food history by the James Beard foundation, this tiny dive turns up in National Geographic and on the food network.

Its a very scary sandwich...one you'd only want to tackle once in a life time..but well worth it ONCE!

Here’s how it goes. You slice thick almost brioche like white bread, grill up the meat…I had cajun chicken, that goes on the fresh bread, then a hand full of hot fries, a hand full of coleslaw, sliced tomato and mayo topped with your fresh bread, its then wrapped in wax paper to go. Steelhead beer is the required accompaniment. We passed on that and had sweet iced tea instead as we ate our half of the Crazy Cajun gut buster perching on Armco in the parking lot. Wee Mac searching madly for droppin’s. Astounded that all others were taking on a whole sandwich themselves. It was mighty good and filled the original truckers requirement for a meal to go, everything wrapped in one package !

While Pip and Mac digested this I power toured the Andy Warhol Musuem. Art blues completely evaporate. This is the best gallery I’ve ever been in. Maybe I was just ready to respond to these early works and his association with Marcel Duchamp in a way I’d not before. I’ve seen a hell of a lot of Warhol's in the States and Canada but this was something else. It needed hours to do it justice. I had one! And no pictures allowed so I scribbled notes and sketches as I honed in on big canvas paintings like the Bathtub (1966) and The Toilet (1978) inspired by Duchamps porcelain urinal 'The Fountain'.

Marcel Duchamps 'the fountain' exhibited in 1917 shocked the world.

These were not the screen prints we recognise so easily as Warhol but black on white sketches. More stunners were series of screen prints of knives. Back in love with video, it was everywhere, Huge room sizes screens full of images of Andy, or Duchamp taking a screen test, all the famous women in his life were doing what did too. In another room painted black, 50 small screens suspended on fine wires each set in front of a white star shaped stool played Warhol tv shows, films, fashion shows, personal headsets entice you to sit on a star to watch and listen. The huge Rorschach paintings (like giant pelvic shaped ink blots) in gold and black were stunning as was a disgustingly beautiful panel painted in copper based paint called Oxidization (1978) which Andy and friends had pissed on, the chemicals and minerals in the urine turning gorgeous shades and shapes. I did say disgustingly beautiful. But of course those were the days my friend! Finally a room with five huge helium filled pillows oscillating around in air constantly moved by fans. Transfixing. It sucked to have to leave. But I felt inspired (not to pee on painting) and my head was full of ideas. Now to keep that fresh and do something with those ideas will be my mission.

Portrait of Andy in Lobby. Oxidisation panels at right. Helium pillows at lower left.

Pip the dear boy was parked in the alley behind the museum reading a good book, Mac snoozing beside him (“this is your thing Ju not mine, he’d cheerfully said when I suggested it was his turn‘…with the air over 90 degrees it was a given that Mac had to say in air conditioned car with one of us). Still I would have loved to share that one with him!

So both back in the Chevy we left pretty Pittsburgh for Toronto. Only 5.5 hours of driving through more green trees, the odd cute farm with barns and silos and very few animals, a lot of corn and when we got closer to Niagara, grapevines for Africa. We crawled over the bridge across the fast flowing Niagara river, at its source in Lake Erie, , subtly giving the finger to the US side of Fort Erie as our charming (and very pretty) Canadian border guard welcomed us home. Oh Canada!

A quick side trip to the Niagara on the Lake wineries, Coyote Run and Southbook to buy wines, sav blanc mustard and a  purple flour made of ground up grape skins to use for making funky purple pizza bases saw us once again off the main highway driving between lots of green grape vines, fruit trees and fields of soya beans. This wine area is primo. We are so lucky in this part of Ontario to have it so close to town.

Stop-n-starting down the QEW we make it home by 7pm. Time to throw a steak on the barbie, make a salad in our new 100 year old salad bowl, drink the Coyote Run Chardonnay and thank the lord we were home. Phew. We put on about two thousand miles onto the odometer in 9 days. I’d said farewell to old friends and places and rediscovered my interest in things arty farty!! Yipppeee!

Drag Queens, Fairies and Far too much exposed skin at Pride Weekend on Church Street

Pride weekend. Like our Hero Parade on Steriods (that's for the kiwi's) !!!

Many wait all year for it... we had sworn to be out of town for it this year but that was not to be!

Canada day, July 1st. Phew! Pip finally has a day off and can recoup. His flu has been harsh so its lovely to have a few days to chill out. After great debates about driving up to Tadoussac for Canada Day we decided the 11.5 hour drive just days after he’d done the drive from NYC was just silly.

We relaxed at home, grilled ribs on the BBQ, watched a bit of soccer, caught up on sleep and walked wee Mac down to the village to buy wine and veggies. The village (Churches) that was about to burst into chaotic life this for Pride Weekend. Our last experience with Pride was pretty brutal. I saw bits of people exposed and flaunted out on the street that nice girls shouldn’t see amidst risqué cavorting by scantily clad men, the thumping beat of Drag Queens lip-synching covers, temperatures nearing 40 and general crowd wide outrageousness!!

Friday we took Mac for a waterfront walk to view the tall ships in town for the big Tall ships race through the Great Lakes. Finding out that there were still place on some of the ships had me dreaming of sailing off on Sunday on the first leg. I seriously looked at it but decided that sailing Lake Erie was not my pick of sailing grounds. I’m going to explore options for one of the other legs later in the summer. The tall ships sailed out without me but here's a link to the spectacle.

This year we knew what to expect of Pride and were surprised when nothing really got going until Friday night.

Saturday morning, our street was shut down, so we hopped on our bikes and rode out of the craziness down to Cherry Beach for a swim. We were the only swimmers, two or three people waded to their knees but no actual swimming was taking place. For my kiwi readers the temps were in the high 20’s!!! so imagine just sunbathing and looking at the water and not swimming….hard for us to get our heads around that one!

Stopping and shopping at T&T our fav Asian market on Cherry Street we bought oysters, lobster and a huge Dungeness Crab all for around 30 bucks! We continue to revel in the inexpensive seafood on offer here. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a lobster-crab-aholic, throw in some oysters or clams and its nirvana!

Later we dined al fresco on our precious outdoor space. Even Pip, not a crab lover, was swung over to the spiny side. Steamed simply a la Julia Childs lobster method both crab and lobster were perfectly moist and tender. Dungeness Crabs hail from the West Coast between Alaska and California, named after Dungeness in Washington state.

Crab and Avocado salad in the shells, steamed Crab and Lobster claws, Oysters natural and in lemon-horseradish cocktail sauce.

It was an extraordinary night, the air balmy and soft, so we wandered up to Bloor and Avenue about 10pm (the sky was still pink and glowing in the west) and had a drink at the Roof Lounge at the Hyatt. Seated on the patio overlooking the city we took in a half hour fireworks display at Ontario Place and had a little dessert and prosecco under the stars. This is a magic spot for a romantic evening and we certainly embraced that. On nights like this Toronto starts to seep into my heart!

Sunday and the Parade begins. Images below are stills from my very wonky videography as I rode my bike through the Parade. What I didnt capture was the woman naked from the waist tied up in rope, others just strolling topless, the guys with bums out in leather chaps like cowboys (basically they wore hats and chaps!)lots of G's and nipple flowers, head dresses and OTT makeup. Link to clip of images below and from local gay mag report.

Drag Queens on Bloor eh...and the Naked Guy top left!!

We were heading for the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) to buy wine to take to drinks that evening. That was another outing on our bikes to have drinks with friend Judy in her newly redesigned patio in Rosedale, (for the kiwis Rosedale, just 5mins from our gritty urban neighbourhood, is a lovely leafy suburb, the Epsom/Remmers of Toronto). Riding home après a couple of chardonnays was hilarious. True to form I was determined I knew which streets to ride down and got a little lost amongst the lovely gardens, Pip the long-suffering, took off in front muttering expletives about know-alls etc and lead us home through the gloaming!

Pride rocked on late into the night as it had for the last three days with free concerts by Cindy Lauper, Chaka Kahn and Macy Gray amongst many Canadian bands and musicians. Bass beats reverberate until around Midnight. Those, like us, who live in Churches just stroll down our streets and enjoy the craziness! What else can you do.

The Price Family Reunion: Quebec City and The Saguenay

Chateau Frontenac towers over the old town.

Arriving in Quebec on Tuesday morning, via Porter airlines out of Billy Bishop Airport (on the Island off Toronto) was a delight. My destination was 61 Rue St Louis inside the walled city of Old Quebec. My friend Jill was in Germany this week and her 9 bedroom home was all mine.

I spent the afternoon in the National Archives at Laval University doing research into my Quebec family ancestry, turning up a couple of good leads. Maybe not everyones idea of a fun afternoon but I loved it!

With a scant 30 minutes to spare, I arrived back at the house to shower and change before the cocktail party to meet the Price Family Saguenay trip group at the Auberge St Antoine kicked off.

The Auberge Saint Antoine

The afternoon had turned up the heat in the old town, regardless I walked down to the Auberge through the quiet streets, it was such a pleasure and I felt great swinging along the cobbles, all dolled up!!

Registration tag...all four coloured dots means I'm related to everyone !!!

As soon as I arrived Evan Price was on hand to introduce me and Sally, Deb and Mimi made me feel very welcome. I immediately met Richard, Cathy and Ella from the UK, who turned out to be the Phillips/Bethune/Price relations I’d hoped to meet. Richard Price an ex BA pilot, wife Cathy and daughter Ella hail from Dorset,England.

From San Francisco, Jonathan and Betsy Price both made me feel right at home. Hugh and Deb from Vancouver, have two beautiful daughters while Deb’s sister Sally is married to Michael, with more gorgeous girls lives in Toronto not far from me.

The cocktail party was swinging while everyone mingled then later the bulk of the group left and I stayed to have dinner with Evan, Brian, Jack, Tim, Derek, Greville, Hart, Cinnie and Betsy and Jonathan Price.

The Price men are charming and Cinnie is fun, the complete life and soul of the party. Evan Price is the master of organisation hosting the event in his wonderful Auberge Saint Antoine, Brian lives in Melbourne with Meg his Aussie bride, Jack is with the International Rescue Committee in Thailand, Tim Price lives in Montreal with Denise and kids, Derek is a fine gentleman, an elder statesman of the family, both handsome and charming, Greville is a sweetie married to a complete character from Edinburgh so I'm told, Hart and Jonathan and Betsy rounded out the group. We ate in one of the little library alcoves off the bar.

Walking home through the town later, taking the funiculaire, then strolling past the shops of Rue St Louis I enjoyed a lovely sense of independence and freedom that travelling on your own brings, one I’d not had for quite a while as Pip and I really are such a team these days. I hoped he was enjoying his time alone on his travels in the US as much.

Back at Jill’s house, though huge and old, it welcomes me like an old friend each time I walk through the door, sounds crazy but its thick stone walls steeped in the towns history make me feel safe and secure, even on my own with all those empty rooms around me. Next morning I locked it up again and took a cab to the hotel, to meet the group at the bus for our 8am take off.  We are heading north to the Saguenay, the historic area famed for its lumber and paper mills of the 19th century where William Price earned the title of Pere du Saguenay. I am travelling with a group of William's descedants to revisit the towns and mills he founded and monuments commemorating three generations of  men named William Price! I am included due to an ancient family connnection. William's wife Jane Stewart Price was the younger sister of my GGGrandmother Henrietta Stewart Phillips. Henrietta's granddaughter Henrietta (Stretta) Keane Bethune married William Prices second youngest son 'Ned' Edward George Price who ran the UK Price concerns.  Richard pictured below is their Great Grandson.

Richard and Ella at first rest stop. Group stretching their legs. Truck in Riverbend.

 Barns and Hay bales on flats before Lac St Jean.

The bus headed up through the Laurentides Park to a picnic lunch lakeside at Lac St Jean, the huge lake that is the source of the Saguenay. We were staying the night tonight in Jonquiere.

Map of the Saguenay towns and Lac St Jean. 

The air was warm, the beach long and sandy and when I dipped a toe into the lake it was very pleasant too. I was sorely tempted to swim but time was limited and it really didn’t seem to be the thing to do! Its hard to remember that the rest of the world doesn't throw off their clothes and dive in when confronted with water, salty or fresh, the way we Kiwi's do!

Saguenay Tour Group at Lac St Jean lunch stop.

We ate from individual picnic boxes on lawn and steps that lead to the beach. I would have been very happy to spend a couple of weeks in this tanquil spot.

Next stop was Kenogami (rhymes with monogamy)......The site of the large paper milll and heart of the Saguenay Paper industry in the day. We toured the old company town, curving streets ranged with lovely little houses, beautifully restored and maintained by their current owners.

This area is also famous for its wild blueberries, smaller and more intensely flavoured than the big commercial ones we are used too.

Left to right: Source of the Saguenay. L'isle Maligne.

Company house in Kenogami. Sir Williams last residence at Kenogami.

Blueberry house on L'isle Maligne. Company workers boarding house Kenogami.

We pulled up at Park Price beside the Paper mill to attend the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to Sir William Price and family. We strolled down the lane between huge stone lions atop pillars at the gates. Sir William died in a landslide at this spot in 1924, now his memorial and Price Park had been renovated by the town. Evan did the honors with the plaque and spoke to the crowd as did the local govt minister, mayor and councillor. (All speeches were in french )

Left to Right. Gates to Price Park, mill at left. Lion Gateposts.

Plaque at Gates. Sir Williams memorial. View towards dam.

Evan delivering speech at Price Park. Revealing Plaque.

Derek and Tim Price. Annabelle Price.

Joan surrounded by granddaughters. William'

s great grandchildren. The family.

Next we toured the Paper Mill now owned by Abitibi-Bowater, where paper produced is mainly used for flyers. Trying to get to grips with the chemical and mechanical pulp used to make paper we toured the whole process from wo to go and it was fascinating. Walking through various sections following the pulp as it was turned from mush into paper then stretched and pressed out on huge rollers until it was pristine white and shiny then rolled and packed for shipping.

Left to right. Views from Mill at Kenogami.

Paper rolling off the production line. Evan viewing samples of pulp and clay used in papermaking.

Machinery inside mill.

Evan and Annabelle at front, Richard and Ella behind.

Annabelle signing workers glove and testing finished paper.

Dispenser for gloves, sealant, tape and glasses etc. Huge hooks on production line.

Later we dined at Villa Pachon, Sir William Price’s residence in Kenogami. We were greeted with champagne and framboise cocktail in the garden, then glorious home smoked salmon with maple syrup sauce, Wapiti with asparagus, tiny potatoes and blueberries, then Blueberries and ice-cream. Later I opted not to hit he bar with others and hit the hay instead. A good choice as an early start was the call for the morning. Though just minutes into my room I was doubled up with pain and thought I was having a heart attack!!!!! sanity prevailed and I deduced it was just a severe case of heartburn. Being a good girl-guide I had a little magic something to fix it but spent a few very uncomfortable hours while the pain subsided!!!

Villa Pachon.

Map of Saguenay drawn on buffalo skin hangs in cabin room. Dining Room. Portrait of Sir William Price in drawing room.

Back on the bus by 8. 30am our first stop was at the Price Museum where we took in memorabilia from the mills and the 3 William Price's lives around the Saguenay.

Plaque dedicated to Sir William. Original painting of a Mill.

Company China. Petons (Bills paid to Mill and lumber workers to be used at company store)

Old church houses Price Museum. Chalk board from Milll. Stained glass window dedicated to Sir William.

Back on the bus we headed for Chicoutimi (pronounced shic-koo-tami) where we visited the towering Price monument.

Price Monument in Chicoutimi

Next stop was Manoir Price, the recently rescued and restored home of the Price Family at Chicoutimi, now in its new role as youth hostel. Its red curving roof and shuttered windows overlook the basin used by loggers back in the day.

Manoir Price.

 Blanche Maison and the Pulperie Museum. Blanche Maison teeters mid stream, the river runs straight

through this little white house and spills out its front door!. The only survivor of the deluge, a great and powerful flood in the 90’s that devastated the whole area.

Maison Blanche in Chichoutimi

Up stream from Maison Blanche we visited the Pulperie. The Pulp works now restored as a museum and gallery.

The Pulperie in its heyday. William Price 1

A model of the pulp works at Chicoutimi. Sheets of Pulp.

The drive along the Saguenay, toward Tadoussac at its mouth, became more scenic the closer we got. The Marguerite river and many lakes and rivers along the way, backed by suddenly soaring hills wreathed in cloud gave a drama to the landscape.

First Trading Post, Tadoussac Hotel, Gallery with Beluga sculpture.

Tadoussac restaurants and local greasy spoon in the red van and village cafe.

At Tad (as its fondly called by the locals) we were dropped off at the grand old Tadoussac Hotel, front and centre in the bay, then I headed off with Alistair and Greville Price to visit Pam McCarter at Dufferin House for a quick tour of the lovely old timber house,( previously the summer cottage of Lord Dufferin, Governor General in 1872), its rooms opening onto a veranda overhanging the cliff and bay. Kind Michael McCarter drove me up to Mike Skutezky’s cottage, (Mike is another Phillips/Bethune cousin who lives in Toronto) a cute Austrian style cottage opposite the golf course, were I spent the night.

Skutezky cottage.

The Price family has historically summered over at Tadoussac, still associated with about 12 lovely old houses in the village, however these days there is a split with half the contemporary families summer homes located across the river and a little north at Métis, purported to have superior tennis courts and an eighteen hole golf course! There is a lot of jocular rivalry between these two factions with a tennis tournament mooted for this summer between the two villages.

After a quick shower and change I called Mike for a lift back to the cocktail party at Dufferin House and quickly mingled with guests.

Sally and Michael, Dufferin House, Jack, Hugh and Tim.

Pams flowers. Cinnie, Micheal McCarter and Tory. Tadoussac Bay

Earl chats to Cathy  from UK.

Rekindling old memories. The bay from Dufferin House.

Price and I strolled along the waterfront to dinner later at Lal’s house which was quite fab…. Set right on the rocks of the bay. We dined on quiche and salad, drank lots of wine, and good times were had by all, then wandered over to Rufus Price's house ( Fletcher Cottage) for après drinks as a full Moon rose and the north star appeared after a lovely sunset in the west. Earlier a solitary bird had chimed across the river while we ate, its song so like the Tui I nearly cried! All in NZ know how utterly uniquely kiwi that sound is and to hear a similar bell like song at sunset was rather haunting and wonderful.

View of Saguenay Fjord form Lal's verandah and Lal's house from path.

Back at Fletcher Cottage, a big old wooden house, Rufus showed us the haunted bedroom, letters written by a GG on the timber wallboards, a the rather fab old zinc bath and many family treasures then later drove me home to my little cottage in the trees.

Tadoussac is a lovely place, with a graceful curving bay leading to a headland of spectaular smooth rock formations that slide into the depts of the fjord. I am told the water in the fjord is about 48F…eeek!! Evidently there is a lake close by for swimming if the sea is too chilly. Cinnie mentioned trips up the Saguenay in boats to whale watch and sightsee. Hiking, fishing, tennis and golf are all catered for in this picturesque village.

Next morning the same chiming birdsong woke me in the very early dawn...the sun was up just after 4am......so deciding I needed a cup of tea and something else I raided the pantry. I found flour, sugar, salt and lemon juice.....which spelled crepes with lemon and sugar for brekkie. Whipping up a batch for one...I sat outside in a Muskoka chair to eat my crepes and revelled in the silence around me.

Crepes with sugar and lemon for brekkie.

I had my opportunity to see the little white Beluga whales, a bit like a snowy porpoise, at play the next day on a two hour trip(link to video of the area) into the St Lawrence, We also sighted a Minke whale along with some seals on this very wide portion of the river. I couldn’t resist buying Mac at Beluga whale of his own at the store at the wharf.

Lighthouse in channel off Tadoussac, Belugas and poster of whales of the Saguenay.

The trip back down the St Lawrence through Charlevoix area of Quebec  was the most scenic yet. Gorgeous coastline, quaint french villages even a Chateau Frontenac look-alike Manoir Richelieu with a 27 hole golf course made me want to bring Pip back here soon. We passed Massif, the resort that runs down to the river, where we skied at New Year in 2007 with Jim Bob and Julia, one of the coldest days skiing I’ve ever had made perfect by a fab lunch and great slopes. Particular to the highway are the new Moose (or game) gates interspersed at intervals to allow the game to cross the highway safely through under passes.

FAIRMONT LE MANOIR RICHELIEU

We arrived back at the Auberge St Antoine at about 3. I hopped in a cab and went back to Rue St Louis where the old house welcomed me again. I took a quick walk around the town before getting ready for drinks back at the Auberge. Tonight the other 210ish reunionistas were massing for cocktails. A huge family tree had been posted on the wall of the Stewart connections alongside the Price tree. Catching up with Mike Price briefly, I headed off to dinner at Toast with Cinnie, and Richard and Cathy. We’d had fab weather for our tour but once enounced at Toast the heavens opened, though dining al fresco we had a canvas roof above us and water cascaded down the sides while we dined on exquisite morsels of local fare. Après dinner Richard, Cathy, Ella and I headed for Chez Maurice, a nightclub set in the old home of Sir William Price on the Grande Allee, the main street which is now ranged by restaurants, clubs and bars.

Giving the secret password at the door!!! we were ushered through the velvet rope to our own roped off section complete with white leather seating. More drinks and dancing and the hours whisked away, at one point my dance partner threw me around the dance floor in a very Latin way (he was Italian!!) making me realise that it was a long time since I’d tripped the light fantastic and probably should have refused the invitation especially when I felt my hip go!!! And wondered if I’d be able to walk the next day!

Ella, Julie and Cathy at Chez Maurice.

Surprisingly I could and we set off early for a walking tour of the town culminating in a tour of Edifice Price, the Deco office tower built by Price Brothers, its foundation stones laid on Black Friday. A gorgeous example of building in that era, the quality and style lasting the test of time thus far, plus its the only tower built in the old town. Sadly this building heralded the downturn of the Price company which today has been swallowed up by Abitibi-Bowater.

Edifice Price in Old Quebec

Images below are of Foyer which features gilded ceilings, deco lights, black and white floors, canadian wildlilfe motifs cast in bronze around the walls. Upstairs thes motifs are carved into woodpanels like the beaver over the door in the Board Room. The top floors have recently been restored and all have marvellous views over the river and city. Our French Canadian guide is the chap with the orange umbrella.

The bronze sculpture of a Draveur poling logs on the river stands beside the building.

Lunch was a picnic at the Isle d’Orleans at the Saint Petronille winery . Catered by the Auberge Saint Antoine, we ate delicious salads and cold meats at long tables on the lawn looking down across the vines and across the St Lawrence to the Montmorency Falls. Richard, Cathy, Ella and I took a wander through the vineyard and discovered lovely wildflowers and briar roses.

That evening we met again en masse for the Gala Dinner at Pavilion Espace 400e on the waterfront in the old port. We sipped deep red Sangria on the terrace before being seated at tables set with white, navy and punches of lime green. Once again the Chefs at the Auberge outdid themselves with a starter presented in a shot glass of fois gras atop a cranberry relish and finished with a hydromel glee and served with buttery toasted brioche (still not sure what hydromel is but it tasted lovely). Next came a snow crab salad and lastly veal rump. Delish, only outdone by the death by chocolate dessert, delicate dabs of dark deliciousness ranged on a long plate.

Après dinner we all moved back to the Terrace to view a video installation by well known artist Robert Lepage called The Image Mill celebrating the history of the area projected on the worlds largest screen, a huge 600x30metre wall of silos at the port known at the Bunge (bungy) The installation, originally created to for the 400 year celebrations included whales spouting misted water as they breathed, smoke and steam from machinery, lasers, lighting and incredible progressions of colour and image manipulation. Technically and artistically it was a triumph and is played weekly all summer long.

The Bunge at Old Port Quebec

The Urban Cowboys struck up on the dance floor and just when I thought I’d head home I was persuaded to stay and dance. So I did, completely forgetting my aching hip and feet of the night before! Somehow I was amongst the very last to leave, wending my way through the lower town with Sally and Deb and co. much much later, too late to catch the funiculair up the hill and walk home I grabbed another cab from the hotel back to Rue St Louis. View a video of us viewing the midnight skyline at this link

Calling Pip at 2pm I caught him arriving back in Toronto after his drive from NYC. After two weeks working in the states, he’d played golf with his golfing mates in New Jersey that day then driven home via Watertown and Gananoque. Still sporting the flu and not much voice I let him gather Mac in from the car so they could go to bed.

Grande Famille Price 2010 and me!

Sunday morning and the Anglican Cathedral’s church bells rang out as we all headed for the Sunday service. Normally a congregation of about 40, we swelled the pews to over full this day. Louisa Blair gave a reading and sang in the choir, which was really lovely offering motets and hymns throughout the service. A highlight for me was finding my Great Great Great Aunts Mary Charlotte Phillips and Isabelle Allsop Phillips names engraved on the Endowment board inside the church indicating the spinster sisters had left money to the church. Their last home in the city had been at 42 St Genevieve, a short walk to church. First cousins to William and Jane Price's family, both ladies were left annuities for life by Evan John Price in his will. I speculate now, but possibly the endowment may have included interest accrued from this annuity. The Anglican church is where the Price, Stewart and Phillips families celebrated births, marriages and deaths. This seems to me a fitting outcome to a cousinly kindness. It was lovely to be a part of this service where our ancestors had met each Sunday.

The customary family photo was taken outside the church then the large group split for lunch. The UK Price family came back to Jill’s with me then we lunched at a cute place down the street finding a few other family groups already ensconced.

Sunday Lunch. Hymn book open at All things Bright and Beautiful with Canadian verse.

Canonball tree at 61 Rue St Louis. Lunch!

Leaving the famille Price I headed off for a swim at a local pool with Jill. It was sheer heaven to submerge in cold water, I’ve been swimming at the Y in Toronto and was missing this however somewhat hampered today with the knowledge that I had no time to do my hair for the evenings wind up events so had to keep my head above water.... which is always a bit of a bummer! Back in Auckland we call this the Kohi crawl, for all the old girls who glide around Kohimarama Beach with heads above the water preserving their do’s! We only got back to the house at 6, exactly when I was due for drinks so was glad I’d made that call!

Panache at the Auberge

That evening we had drinks and supper at the Auberge, this time we were seated in Panache. I dined with Merne Price, (Brian, Tim and Karma's Mum) whom I‘d sat next to the night before at the Gala dinner, Derek and Jill Price and their family and Ross Coan from the UK. A fab meal was followed by the game show This Price is right.. A take on the price as right with Evan hosting in a suitably gaudy jacket and his audience outfitted with keypads to vote. The family’s were split into four… the Willies, the Henry’s, The Arthur’s (I was popped in there) and the S.L.U.T.S (an endearing term used for husbands and wives of family members). Questions were gleaned from the 200 day countdown documents we’d received leading up to the event. Led by UK Richard the Arthur’s won the day!

This Price is Right!

The weekend wound to a close in the bar with a rather tearful farewell between me and Cathy. The following morning I rallied to the airport feeling utterly exhausted from my week of socialising!!!…oh poor me…and bumped into Sally and Lyn and families en route via Porter to Toronto. Gorgeous Spencer, Kaitlyn and Jill remined me of our dancing escapades of Sat night!

I can't say enough about the convenience of Porter….it feels like a private airline really….and flying into the Island airport on a summers day with yachts skimming across the lake below was really lovely.

Pip was home when I walked in and it was great to see him again after two weeks apart and our little Mcgregor too. All in all I had another great adventure, stayed in two lovely houses, met really wonderful people, saw more of Oh Canada ! and reconnected with my favourite city, Quebec.

A big thanks to the Price family for allowing me to share their Reunion.

The end.