Valerie – Page 96 – Valerie's Voice

Ava Maria

The sun was shining and the sky was blue the day we went on a three hour boat cruise through the Fjord-du-Saguenay. Hills with lush shades of greens and rocky cliffs met the Saguenay River forming the lovely fjord.

We voyaged up the river and then turned around. On the way back the boat slowed down and the tour guide pointed out a statue of Mary (35 feet high) on the side of a cliff. The story is this: In the winter of 1878 a salesman who traveled the roads in and around Quebec was crossing the Saguenay when the ice broke and he and his horse and sleigh were pulled beneath the icy water. He was alone and helpless. Knowing he was dying he prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary to save him. He miraculously survived and knew the Virgin Mary had assisted him. He commissioned this statue to be built to honor her.

The boat idled along and the song Ava Maria resounded over the loud speaker. It was an unexpected but holy moment.

Here’s the English translation of the Latin prayer Ava Maria:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Tenting

On our recent trip to Canada we camped one night in a city park on our way home to Minnesota. We enjoyed a campfire then crawled into our sleeping bags about 10ish, but since it was the 4^th of July weekend fireworks sounded late into the night and we didn’t fall asleep right away. So when we woke up in the morning we were surprised to see a tent in the site next to us. The owner must have pulled in late and set up the little tent. When I came back from the bathroom a tall, young man crawled out of the tent. We nodded at each other and I wondered if he’s traveling with anyone. As I was getting breakfast ready another young man crawled out of this tent. I thought that’s nice, he is traveling with someone but I thought the tent must have been cozy. Then to my surprise a third man crawled out of this two man tent and I started to giggle. They rolled up their sleeping bags, lifted the little tent right off the ground, took apart the two poles, folded the tent and put it all into the trunk of their car without saying a word, then drove off. It was comical to think we used our big family tent for the two of us and they had a small two person tent for three of them! What a fun way to start the day.

Campfires

We have a brown spot on our lawn these days. Burned by the fire pit we used the other night to have our backyard campfire (the grass grows back). Our son and daughter-in-love came to visit so we started the weekend off with a campfire in our back yard fire pit. We sat around and visited while the stars came out and the sky grew dark. It was a lovely evening. I love sitting around a campfire.

Our family has many memories doing just that. We did a lot of camping when our boys were young and had many campfires. We also have a campfire on the rocks near Lake Superior every year when we rent a cabin up there.

Many stories have been told around those campfires. When my husband wasn’t making one up about how S’mores got their name, for example, we would go around the circle and someone would start a story then pass it on and each person would add to the story line.

We even had winter campfires (and still do occasionally). We would go to the state park and build a fire, bring along hot chocolate and hot baked beans in thermos’ and roast hot dogs over the fire. Of course we’ve had our fair share of s’mores over the years too.

Now backyard fire pits are popular. Although we don’t use ours often it’s fun to have available to create more memories.

Sunsets

“What would you pay to see the sunrise or the sunset if it were not free entertainment?” I heard this saying many years ago but it comes to mind often when I see a sunrise or sunset. I praise the Lord for these free gifts of beauty and “entertainment”.

This sunset photo was taken in the Fjord-du-Saguenay area, northeast of Quebec City where we stayed for three nights on our Quebec vacation.

Walking in Old Quebec

I love to walk and it’s a good thing because it was our primary mode of transportation in Old Quebec. We parked our car when we arrived on Thursday and picked it up again Monday when we drove north out of town to Fjord-du-Saguenay.

We met up with friends from New Hampshire in Old Quebec and trekked all over. Quebec City was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain and is one of the oldest cities in North America. Old Quebec is a historic neighborhood in Quebec City.

It’s a charming place: once a gated city with walls surrounding it except along the river where cliffs were the protection in days gone by. It has a very European flavor and is predominantly French speaking. Just being infused with the aura of Old Quebec was intoxicating.

Our B&B was lovely place and the location great. The proprietor was a petite woman with a wonderful accent who wore beautiful dresses. The breakfasts were European: meats and cheeses, breads & croissants, jelly, fruit, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs (with slightly soft yolks) and some cereal available for those who really wanted it. Breakfasts with our friends were leisurely, filled with lively conversation.

Daily we walked down narrow cobblestone streets, taking in all the beautiful sights…colorful window boxes and creative doors, boutiques and bistros, fountains and street musicians and art galleries, indoor and out. We found our way to the Chateau Frontenac along the St. Lawrence Seaway.

We ate our lunches and dinners in charming places: sidewalk cafes and indoor restaurants, with a jazz band accompanying us. One day we had a picnic on Ile d’Orleans with fresh picked strawberries sold at the farm stand along the road, wine and local cheese from a small market and fresh baked baguettes from a small boulange (bakery).

Another day we hiked all around the Plains of Abraham (battlefield turned into beautiful park) and down many steps to walk along the river back to our B&B Later that evening we walked on the wall, around Old Quebec, as a challenge and to see all aspects of this town (and back up many steps). All in all we calculated our mileage was about ten miles that day (with help of a fit-bit and markings on the maps).

Our final walk out of the city gate on Monday morning, to our parked car, was energized by feelings of gratitude for the opportunity to visit this enchanting old city.

Maps…Don’t leave home without them

map2

We arrived home safely from our two-week road trip through Canada. We had a wonderful time and great road conditions and we took many “blue roads” as a friend calls them…not major highways but back roads.

Our first stop on the way (seems a long time ago now) was at a friend’s house in Elkhart Indiana…we knew the way…we put her address in our GPS an off we went. The next stop was at a cousin’s in Pennsylvania and again, we punched their address in our GPS and ended up on their doorstep. It was after that when I became lost. We didn’t bring a road atlas, or any maps, because now we had GPS. I soon discovered I’m lost without maps. I need to see the big picture, the back roads, and the alternative routes. I need to see where we are going and where we came from and the whole big state or Province. We began stopping to pick up maps along the way at the visitors center (you can also buy them in the gas stations but the same map is free just down the road!) I was much more relaxed having that big awkward paper in my hand, folding it every which way, to get my bearings.

I have added maps to our perpetual packing list.

Road Trips

We are getting into our packed Subaru early Sunday morning and heading to Indiana. That will be our first stop on a two week, 3,000 mile road trip to Quebec, Canada. I love road trips. Or at least I used to. We went on many long road trips when our boys were young, to national parks to camp and hike. We have many wonderful memories of those vacations. It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a road trip however and times have changed…we didn’t have GPS systems, cell phones or even email, and certainly not Facebook and we didn’t listen to books on tape (nor were there movie screens built into our van!) Now we have all of these, and more, available to us and it will be interesting to see how it changes our road trips. Of course we won’t have the boys with us. HA!

I anticipate my favorite part, the early mornings; getting coffee to go and driving along the empty roads in the early morning light as dawn breaks. We will have a picnic lunch at some wayside rest along the way and stop driving for the day in late afternoon. We will stay with friends and family on our way to Quebec and on the way home we loaded our tent underneath the luggage and hope to find some nice campgrounds.

I love to travel by road, air or train. Anticipation is a big part of traveling. It’s so fun to think about the destination and possibilities, and then actually see new places, meet new people and learn about other cultures.

Normally I try to leave technology behind on vacations, which is getting harder to do, but I may post a few times while we are traveling since we do have the technology.

Until next time a few travel quotes:

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless then turns you into a storyteller.” Unknown

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” Henry Miller

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” Anita Desai

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?” Unknown

Peace Prayer

Seems appropriate to post this after the recent violence in Florida.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

Prayer attributed to Saint Francis

A New Sculpture in Town

bicycle schulpture

There is a new sculpture near the bike trail in our town. I really like it…it’s colorful, it uses flowers and bicycles and it’s along the Cannon River in front of the Peggy Prowe Pedestrian Bridge that crosses over the river. The bridge was named for a town advocate for the Mill Towns Trail, which will run from Faribault to Cannon Falls, and continues on to Red Wing. My husband and I like to bike…he’s an eager biker in the Faribault Flyer’s Bike Club and I’m a casual rider.

I wrote this poem earlier this spring.

The First Ride of the Season

The tires pumped up

Hop onto the seat

The helmet on snug

“Start pedaling, feet!”

It feels good to be back

In the saddle once more

Though the going is slow

we will work up to soar.

Rocking Chairs

Last night I went for a walk through a neighborhood new to me. My son and his wife just moved into a new house in this pleasant neighborhood. My daughter-in-love was not home so while my husband and son talked mechanical jargon I took their dog Charlie for a walk. It was a nice evening although a bit humid and I was drenched by the time I got back. We walked by manicured yards, and some not so manicured, and many little, sweet flower gardens. There were a lot of people out enjoying the pleasant evening: people eating outdoors in the neighborhood, downtown restaurants, children playing in the neighborhood park pool…and if I hadn’t had Charlie on a leash I would have waded in the pool…it reminded me of the small swimming pool at my elementary school where I grew up. People were playing ball in the park, others were walking their dogs. Charlie and I stopped to look at the cats in the bookstore window. I enjoyed looking at the charming homes.

One house was hosting a party. There was a canopied tent on the front lawn with lots of folks milling around having a good time…a little music in the background and lots of food and drink. In the corner of the yard, farthest from the house and near the sidewalk facing to the house, were two rocking chairs – not the garden variety kind – wicker or plastic – but old-fashioned wooden rocking chairs. There was a woman sitting in one of them and she seemed content by herself rocking and observing the festivities. I thought to myself that’s where I’d like to be if I were at that party. It was a creative idea for someone to set out the rocking chairs for the party.

On the path where I walk in my own neighborhood there is another old wooden rocking chair as a yard decoration. It seems out of place however…just sitting there with a missing seat.

The airport we fly into when we go to Pennsylvania to visit family has rocking chairs in its waiting areas. I loved the idea when first discovered them years ago. I’ve seen them in other airports since. I think its great when occasionally I see store owners put rocking chairs outside their businesses for people needing a rest.

I love rocking chairs. At one time I realized all the chairs in our house were rocking chairs! That has changed. And of course, I have fond memories of rocking with my own children and my granddaughter Zoey. I look forward to the day I can hold and rock my newborn grandson.