Hello from Quebec,

We have free access to the internet in our hostels so seemed like a good time to update you on our trip now we are back in Canada and also our plans going forward...

Wednesday 13th May - Chicago

Last time we left off waiting for the `severe thunderstorms` to roll in over in Chicago. We had spent the day relaxing, Liz watching almost an entire series of Baby Story (gruesome birth stories), What not to Wear and America`s Next Top Model (2003!) in one day whilst Phil tries to avoid all things babies and clothes by playing computer games and writing the blog. Having decided not to risk going to the Cubs game due to bad weather, we were lucky to have a great Plan B - going to a real `High School Musical` - to see Tony Jr play guitar in his school guitar concert. It was fun to live our Ferris Beuller / Britney dreams by walking the locker-lined corridors and get down with the kids in the TheatER. Tony did a great job and we celebrated after with a yummy trip to the Country Club for dinner. As we ate the thunderstorms eventually rolled in and right over us, continuing into the night.

Thursday 14th May - Chicago

Today we woke to beautiful hot sunny weather so we took a trip downtown into the city which looked great in the sunshine. We took a trip down memory lane by returning to Millenium Park, Navy Pier and the shops on Michigan Avenue before getting the train back to Park Ridge and enjoying the walk back before having a quiet night in.

Friday 15th May - Chicago

Yet more relaxing (read: lay in, Baby Story, WNTW, football games and Internet) in the morning, heading out for a couple of hours in the afternoon to the Glenview shopping area with Carla. In the evening we were all invited to the Hall`s house for dinner - enormous prime rib steaks cooked out back on the BBQ no less - plus chocolate covered strawberries and lots of wine! Lots of fun, including an impromptu invitation to Italy mid June - incredibly tempting but gratefully declined :)

Saturday 16th May - Chicago.

Having missed seeing John Treadwell (JT) on Wednesday night at the game we took the `L` to Belmont where JT picked us up and took us to back to his gorgeous new flat where we caught up with his wife Courtnee and gorgeous Alley (the dog) before making our way to a pub near the Wrigley Field baseball stadium for drinks amongst the fans after the game. We were also joined at the pub by John Langan and his wife. After a good few hours (and drinks) we headed back to JT`s place for pizza (Phil`s deep dish pizza desire fulfilled) and a couple of movies, before staying the night.

Sunday 17th May - Chicago

A slow start to the day with JT and Courtnee, Courtnee wowing us with her omelette-in-a-bag breakfast, before we headed back into Chicago for one last stroll along Michigan Avenue. After a bit of a travel nightmare, we headed back to Park Ridge and out for a lovely dinner with the Auketts at Zia`s before visiting the Parenti family again to say hi and abuse their internet for a while (the Aukett`s computer struck down with a nasty virus - Swine Flu perhaps?).

Monday 18th May - Chicago

Yes, still here. One last day recovering from all the hard work over the last week (haha), taking it easy, venturing only as far as Walgreens and back before enjoying one last Carla and Tony special - Fillet Steak and twice-cooked potatoes in a last ditch attempt to fatten us up. And parents you will be pleased to know it worked, with both of us tipping the scales a little heavier at the end of our visit to Chicago than when we arrived, plus totally relaxed and re-energised for the last push on our trip. We are so grateful to the Auketts (plus Halls and Parentis) for their incredibly generous hospitality and hope we extend the gesture back to everyone in the future ourselves :)

Tuesday 19th May - Chicago - Toronto (back to the real world)

We caught a short, early flight to Toronto, braving the `gusty` winds to land safely. After a quick pizza stop, we spent the afternoon exploring the various neighbourhoods of Toronto - the lakeside (Lake Ontario), CN Tower, Yonge street, Yorkville, the University area etc. We were pleasantly suprised by Toronto, a really nice, clean, spacious, green city to spend a couple of days. Overnight we enjoyed the delights of dorm sleeping - with our dorm mates returning after 3am and taking a shower at 4am before going to bed before 5am, joy.

Wednesday 20th May - Toronto (day trip to Niagara Falls)

Today we booked ourselves onto a great value bus trip run by the hostel to Niagara Falls, a couple of hours from Toronto. First stop was the falls themselves, donning the complimentary (and much-needed!) blue ponchos for our trip into the falls onboard Maid of the Mist. This proved to be great fun, getting battered about and absolutely soaked inside the mist created by the awesome amount of water coming over the falls. Back on dry land we enjoyed our lunch in the gorgeous park overlooking the Falls and explored Clifton Hill, the touristy street developed to keep people in town that bit longer having seen the Falls. Mid afternoon, the bus continued to other sights, the Whirlpool downstream from the falls, the Floral clock (as it sounds), the 20 Bees winery for a spot of tasting and the pituresque Niagara on the Lake village. It was a long, fun day and we would definitely recommend visiting the falls from the Canadian side as it was a surprisngly beautiful area.

Thursday 21st May - Toronto to Ottawa. 6 months in!

Having decided to let the train take the strain on this part of the trip we took a 4.5 hour train to Ottawa, during which we soaked up the very English-looking (green, flat) countryside outside and enjoyed the shocking amount of legroom necessarily available on North American trains :) Having narrowly avoided the brothel-style semi-private rooms of our hostel (a series of double beds separated only by a curtain) we settled into our cute loft dorm before digging out our shorts and flipflops and heading out for a drink with the locals in the gorgeous sunshine.

Friday 22nd May - Ottawa

A relaxed day slowly exploring (the very small city of) Ottawa on foot, stopping for lunch outside the Parliament building, soaking up the sunshine alongside the lock and river etc, Phil indulging in a Beavertail (a local delicacy which tastes better than it sounds: a flat donut covered in cinnamon and sugar), but shunning the Poutine (chips and gravy = great, covered in cheese curds = eugh).

Saturday 23rd May - Ottawa to Quebec

A longer (6 hour) train ride to Quebec via Montreal (as we will be heading back to Montreal to fly to Miami), checking in to find our hostel packed this being the Saturday of the US Memorial day holiday weekend. Needless to say we suffered a pretty sleepless night ruined by snorers, smokers, insomniacs and general drunkeness, our 8 bed dorm coming directly off the main common area. Chicago - we miss you!

Sunday 24th May - Quebec. Primary language: French, or Fr-anglaise for us :)

Having hastily arranged a room change, we enjoyed another leisurely day soaking up the sunshine and exploring the beautiful European-style walled city; walking along the walls, narrows cobbled streets and riverside before bedding down for a looonnngg sleep in a smaller dorm we have to ourselves in the back garden!

Monday 25th May - Quebec. Today!

A slow rise, catching up on lost sleep and abusing the free internet offered before exploring the remaining areas of the city - Grand Alleè, the beautiful park along the riverside (our lunchstop), the VicaCite trail and harbour market before treating ourselves to a snack in a gorgeous pub overlooking the square.

And that brings us up to date. You will notice that we have slowed the pace down and are enjoying relaxing the purse-strings as we head into the last few weeks of our trip (now we are confident we will not run out!). From Quebec we head to Montreal tomorrow for 2 nights, then up to the Laurentians area for a spot of cycling and country living before flying out of Montreal to Miami on the 30th, where we plan to spend a couple of weeks doing a circular route by car. In our books, June is billed as `the worst month to visit Florida` due to hot humid temperatures and heavy rainfall so should be an adventure (although we doubt we will get any sympathy from those of you who have suffered the English winter whilst we have been smugly sunning ourselves!)...

We still need to schedule our flight home but are currently working on a rough plan to return by the end of week ending 12th June. This could change though so hold off arranging all the welcome home parties and gifts just yet - haha. We are starting to come round to the idea of heading back and really looking forward to visiting our family and friends in various parts of the country. We have a tour of babies to visit at least - Dylan, Ethan, Ellie, Ella and Mel`s imminent baby girl (any more??) - which will be great fun, lets just hope the sun is shining in England when we return so we don`t go into a state of shock on touch down...

Hope all is well at home, lots of love,

Elizabeth and Phil xxx