I hadn't flown anywhere since 2018 and now, two weeks after returning from Québec, I'm in the air again heading to Virginia.

"Brothers are like streetlights along the road, they don't make distance any shorter but they light up the path and make the walk worthwhile."

This was a membership I was hoping to be denied! Steve and I resisted as long as possible. Thankfully, our symptoms have been pretty mild, especially mine.

I know everyone has their own lament about lost luggage. Normally we don't check bags so this was rather new to us!

We have been attending productions at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater since it opened in 2005. Today's show, by the very talented Temecula Valley Players, was absolutely exceptional.

For those new to following this blog, I always sum up a trip with a lengthy recap. I hope you enjoy the read.

When we passed through Canadian customs, we were asked, "What do you plan to do here?" We answered, gleefully, "Have fun!" The agent responded incredulously, "For 31 days?!" We found the question an interesting one with the obvious answer being, "Yes, we are going to have fun for 31 days!" And guess what? We were totally, and completely, correct with that prediction, proclaimed a month ago.

So here we are, at the conclusion of a true adventure to a city we had never visited before. We came because of a European wanderlust and a goal to have that quenched while not having to cross the Atlantic. Our goal was achieved beyond any expectation. It really is difficult to explain exactly why we're still so giddy after such a long sojourn but I'll try to explain here.

A big reason for our contentment is the people. Canadians, as a nationality, are some of the most kindest people we've ever had the pleasure to spend time with. You combine that inherent goodness with the exoticness of the French language and you have a winning mix of community in which to immerse yourself. We both highly recommend it.

When we planned our long stay here, we chose the dates rather randomly. As it turns out, we really couldn't have selected a better time. Our timing allowed us to participate in diverse, and super fun, activities. We kept marveling at our good fortune. Fireworks, Supertramp, the Naval Museum, and a beer festival happened all in the first four days. The fun never ended. We took bus rides to environs offering waterfalls and grand markets. Strolls through neighborhoods introduced us to the Circus School and unique outdoor artwork. We couldn't turn without seeing a historic landmark or an architectural masterpiece. We delighted in concerts and tea at the English library. Military bands entertained us at the fort and in an ancient church. Art galleries, unimaginable staircases, and spectacular nature all took our breath away. We had the chance to be Scottish for the day at the Celtic Festival and we traveled back to 1759 during a reenactment weekend. Our voices got hoarse after cheering for the bike racers who speed through town, 16 times, for the Grand Prix. Our last big event was being volunteers for the film festival where we were enthusiastic ushers (albeit rain doused) in a grand plaza. No two days were ever the same.

It wasn't just the big things that made us gleeful. The little things added up to be extraordinary. I kept being surprised by the fact that the children here speak French. Intellectually I realized that they were indeed French Canadians so they should ils parlent Francais. It just caught me by surprise -often. I was tickled by the man who wanted every drop of his espresso but instead of tipping his head way back (or licking the bottom of the cup, like I would have) he poured the remaining drops onto his tiny spoon and savored it all. I used this technique with a scrumptious bowl of onion soup whose broth was so good I had to have it all. It worked like a charm.

At noon, the fort (Citadel) shoots a cannon, everyday without fail. Directly following, all the local church bells chime, as if they were awakened by the powerful boom. One does not need a watch in Québec! Oh man, the churches. Whenever we passed one, we would enter, pause, and admire. There is such beauty and history in each. We enjoyed music in several, showcasing the power of acoustics and unbelievable grandeur.

While we had a very cozy Airbnb with a full kitchen, we dined out for at least one meal every day. What surprised us the most was the fact that we were always asked, "One check or two?" In California you have to practically beg for separate checks but here, the Canadians don't want to offend by assuming we were a couple.

Thankfully my foot healed over our time here, allowing us to embrace the strenuous walkability of Québec (it's a town on many levels). I don't know exactly how many miles we covered but Steve guesses about 60 for me. While that is not a fantastically large number, it was a tremendous amount since I had spent the prior 14 weeks recovering from my broken foot while remaining practically motionless. I am incredibly pleased by how well I did.

Just the other day, a native Quebecer asked us, when he found out that we had been here a month, "Why?" Steve stated, "Because it's Quebec and it's amazing!" Another local we met, when she had learned all we had done and seen, said, "You have done more here than most locals ever do!" Thirty-one days gave us time to not only see what's on the surface of this beautiful city, it allowed us to experience most of what it had to offer. We leave feeling thoroughly delighted with all we accomplished. Our only regret is the daily almond croissant addiction we have to somehow overcome. What an adventure.

Before coming to Québec I spent hours researching what there was to do/see/experience. When I discovered Le Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec was accepting volunteers who didn't even speak French, we signed up.

Our visit to Le Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) demanded two blog posts.

For those unaware, the 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a category one world's fair held in Montreal. It is considered to be one of the most successful World's Fairs of the 20th century with the most attendees to that date and 62 nations participating. It also set the single-day attendance record, with 569,500 visitors on its third day. I can see why it has Spirit associated with it.

How about this RCA Stereo Sound System (Model SFA 1094) from the Forma Collection? When André Morin joined RCA in 1967 as head of audio products, one of his first assignments was to create a stereo sound system that was to retail for $199. Despite the executives' reluctance to market the model that he designed, more than 165,000 of the systems were sold the first year. The very simple sound system is noteworthy for the central trumpet bell-shaped pedestal and the pink acrylic cover, which, alone, gives the object its character.

The Mamma rocking chair is a tribute by industrial designer Patrick Messier to Sophie Fournier, his life and business partner, for the birth of their first child. When she announced that she was pregnant, she said that she would need a rocking chair. After the couple shopped in vain for a product that met their criteria for aesthetics and comfort, Messier decided to create something new.

Made from a single piece of injected fiberglass with a high-gloss urethane finish, the chair evokes a ribbon suspended in space. However (I'm lost from this point on), "Mamma’s comfortable shape was actually derived from a grid based on the Fibonacci series, a sequence in which each term is the sum of its two predecessors (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc.), as found in nature (petals in a sunflower, spirals in a pinecone) and as a clue in The Da Vinci Code."

This work made me smile. Its description reads, "How can a piece of furniture express a stereotype? The HIH (Honey I'm Home) Chair, designed by Cédric Sportes, tackles the concept of man the provider whose wife wait for him at home. The title, the slippers, and the red carpet made of neoprene covering the yellow chair, like the gilding of a throne, highlight the North American male chauvinist attitude." Hmmm.

Lastly, Antoine Laverdière sought to produce humble objects, both as regards their materials and their manufacturing processes, which are often more aligned with the arts and crafts than industry. Thus his Tupperware Lamps which were made of Tupperware and Rubbermaid containers cut up and fitted into each other with an illuminating device. Wild stuff of the 60s. Very groovy indeed.

Today we met a lifelong Quebecer. When we told him how long we were staying in his lovely hometown, he asked, "Why?" I think each and everyone of these posts answers that question for anyone who reads them.

To quote Patrick Roy, yet again, "My quality of life here in Québec City is extraordinary."

The title of today's event was Women in the Seven Years' War. "Discover the daily lives of 18th century women during times of war. Visit military camps and meet more than 100 hundred reenactors to discover the history of the siege of Quebec and the participation of women in this conflict." It was that and so much more.