Finding my wallet

11.02.2008

This morning, we ate breakfast in our room. Fresh baguette and brie. I went out to get it and on my way back, I called the bus station and they actually had my wallet! So pretty much immediately after finishing breakfast, I ran out the door after my dad quickly told me to go to a pizza place at "Place Royal" by noon, so that we could meet up.

"OK dad," I said, and then pretty much ran out the door, on my way to the lost and found office, which ended up being way out in the random suburbs of Quebec.

I got on the bus and the driver told me he would let me know where I had to transfer. Technically, he did, but I didn't hear him, since I don't really speak French that well. So I went about 15 minutes out of my way, and 15 minutes back to where I actually had to change buses.

I met a little old lady who barely spoke English, waiting for the same bus. She had also lost something on the bus, that she was going to retrieve too. So, we took the crazy slow bus to the office, and when I got off the bus, I ran and got my wallet, only to find out that $200 was missing. UGH!

Anyway, I was just glad to have all my cards and stuff back.

I was late to meet my mom and dad at the pizza place so I RAN to Place Royal and found the pizzeria after asking like, 10 people where on earth Place Royal is. (It is actually at the very BOTTOM of the giant HILL that is Quebec City).

I get there at 12:45 p.m. and my parents were not there. I thought this was strange, because you'd think that your own flesh and blood would wait at least an hour before leaving, while you are in a strange city in another province, where the majority of the people speak a different language.

Anyway, the nice lady at the pizzeria gave me the phone and yellow pages and I proceeded to call the hotel, just in case they had left the pizza place and went back. Nope. The robbers had left me with exactly $1.05, which is not even enough for a ride up the elevator to Upper-town.

I decided it would be better just to go to the bank and get my debit and credit cards to work again. So I called the bank, figured out where to go, and I was off.

I walked all the way up the stairs (there are a lot). Then I went all the way up Grand Allee, through the blistering cold and blustery wind. I trudged up the steep incline, and then it appeared, like a shining oasis, a mirage in the desert, the BANK OF MONTREAL!

Finally, I would have access to my chequing account and I could spend money on anything I wanted! My first purchase, ended up being poutine. Which was degoutant. The lady at the bank recommended going to Chez Ashton "the best poutine in town". Yeah right, the cheese wasn't melted and the gravy tasted like crapola. Word to the wise, don't ask people who work at BANKS for cool places to eat lunch.

I went back to the hotel to see if my parents were there. No deal, but they left a note saying to meet back at the room at 5 p.m. Fine, whatever, thanks mom and dad for ditching me.

So I went out shopping. My second purchase on my reactivated debit card ended up being a new freaking BAG. One that would actually hold my paraphernalia, rather than spew it out onto the floor of the public bus. *sigh* I got a nice orange travel shoulder bag with clips AND a zipper. Also, I bought some stuff for Rena, who was nice enough to look after my cats while I went away.

I got back to the hotel around 4:30 and my parents were there, getting sloshed on the Caribou (red wine with maple syrup)...AGAIN...

My dad explained exactly why he ditched me. Apparently, he didn't believe that I could memorize an address after looking at it only one time. So they went to the "Palace Royal" which is where he TOLD me to go, not the address which he pointed to on the sheet of paper. There's mercury again for you, huh Dave?

After making my parents feel like total crap,

"Hey, I know what's cool, telling Louise to go to a specific address and then going to a different one, leaving her cold and alone in a strange city!"

Next, we went out skating on the empty rink. It was so pretty with the lights and the crazy French person dance music on the sound system. I went around spinning and trying to make my feet work, which didn't really happen.

Then, it was time for dinner, so we went out to an Italian place, which was recommended by my mom's friend Jennifer. It was pretty good, and we had this coupon for free Limoncello after dessert. Me and my mom were pretty hammered, so we went to the sauna and then went to bed.

The wall