When visiting different places, travel “experts” tell us to visit museums, tour historic buildings, and generally behave like obedient fourth graders on a field trip. Our approach, for better or for worse, has always been a little different…
Yes, when traveling we tackle our share of activities we’re “supposed” to pursue. We hit historic sites and museums. We gaze upon ancient statues and flowing fountains. We even check out empty orange juice boxes that are masquerading as modern art. (If you don’t believe me, visit the Buenos Aires MALBA – Museum of Latin American Art. You’ll leave wondering how much they actually PAID for those juice boxes!)
But the stuff that sticks with me — the encounters that I really enjoy and remember — usually occur far outside the local museum of modern art. Often magic happens in the most mundane of locations — in a grocery store or a gas station or a sidewalk cafe.
In addition to the obvious change in scenery, a key reason we travel is to experience different cultures. There’s no better way to do so than to tackle an ordinary, everyday activity in which the ground rules have been changed. You may walk away shaking your head and muttering, “Why on earth do they do it that way?” But that’s what makes it fun.
This is why I so enjoyed the Canadian Province of Quebec. First and foremost, what impresses about Quebec is the cultural experience. Of course, language comes to mind. French is the official language. Everywhere you look in Quebec, you see French. Walk into a store, and you hear French. You’re confronted with French everywhere you turn. Personally, I find this refreshing — it sets Quebec apart as a distinctive travel destination.
At the moment there’s a tension between the Province of Quebec and the rest of Canada. The situation is certainly bizarre. Quebecers recently voted on a referendum to secede from Canada; the motion failed by a razor thin margin of 49% to 51%. When visiting Quebec, you’ll see more Quebec flags than Canadian flags. While I can understand that this ongoing political turmoil would cause angst amongst Canadian citizens, for this visitor the dynamics were fascinating.
I won’t wade into the politics of the situation any further. As the saying goes, I don’t have a dog in this fight. But from a cultural standpoint, I’ve visited most of Western, Central, and Eastern Europe. Being in Quebec reminded me of being overseas. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and am perhaps a little shocked that such a cultural opportunity exists so close to home.
If you have an RV, get a passport and check out Quebec. If you’ve never been to Europe, this is as close as you’ll find on this side of the Atlantic.
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH Older than Larry king ok…now that’s funny! That topped the opening shot of you trying to get out of the parking lot. The shot of the frozen food was great I just hoped you remembered the the camera. I guess the only thing I can say is GO TEAM GO!. The disco music was just priceless I found myself dancing in my seat. BRAVO BRAVO!!
Thanks Matt! Yes the disco is a bit of a musical departure, LOL — Kristy felt the videos had been getting a little heavy lately and a lighter tone might be welcome…and I agreed!
When I looked at the collection of footage, we had a menagerie of stuff, including the usual highlights… But what really registers with me when we travel out of the country are the little things you encounter on a daily basis…like trying to understand a French-speaking parking robot! Anyway, glad you liked it…
When you are next in Quebec you must visit Tadoussac. It is 2 hours east of Quebec City. 80 Km from the Ocean, yet you can sit at your campsite or on the rocks of the St Lawrence and watch several types of whales in the river. A truly remarkable place. Take a cruise up the Saguenay River which is a fjord and is the breeding ground for Beluga Whales. Have Quebec wine, cheese and a fresh baguette at Cap de Bon-Désir.
Thanks Dee for the tip. That place sounds amazing! Although this was our first visit to Quebec, I’m sure it won’t be our last. We really enjoyed our time there.
A wonderful perspective! As an English Canadian who has spent many weeks in Quebec I was thoroughly interested in your impressions. Ottawa will be a good transition between French Canada and English Canada as it seems to be about 50% – 50% populated by both. It is very much two different cultures. I am very proud to say however that Tim Hortons holds us all together 🙂 …. Did you manage to devour a “Fruit Explosion” yet?
Camera in the rain. Camera in the freezer. You have some bullet proof gear! Great video!
Restless, I learned a great deal in Quebec. For one, I really enjoyed the cultural experience. In a lot of ways it felt like Europe to me. As a tourist, it was a lot of fun.
I also gained a better understanding of the ongoing political situation. Wow! Although I had caught bits and pieces of news about the tension, actually visiting the Province really opened my eyes. It’s remarkable and sad that these centuries-old Anglo/Franco issues still persist. The Quebec situation also seems like a cautionary tale with regard to language and the role it plays in unifying or dividing a society. The United States would be wise to take note and learn from what’s happened here.
On a lighter note, it seems our truck is strangely attracted to Tim Horton’s and makes frequent stops in their parking lots. I have not yet tried a “fruit explosion” because I usually have a chocolate Boston creme in my hand. But I will definitely check it out. It’s funny, because at home I never go to doughnut shops… but in Canada I feel it is my DUTY to sample the local cuisine…again and again… 😀
Thanks Tom, LOL… one camera has paid the ultimate price on this trip (it met its fate on the Baa Haabah sidewalk) but thankfully our “Mac Daddy” cam is intact.
Kudos to the Canadian grocery stores who cooperated! No frozen foods were harmed in the making of this video.
Nice….
Remember I told you about the meeting at the studio… where I suggested a weekly show about RV’n across the US… well sure enough someone thought that a RV show might be fun… NBC picked up on it and is going to run a 8 week trailer on KNBC ….contest of families in RV… motorhome…. traveling cross country and all the fun things that can go wrong… might want to check it out.
still thought your site might be better… and more realistic… oh well… from what I have seen its a take off of the movie RV… with a family elimination and twists… sooo its open to critics… let ’em know your on for real… is what I say… as they are banking on pure entertainment show…
Ya we lose a few cameras now and again.. in the airstream explosion on the second one…. they lost a panaflex gold…(digital don’t work good in fire/explosion takes) won’t say how much it was but somehow the propane used in the shooting of the insides explosion…got inside it ….and poof… now little parts.. so it happens… and we needed another AS …. third time was the charm… you can’t imagine what happens inside the trailer when the propane leaks and blows… sort of like a tin can with a cherry bomb going off inside… very good exploded view of things going away… (we used 5 high speed panaflex’s to get the one shot.. so it comes out in slow mo… wish I could send you a segment of it …but I don’t own it.. sooo sorry)
I now see we have two directors and producers… nice… makes for a different take on things… as they said in twister… “change is good… grin
Well back to work… be looking for more of your adventure… oh and see what you think of the new NBC game show on RV’n… . Premiering Tuesday, July 7 , TITLE: The Great American Road Trip… game show.
Wow! It’s interesting to hear about the Panaflex Gold on a couple of levels. First, good to know that sometimes you guys mix celluloid with digital. That makes sense. I think the newfangled CMOS chips don’t like flashing lights (the rolling shutter issue). Secondly, that your camera bit the dust! I look forward to seeing the exploding Airstream shot someday.
With regard to NBC’s RV show, while I obviously haven’t yet seen it, here are my “off the cuff” observations… This strikes me as the type of show the networks have been liking in recent years, sort of an RV version of the Amazing Race. I suppose those shows are relatively cheap to produce and get relatively good ratings. My only issue with ’em is the shelf life. I mean, once you know who won that season (or whatever) is there any long term interest in the show? It’s sort of like reading last week’s newspaper.
My goal for a “Long Long Honeymoon” show would be a series that has a little more longevity… kind of like Rick Steves, Anthony Bourdain, etc. … a cheap-to-produce travel show with humor that spotlights the “adventure” of RVing. We would focus on destinations and local culture, along with occasional scenes at the campsites where appropriate. Over time we would accumulate a library of episodes / footage that would be marketable in syndication, on DVD, etc. It would be like our blog, but on steroids…what our blog would be like if we had dedicated producers, camera operators, audio technicians, and editors. 😀
Sean…
Outstanding… by golly your so close… I watched your new one 4 times… and am impressed… ( x says that is something I hardly ever do… so pat yourself on the back when I say I am impressed. )
Under the time limits you have set…. ya done good. Would have liked to see more of the campsite info… but, then again you can put all that info on a twitter or written blog to go along with the video. (as a suggestion)
Surprise… were headed to Ontario for a 3 day shoot on this new flick… so wave as we go by… grin… Wish we could give away the location but you know how secrets are… sort of after the fact. thing…. or you get too many showing up and making a mess… But, it would be nice to let you sit in the video camera directors chair and see how the big times do it… we can always use another camera operator.. even if we let you go handheld wild with it… I could always get my crew to film you filming to add to your collection… of experiances… and let the production staff give you pointers and a professional trailer in the end… we do that sometimes just for the fun of it…
Oh and did you ask what is in the do-nuts… surprise… in each one…IS…..
…. as we too found them quite tastful… till we found out what was in ‘em… you will be on the treadmill for 4 hours a dozen… grin… you should have checked out the shrimp and hush puppys… oooooohhhhh good… them french really know how to cook…
Well break is over.. back to work… we finish here about 2am… and then head northeast tomorrow… probably take the alcan highway across… x is driving… dog is riding shotgun so I am told… me… I’ll sleep.. and read….in the back of the truck… grin… isn’t that what x’s and dog is for??? (ouch… thats going to leave a bruse!!!!!)
Thanks GMAs! I thought this one had some cool transitions….like the dolly shots in the grocery store, and the time lapse clouds over to the waterfall bridge. 🙂
I agree with you about the campground info. One of my missions this summer will be to enhance the info on the video pages with more links and detailed commentary.
Quebec was really fascinating, by the way. I think everyone should go there and see it firsthand.
With regard to the donuts — no doubt! As you know, I started this year with ambitious health and exercise plans, and somehow those got sidetracked by Boston creme donuts – LOL Oh well, I can report that I’ve been laying off the adult beverages in recent weeks to compensate. When we get home, I’ll spend the first week on the treadmill!
Finally, with regard to your kind offer — you bet! I would love to be a “fly on the wall” at a Hollywood shoot. I will just act like a sponge and absorb…and maybe get my hands on a camera. 🙂 I love the idea of doing a blog from the set too.
I will drop you an email. We visit LA on a regular basis. I think we even have a couple of free airline tickets that need to be used. So maybe we’ll pick a suitable production, and hop on a plane. It would be fun!
Safe travels to Ontario!