Fairmont Le Château Frontenac — Québec City, Canada

 Both of us traveled with Continental Airlines, on free tickets for miles, to Newark, New Jersey and on to Montréal in the province of Québec, Canada.

That was August 13, 1998 and we always wanted to see the mighty St. Lawrence River and Québec City in Vieux Ville as well as Haute Ville...

So there we went in our bright blue Pontiac rental car from Herz!

Our home for 3 nights high above the St. Lawrence River

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, Québec City in Québec, Canada ←click link

Québec City, a UNESCO World Heritage treasure.

Approaching our home and we will reside in room 5178

In reality it all is far more beautiful than on the brochures...

Le Château is over a century old.

We enjoyed a rather salty soup, served by a waiter in 17th century livery costume. 

Soup together with a mixed salad.

We slept well!

On Friday, August 14, we both went on foot after a very good breakfast buffet; including fresh red currants (my favorite!)

Screenshot from video where I indulge in the red currants...

We soon walk La Rue du Trésor, where artists have displayed their paintings.

We both fall for a copper etching with very fine and detailed colored Château Frontenac. 

It just looked lovely and we bought it from the son of artist Pascal Gravel d'Autane (24.04.1943) for Canadian $ 304.00 including tax.

Later we had it framed in my Dutch home town by expert Irok gallery, in museum quality frame with matting.

Artist Pascal Gravel d'Autane

Opposite the Château Frontenac...

Then we walked down to the famous Rue Champlain, the oldest shopping alley of North America!

Both of us felt like being back in France, in the Old World...

Found some treasures in a store with handmade paper poetry albums from cotton.

After a coffee on a terrace and a chat with a nun from Antwerp, Belgium we walk via Boulevard Petite Champlain to Rue St. Paul.

All tips from Victoria Magazine....

A nice street, full of antiques where we find a silver berry spoon for sister Diny (who collected them!) after having enjoyed an ice cream on yet another terrace.

It was such a bright sunny day!

Lots of people from Maine, in old costumes for the battle re-enactment tomorrow...

Restaurant Aux Anciens Canadiens, Québec City, Canada ←click link

Since 1675...

Oldest restaurant in North America!

Postcard from Le Château Frontenac in winter time...

Stay tuned for more from this trip!

Oahu Hawaii Majestic Circle Island Tour

 With E Noa Tours, Pieter had booked us a Majestic Circle Island Tour 120 miles round.

That was on December 3, 1998.

With 18 people in a mini bus.

Oahu with the capital Honolulu

Earlier we already did tour the USS ARIZONA, see post below.

Waimea Valley

North Shore & surfing beaches

Waikiki Trolley Tours

This is the one we did:

Inside Diamond Head Crater

Hanauma Bay

Blowhole and Sandy Beach

Makapuu Lookout

Windward Oahu Coastline

Pali Lookout

Byodo–In Temple

Sunset Beach/North Shore Surfing Beaches

Waimea Valley

Pineapple Fields

~

The Diamond Head Crater, our first stop was not impressive, but that is because we both know far bigger craters from Indonesia!

Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay, often called the BEST beach in the USA

Hanauma Bay view, a coral reef

Pali Lookout at 2,000 feet or 609 meter.

Wind gusts at 90 miles per hour or hurricane power as it doubles on this height!

Holding onto my video camera and The Bridge saddlebag...

Nu'uanu Pali Lookout

Nu'uanu Pali Lookout with botanical garden below

Byodu–In Temple

North Shore Lookout at Laie Point

Lava once streamed through the hole behind me, to the right of my face. 

A volcanic eruption and this is left over from that.

Sharp lava formations churn the waves and emphasize the power of the Pacific Ocean.

Laie Point is also where we both saw the Cliff Jumps!

We do have a video tape, but as often mentioned, all in Dutch for Mom & Dad...

From there we got onto a special bus for driving through Waimea Valley, a tropical paradise.

We also went to the Macademia nut outlet and bought us half a pound.

Our final stop was the Dole pineapple plantation.

We also watched on December 6 from our balcony STREET BIKERS UNITED HAWAII

On December 4, we both walked in 45 minutes to the Ala Moana shopping center to Neiman Marcus where we dined at the Mariposa restaurant on the 3rd level, with fabulous view, see above photo.

View to the right.

We went back to our hotel by bus.

We were home again on December 8.

Fond memories of Oahu Hawaii

We only had been there once before, upon returning home from our consulting work in Australia, see link to post below...

Related links:

Our Vacation at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa | previous post by me

Pearl Harbor Hawaii | previous post by me

OAHU – GRAND CIRCLE ISLAND, ONE DAY TOUR | good YouTube video of the above

Working & Socializing with Staff from Melbourne Mushrooms | previous post by me as we entered the USA in Honolulu, Hawaii coming back from consulting work in Australia.

Our Vacation at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa

 On July 23 in 1998 I managed to book a flight to Hawaii on our Delta Airlines miles.

That was 60,000 miles for both of us!

Those were the days...

Flying to Hawaii is even 400 miles farther than flying to Amsterdam and it is 5 hours time difference with the East Coast.

So after a long stretch of 8.5 hours we landed. 

With a shuttle we went to our Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa ←click link.

Here you see the Hyatt Regency Twin Towers...

A beautiful complex with 40 levels and over 1,200 rooms.

We both stayed in room 3461, so not quite at the top!

The Hyatt Regency Waikiki's twin towers put visitors close to the action in Waikiki.

Luxurious suites, breathtaking views, the sand, sun, and sea... all a part of Hyatt's Hawaii.

Delta Air Lines got us here FREE for 60,000 miles for both of us!

Happy, for having organized it this way...

View from our balcony...

We were in heaven!

Happy me on the balcony and wearing my Majorica pearls and I managed to purchase the 15" black pearl necklace with ring and earrings at Neiman Marcus. 

These are 14 mm and also 15" as 16" is too wide for me...

Ocean view...

This is a post card with the view of Waikiki from the Sheraton Hotel Waikiki...

A DREAM! 

Stay tuned for more...

Related link:

Pearl Harbor Hawaii | previous post by me