31 rue de la Porte, The Room

This is a posting mostly for me as I want to remember this room.  So far it's my favorite.  Walked over to Starbucks at the Chateau Frontenac at 0730 and purchased two cafe au lait using our own mugs - $10.50.  It's the 15% tax on everything that takes a bite.  The coffee was perfect with the croissant (delicious as advertised) and worth it.  I need more, though...
     The room is on the rue de la Porte - a one way side street with a 15% (like the taxes!) grade sloping down north-northwest.  So we have our own address even though the room is located in the back of the Motel St. Genevieve.  Cool.  Opening the outer screen door blocks the 3 foot wide sidewalk but there isn't much foot traffic so it's been all right.  A bit unnerving when people do walk by while the blinds are open as they are right there!  Our first view of the room was encouraging except for the giant dehumidifier plugged in and ready to go, the room being a bit musty and cold - we were assured that it would warm up in five minutes once we turned on the flat wall radiator.  I ran the dehumidifier and was amazed at how it cleared up the air and even warmed the room more efficiently.  Too much.  Took awhile but I got hot.  Some things never change!
     Two single beds covered in white matelasse spreads, a beige loveseat, coffee table, two chairs, etc all on a patterned floral carpet.  Walls are painted French Country Green and there is a long narrow bathroom at the back.  The first night Dennis complained of sliding and sinking problems with the bed.  My bed was wonderful.  I thought it was his size not fitting on the single bed until I tried it myself.  I sank and slid.  In the interest of fairness we switched for the second night and I spent a fair amount of time messing with it trying to get it to sit and stay on the box spring but it was all too slippery.  Dennis suggested rolling up the towel bath mat and shoving it under the mattress on the downhill side so at least the sliding would be less.  Hey maybe it was because we are on a sloped street??!!!  Slept fine after all that.  Like I've said, sometimes the travel adventures are small ones.  Discovered we had internet access here last night.  It is everywhere.
     Sink Coffee.  Dennis reminded me to talk about what I like to call "sink coffee".   Sometimes we cannot easily get regular brewed coffee - like the motel that had a restaurant and therefore didn't offer free morning coffee and then closed the restaurant for the season - so we have to improvise.  Letting the hot water tap in the sink reach its peak temperature works for making instant coffee.  We do carry small bottles of instant Italian espresso with us so we can do this when absolutely necessary.  It works and the coffee is not too hot to drink.  Just barely drinkable but that's another story.  Meets our caffeine needs.  dw
  
  Today  we're on the road again.  It'll be a reasonably short drive with one possible stop at an asbestos mine.  Since we needen't hurry we have a leisurely morning -- we also are waiting for the morning rush hour to abate.
  There are a lot of restaurants in this (the old town) part of Quebec but otherwise a surprising lack of night life.  We don't do much "night-life" stuff anyway but it is curious.  But even with the rain I've really enjoyed this city and would return anytime. 
   Re the room:  I agree with dw's comments.  I felt like I should get a pack of Gitanes and sit in the open door -- holding the cigarette backwards between my thumb and forefinger.  Smoking and glaring at passing tourists.  DA