Massena, N.Y.
Sat., Oct. 30, 1926
After an uneventful drive down from Quebec City, we arrived in Montreal and heard that Queen Marie of Rumania was in town. While sitting in the car on Wednesday, waiting for Bill, the queen, her two children, the mayor and various hangers-on came streaming by, with great blowing of horns and buzzing of motorcycle cops. I read in the papers that she was going to attend the opera that night, Chaliapin in the Barber of Seville. So Bill and I blew ourselves to $1.65 standing room and sat on benches in the top balcony. The opera was fine, but the aging Chaliapin had such a small part you hardly had a chance to learn what his voice was like; the orchestra was thin, the soprano splendid except when she flatted her high notes; the queen was gorgeous, but poor little Princess Ileana, drab and tired-looking. But we felt very gay!
It really seems a lot warmer here in the states, and the leaves are not off the trees as they are in Montreal. However, as chilly as it was in Canada, we never slept cold because we had taken so many blankets and warm clothes. It is the dressing, undressing, bathing and cooking that are cold. It has rained or snowed a lot, making camping very inconvenient, so several times we have rented a room in an inn or guest house. This, together with the higher costs in Canada, has made the trip expensive. It seems a joy to get 18¢ gas and 30¢ oil this morning. No wonder there are so many horses and bicycles in Canada. We passed the customs all right without having to unpack all our duffle, as we were afraid we might.
All day we tried in vain to go through the Aluminum Plant here in Massena, because, as in Shawinigan, a wire had to be sent to Pittsburgh to get permission from President Davis.
It is half raining and half snowing tonight, we are again being extravagant and have taken a room in the Gouverneur Hotel.