After Waddington and the shores of the St. Lawrence River, we headed to the town of Massena in St. Lawrence County. It is named after the Napoleonic general, Andre Massena—I smiled at the thought of my French heritage following me all the way to the U.S.A.

The town was pretty quiet but we found a fast-food joint to grab something to eat. I spotted an interesting licence plate I had never seen before in the parking lot—“former prisoner of war.” Apparently, you can order them from the DMV as long as you can prove your former POV status. The owner of the car was an old man and I couldn’t help wondering in which war he fought—Vietnam? Korea? I wished I could have heard his story but this is not exactly something that can be brought up easily in a fast-food line-up.

On our way back to Canada, we took a break at the Eisenhower Locks on the St Lawrence Seaway. We stood there, overlooking the river, until the wind became too strong and too cold.

Once across the border back in Canada, we stopped in Cornwall to take a few pictures of the international bridge in the background and headed back to Ottawa. The sky made for interesting and dramatic scenery but boy, it was getting cold!

Fast Food Subliminal Message
Never Seen That License Plate Before!
On The Road
Massena, NY State
Quick, Take a Picture: French Woman in a US Fast Food Joint!
No So Healthy Lunch (for two though!)
Old Glory Fans
Sticker Overload
My One Cent
Massena Water Tower
Stormy Sky
Eisenhower Locks
Filling Up
St Lawrence on Canada Side

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14 Comments

  1. Lynda Lehmann November 3, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    It’s gotten cold here too, now. I live in lower New York State.

    I enjoyed your photos. I’ve never seen a license plate like that and I too, would have liked to hear his story! But you’re right. Chances are that he just wanted to get his food and move on.

    Reply
  2. Jennie November 3, 2010 at 2:30 pm

    Is that a new penny? I’ve never seen one like that before!

    Reply
  3. Cynthia November 3, 2010 at 2:56 pm

    Lovely trip! I just love New England except for the food 🙂

    I’ve never ever seen a licence plate like that … I don’t know why anyone would advertise that ?

    Reply
  4. Mr.G November 3, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    This is good stuff!

    Xhu… you should run an online seminar or something about photography! Think about it!

    Reply
  5. Pauline November 3, 2010 at 7:13 pm

    Great photos! Those are some beautiful skies! 🙂 I bet that former prisoner of war did have some interesting stories!

    Reply
  6. khengsiong November 3, 2010 at 8:57 pm

    This is such a beautiful place. I wish I can go there…

    Reply
  7. Soleil November 3, 2010 at 11:33 pm

    1. Love the picture through the window in Massena

    2. I love the hush puppies as Long John Silver’s!

    3. What the heck happened to the penny???!!! Are they redesigning it???

    Reply
  8. Zhu November 4, 2010 at 11:57 am

    @Lynda Lehmann – Thank you! Yes, the weather is very similar on both sides of the border, we are quite close after all. I’m sure it does get cold there!

    @Jennie – I guess so! I like the design 🙂

    @Cynthia – It looked odd to me at first but again, I’m used to stupid vanity plates so why not…

    @Mr.G – You are a real entrepreneur! 😆

    @Pauline – I find skies are so pretty in North America. In France, the weather is often grey and blah in the fall.

    @khengsiong – You can! Come and visit us!

    @Soleil – 😆 You recognized the fast food place! I had never heard of Long John Silver before (well, I did, just not as a fast food). I hate KFC but LJS wasn’t too bad. Still, it was a lot of food… no way I could have eaten it all by myself yet the cashier seemed shock we ordered one combo for two.

    Reply
  9. Rich B November 4, 2010 at 7:55 pm

    Long John Silver’s rules! It’s great fish and Hush puppies. You’re making me homesick (not really).
    I do miss the fish!

    Reply
  10. London Caller November 4, 2010 at 8:51 pm

    Ha ha… Come take a look a French lady having French fries in KFC!

    Reply
  11. micki November 6, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    Did you gusy go down a bit farther to visit Boston? I just got back from Boston, and the autumn colors are magnificent there too!

    Reply
  12. Linguist-in-Waiting November 7, 2010 at 12:09 am

    Haha, I am amused at the captions of your photos here, especially the subliminal message! And boy that meal is greasy, but sometimes one has the urge! There’s a KFC near my neighborhood, and I haven’t had a KFC in years, so there’s an urge I am somehow fighting.

    Reply
  13. Em November 7, 2010 at 7:11 pm

    I’m craving for junk food now!
    I love the sky pictures! so atmospheric…

    Reply
  14. barbara November 8, 2010 at 3:06 am

    Salut Zhu,

    Quick; let me touch you(rather your picture); you have been to the States!It looks you both had a good time.
    It can happen to me anytime, but usually as we come to November( towards US Thanksgiving),I start to get really nostalgic. Not “teary” nostalgic(luckily), but just thinking a lot of the US.

    Now, it wouldn’t be a trip to the States w/ your junk food! How much have your tastes changed? Mine quite a bit!(sans blague).

    Bises 🙂

    Reply

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