Friday August 11, 2017

Sunrise in Quebec Province

We wake up early today as we want to get to Quebec City early enough to spend the afternoon there. It is a 3 and a half hour drive and a little further for us as we want to go see Montmorency Falls first which is just past the city. We will make up a little time as we enter the Province of Quebec and gain an hour. We are on the road at 0630 New Brunswick time. It is early enough to catch the sun rise as we drive along the highway. We make a brief stop at a McDonalds so Carol can have her coffee but otherwise we drive straight on through.

CNC Montmorency Falls

We get to the falls around 1030 Quebec Time and walk to the bridge that spans over the falls. We cross it and then follow a path around to the other side and down a long series of steps to get an impressive front facing view of the falls. Carol doesn’t want to go to the bottom as you get wet and she is allergic to cold water. So we turn around, retrace our steps and return to the RAV.

Angelic Person at St Anne

There is a church about 12 miles away called St Anne de Beaupre. We were originally not going to go there but my mom has mentioned it several times to us. She went there on her honeymoon and it really seems to have stuck with her. We decide that because of this, we should go see it. We make the drive and are glad we did. The Church is large and very beautiful. We learn that it is a pilgrimage site and that St Anne was the grandmother of Jesus. It was a very worthwhile stop and I am sure that mom will be pleased that we went. From there we drive back over the St Lawrence River to the town of Levis, where our BNB is located. On the way we stop at a Costco as the gas is about 40 cents cheaper a gallon there. After waiting in line, we learn that the Costco’s here only take MasterCard and we only have Visa so no cheap gas for us.

View From BNB

At the BNB we are welcomed by Jacques who explains the lay of the land, gives us a Quebec City map, tells us how to walk to the ferry, says there is a jazz festival tonight two blocks down in Levis, and look at the view. There is a small park across from the BNB and we have a perfect view of the old city of Quebec and the famous Hotel Frontenac. Although he speaks English, it is obvious that Jacques is French so I say Merci Beau Coup and he lights up. He tells me that see you are from the United States and try to show little respect, yet guests from Toronto and other places never even try any French at all. It made me glad that I made him happy. Must have been some leftover mojo from the Happy Motel.

Chateau de Frontenac

Carol and I bring a few bags in and then walk down the road to the ferry which crosses the river here to Quebec. It is a steep walk down and we are sure the way back will hurt. When we booked here, we liked the idea of taking the ferry to Quebec rather than staying in the hustle bustle of the city and dealing with traffic and parking. The ferry costs less than a days parking would. We arrive in the old town at 2:15 PM. That is when we discover that it is a very hilly town with stairs and uphill paths everywhere. We also discover that we have made an error in judgement today as we have not eaten anything at all. The sun and climbing just zaps our energy as we struggle up the hill. We need to find a place to eat and come across a restaurant that I had scoped out which had a fixe price menu until 5:45.

Boreale Beer

We decide it looks good and go in. They won’t have a table for another 25 minutes and we decide that we waited this long so why not a little longer. We walk a little up the street as it has leveled out somewhat and get a feel for the area. Returning, we are seated and are happy to see that the price includes a beer. Before the beer a large bottle of cold water is placed on the table and we drink about half of it before we even order. The beer is a local brew called Boreale and is quite tasty. We get a salad and pea soup as appetizers and some fresh bread.

Coulibiac Salmon

We both ordered the Coulibiac Salmon not knowing exactly what it is. We are surprised when it comes encased in a pastry dough and surrounded by a nice cream sauce. It is very tasty. For dessert, a maple syrup pie with homemade whipped cream. All this for 20 dollars Canadian. On top of all this we are eating in the oldest house in the city, built in 1677. With our appetite satisfied, our day has gotten better. We spend the rest of the afternoon meandering down different streets and also check out the Notre Dame Basilica.

Night View From BNB

We decide that we are pretty exhausted and catch the 6 0’clock ferry back to Levis. We make a quick trip to the store for some bread and cheese, return to the BNB and sit on their enclosed covered patio having a light snack of cheese, bread, and wine. We do not have to go to the Jazz festival as we can hear the music fine from here. It is a nice way to end our day and we hope we sleep good tonight.

Expenses                                                                                                                      Montmorency Falls 12.80 CAD                                                                                                Ferry Tickets for a few days 27 CAD                                                                                  Dinner at Le Aux Canadiens 56 CAD                                                                                     Gite Villa Beausejour BNB 125 CAD