threebuckleys: Quebec City

So as we were going to sleep we realised that our motel (classic 1950s design) was right next to the railway line, and that huge long trains were thundering along within about 10m of our clapboard “cottage”. Not such a peaceful night…

Anyway, we had a small pool for a quick dip, ducks to make friends with, and a free breakfast - what’s not to love?!

Packed up and back on the road, just heading north into Quebec City. We stopped for a picnic lunch at a filling station, then headed direct for the airport to hand back the hire car. Then, spotted that the bus we needed to get to our loft apartment was leaving in 10 minutes from the other side of the road - luck was on our side! And we only had 80 stops to count before we got to our destination (we didn’t count, they had an excellent display hoard in the bus, and it was the end of the line!)

Dropped our bags in the apartment and headed out for tea - Poutineville, our first opportunity to try the Canadian “delicacy” of chips, cheese curds and gravy.

I did my best! And we all felt utterly stuffed as we strolled /waddled back to the apartment.

Next day we woke up to rain. Proper heavy rain. So we took our time getting ready and did some local shopping before heading up to the old city. What we hadn’t realised was that we had to climb over a hundred steps before we even get to the ramparts!

It rained on and off during the day, but luckily there were several well-placed band stand structures on the ramparts wall that we could shelter under. And then the sun came out again and we caught some impressive street theatre, and expensive ice cream.

In an homage to Race Across the World we ran up the Frontenac Stairs…

Then picked up an essential baguette for tea, a new watch for Kathy, and headed back to the apartment.

Next morning I went out to get the biggest pain aux raisin ever for breakfast, we packed up and took our heavy heavy bags to the Gare du Palais. En route (see how I’m slipping into French without even noticing??!! 😂) we stopped at the supermarket to claim the deposit back on our recycling. There was a chap there with three bin bags full of cans, and he was very helpful showing us what to do. We got a voucher for use in store but couldn’t find anything for $1.25, so took it back to the chap outside who, rather than just accepting the very small gift, insisted on giving about $2.25 in change to Alana: take a cute child placed and earn money!

Then we strolled off to the old port part of Quebec City, made it up the funicular, down the breakneck steps and generally meandered around being tourists.

Then we ate lunch in a little square under the cliff walls serenaded by an accordion player… très Parisienne! And headed back to the station to board the VIA Rail 3pm train to Montreal… and our next adventure!