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| Do you think they keep live ammo in these? |
(Internet service "va et vient", which may or may not mean "comes and goes", but anyway, if these blogs seem disjointed, I blame the spotty service!)
We left Quebec City about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, about 1940 local time. According to the "From the Bridge" TV channel, we've traveled about 160 miles total, and about 11 miles tonight. (when I drafted this, that is. We are now a couple of hours out, and rocking gently like we are in bigger water, but it is still the river.)
Today, Quebec City, and a perfect fall day. The air was crisp and brisk,but fortunately not windy, and it felt quite warm in the sun. We docked right in the Vieux Port, with a great view up the hill to the Chateau Frontenac and the other buildings of Old Quebec City.
It's nice to be the only ship in town. Quebec has an impressive cruise ship terminal, and it's obvious that the local economy benefits greatly from tourism. Still, we had plenty of elbow room (except, oh yeah, there must have been some buses in town from somewhere!)
Quebec City has quite a history of being fought over: the French, English, and Americans all had a go. It was also home of the strident Quebec sovereignty movement. Although there is still a Parti Quebecois, it isn't what it once was.
You don't have to be a military genius to see why the fortifications were built where they were. The Citadel commands the bluff above the river, with pretty much a 360-degree view. What really commands the attention, though is the magnificent Chateau Frontenanc, arguably the most-photographed hotel in the world. You've seen it before, surely. We enjoyed seeing it in all kinds of views around town - but we did not spring for the $6.00 entry fee just to look around inside.
We had lunch in a place that looked a bit like a Quebecois diner - not quite a bistro, not quite a tourist trap. It looked like a lot of locals were catching a bite. We sat next to a couple of women who engaged us in conversation - well, one of them, anyway (perhaps her English was stronger.) Turns out, she is Quebecois-born, but has lived in Vancouver for many years. It's obvious she is proud to call Quebec home.
To get from the lower to the upper parts of Old Quebec, one can climb hundreds of staggeringly steep stairs, (known as the "Breaknecks") or one can take the Funicularire. We opted for the funicular, because hey, those are cool. And we got plenty of climbing in later, as we traversed the Governors Promenade along the Citadel. Too bad we weren't here in the summer: they do the whole Changing of the Guard, complete with firing a cannon, and featuring the official mascot of the regiment, a goat.
Quebec City certainly lives up to its reputation as being a bit of Europe in North America. The Old City is a UNESCO site (we seem to collect these on cruises! See also: Tallin, Dubrovnik, etc.) Winding cobblestone streets, lots of stone buildings, and, yes, charm. Some of that is probably there for the tourists, but it is well worth a visit anyway. And even amidst the old world charm, we found a store featuring clothing called "F***amode" (Trent, Denmark does not have the monopoly on using the F-word, apparently)
Back on board, up to the hot tub, where we met some nice folks from California and Colorado. It was a bit chilly, which made the hot water all the more inviting. Compared to other cruises, though, there wasn't exactly competition for pool deck chairs! Followed the soak by dinner, a coffee, then tonight's entertainment: a multi-instrumentalist playing various bits of jazz, Dixieland, big band, etc. That was cool. (instruments: trumpet, alto sax, clarinet, and piano.)
Some odds and ends that I forgot to mention in previous blogs:
- We've used no pilot boats on our two departures. My cousin Dana would be so disappointed. (joke from last year)
- We think the youngest passenger on board is not 58 or 56 or 10, but probably about 6 months old! Today, we kept encountering a set of parents, usually when babe was in mom's arms while dad wrestled the stroller up all the stairs to the Citadel! Overheard mom telling someone that they'd figured they'd better travel while Junior could still travel for free!
- Speaking of youngsters, in one of the parks today, a little guy was having a complete meltdown while mom and dad stayed calm nearby. Looked like older brother got to run around the park, while Junior had to stay put.
- We have great Fitbit numbers so far on the trip! Average of 15K steps / 6-7 miles / 40+ floors per day
Tomorrow, Saguenay - exploration of North America's only true fjord (so they say!) We are signed up for a kayaking trip, which sounded like a great idea last summer. Just hope the fall weather isn't too, too chilly! (they are giving us wetsuits!)
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