Quebec City, Quebec

October 13, 2013

Fall has definitely come to Quebec City!!  We arrived early this morning, and the Hotel Frontenac was lit and beautiful.  The trees are in full color, and everything in Quebec City is decorated with beautiful pumpkins and Fall decorations.

Quebec City, Quebec, is the New France.  Very European in charm and character, this was the first French city in North America, and is 400 years old. The historic town sits atop a bluff overlooking both the St. Charles and St. Lawrence rivers.  About 95% of the people of Quebec speak French as their primary language, but most speak English as well.

Our tour this morning took us to the Joan of Arc memorial, the Hotel Frontenac, Place D’Armes, and the Basilica of Notre Dame.  This Upper Town area has spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River.
We also went through the Lower Town and saw the Place Royale and the restored Quartier du Petit-Champlain.  There is a “funicular” which connects these two sections of Quebec City.  A funicular is a cable car/incline type people mover. 

We drove out to St. Anne de Beapre, a beautiful Catholic Basilica.  St. Anne has become one of the most important Catholic sites in North America, and is known as a place of miraculous healing, and there were two walls holding dozens of crutches and canes and walkers.  The cathedral is built in the Gothic style and has over 200 stained glass windows.  Mass was being held when we arrived, so we could only go into the back of the Basilica. 

We also stopped at Montmorency Falls, a beautiful waterfall that is actually higher than Niagara Falls. 

It’s been our coolest day yet, and after being out most of the day, we are now back onboard to rest for awhile.  We will be in Quebec City again tomorrow, which is Canadian Thanksgiving.  Our guide told us that all of the shops and restaurants would be open tomorrow, so we plan to go back into the Old Town for a little shopping.