Chantal did one more remarkable thing for us. She arranged to have taxis meet us at the hotel at appropriate times to go to the airport- no worrying about that last minute detail. It was a nice touch.
Our trip home was uneventful. We did have to fly to Vancouver first and then on to Seattle a few hours later. The time at the Vancouver airport gave us enough time to have a nice sit-down lunch. And we managed to avoid stopping at the local Tim Hortons for a last minute donut!
Coming down Puget Sound with Mt. Rainier in the distance.
Close to our Miller Bay home, which is located in the bay shown circled.
The Space Needle and Climate Pledge Arena – remnants of the 1962 World Fair.
Downtown Seattle.
Football and baseball stadiums just south of downtown.
The Port of Seattle.
Epilogue:
-Quebec City is a marvelous place to visit. It is reminiscent of those European cities we love to see, and it is nearby. Do consider putting it on your “to do” list if you like this sort of travel.
-Road Scholar does a marvelous job with their trips, providing both education and field trips. All the work planning for such a trip is done by them and the experiences they create are memorable. We love taking their trips.
Parting Comment: “Jobs fill your pocket, but adventures fill your soul.” – Jamie Lyn Beatty
No lecture today; we are headed out for another walking tour with a visit to the Morrin Cultural Centre, followed by visiting the Dufferin Terrace, the site of old Chateau Saint Louis.
The Morrin Centre was actually a prison in the early days of the city and the site of many hangings on its front steps! We were again met by a local docent dressed in periodic costume, a very nice touch. What made her more intriguing is her ability to provide the history with voices that mimic the character she was trying to portray. She was an excellent and entertaining actress! The visit included a visit to the jail cells located in the lower level of the building. It was a jail from 1808 to 1867. In 1868 it became Morrin College, the first English speaking college in Quebec. That lasted until 1902. Since 1868 the building also became a cultural center which contains the private English-language library of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec (LHSQ). Founded in 1824, the LHSQ is the oldest existing learned society in Canada. Its history is linked to the intellectual development of Quebec and Canada.
Chantal always carried a pinwheel to use as a guide for us to follow!
Another example of street art in Quebec City.
Entrance to the Morrin Centre.
Local color.
The Morrin cultural Centre, once an infamous prison. It was built in 1808.
Chantal taking a group picture of us at the Morrin Centre.
Group photo in front of the Morrin Centre.
Our docent at the Morrin Centre who had an amazing ability to use different voices as she told stories about the history of the center.
Our docent explaining the early history of the Morrin Centre when it was a prison.
Original 18th century staircases. They don’t make them like that anymore.
Lecture hall used when the building was Morrin College in the mid-19th century.
An area once used as a chemistry lab.
The chemical periodic table in the 19th century.
Innovative lights that were designed to distribute more light.
The well stocked library. Surprisingly it is only available to members of the society.
A famous author who wrote stories that take place in Quebec City.
Talking about the executions that occurred here.
Entryway to the jail, made purposely narrow to constrain movement.
The jail area in the lower level.
Hard to see but there are multiple carvings made by prisoners dating back to the 19th century.
Very little light and fresh air was admitted to the jail.
One of jail cells.
One of the tour docents in the Morrin Centre.
From there we walked the short distance back to the shores of the St. Lawrence River to see the ruins of Chateau Saint Louis, which served as the home of both the French and British governors of Quebec early in its history. The ruins are located under the promenade we had walked on several times the last few days. Again a docent led us on this “underground” tour of the ruins of the 17-18th century chateau.
Another cruise ship stopping in Quebec City. It a a popular stop.
The story of the Chateau Saint Louis.
Evolution of the Chateau over the years.
Charles Huault de Montmagny was the first governor of New France. He arrived in 1636.
The first British governor, James Murray, who took over in 1760 when the British defeated the French.
The ruins of the ice storage area in the Chateau Saint Louis.
The original kitchen of Chateau Saint Louis.
Some of the 500,000 artifacts found when the Chateau Saint Louis was excavated.
An amazing job of reconstructing this glassware found in the site.
More artifacts from the chateau.
An elaborate hair pin was found during excavation.
Explanation on how the promenade came to be.
Surprisingly no one knew what Champlain really looked like. All portraits of him are strictly guesses.
It was soon lunch time and we were bused outside the walls of old Quebec to the nearby Museum of Fine Arts where we enjoyed a sit-down lunch in their modern cafe located within the museum itself. Afterwards, local docents led us on a tour of the more interesting exhibits on display.
The cafe in the Museum of Fine Art.
I was gutsy and ordered the blood pudding lunch. It was a patty made of blood sausage. Yes, it was tasty!
Intriguing staircase in the museum.
A place to sit and enjoy an outdoor patio with more art.
Outdoor patio overlooking other buildings in the museum complex.
A futuristic art display made with metal pieces that looked like legos.
Native art carved from the bones of larger animals.
Art carved in a whale bone. They were really creative.
A jaw bone with native art.
Explanation of the massive 40 meter long display of art created by the artist.
One of the three panels of art created by Jean Paul Riopelle.
A second panel.
It was the last evening of our tour so a special farewell dinner was planned for us at the Fairmont Frontenac hotel. We went a bit early so that we could walk through an area where hotel artifacts were on display before sitting down to our last meal as a group.
The lobby of the Fairmont Frontenac. It was not as impressive as I expected it to be.
Lobby display of fresh flowers.
Display of historical dishes used during colonial times.
Our farewell dinner menu.
Farewell Manhattan toast.
I chose the braised beef cheek.
Our dessert.
Saying goodbye to our fellow travelers.
Not sure why this was there but it made for a nice place to take a picture.
Fountain in the park adjacent to the Fairmont.
Loved the way buildings are lit at night.
Today was a relaxing day as we only accumulated 7,836 steps! Tomorrow we all go our separate ways.
Chantal kept us on our toes today by scheduling the lecture to start at 8:00 rather than the normal 8:30 so we had to get up earlier! Marie concluded her lectures with one called “Then and Now”, covering some interesting facts about Quebec history and culture.
A lecture about the old and the new.
Catholicism was/is big in Quebec.
The French feel they are the dominant force in Canada.
The movement to secede from Canada has been fairly quiet since 1995 but it is still an issue in Quebec!
Measuring the happiness of people.
Quebec ranks high!
Our field trip today was to the famous Montmorency Falls, located about 12 km north of the city. What makes them somewhat famous is that they are actually higher than the more well known Canadian waterfall – Niagara Falls. Upon arrival at the falls parking lot we were met by a charming young lady dressed in period costume who proceeded to lead us on a guided tour of the falls area and regaled us with stories about the history of the area and some of the eccentric people who have lived here.
Montmorency Falls, located about 12 km from Quebec City.
When we got off the bus we were met by this charming docent, dressed in period dress. She led us on a tour of the area.
Montmorency falls. The waterfalls are 83 m (272′) tall, a full 30 m (99′) higher than Niagara Falls
The falls are on the Montmorency River as it empties into the St. Lawrence River. Note the suspension bridge across the falls; we will be going there.
Our docent explaining the history of the area.
Viewpoint below the falls. It is October and it was still very warm.
Solid rock wall on the north side of the falls.
The gondola that takes us to the top of the falls.
Riding the gondola to the top of the falls.
I cannot imagine what the falls look like during the spring run-off.
That would be quite a stair climb!
Another costumed character from the past greeting visitors.
Preschoolers on a field trip.
The suspension bridge we walked on. It was more stable than I expected.
View of the St. Lawrence River from the suspension bridge.
Note the abandoned boat caught in the edge of the falls.
Crazy number of stairs if you wanted to get down to the river below the falls.
Zip line! Had I had the time I think I would have tried it!
We walked down/back up 99 steps to get to this viewing deck.
Fall colors in all their glory. Lots of reds because of the maple trees.
October is a great time to visit Quebec.
Fountain outside what was once a thriving hotel at the top of the falls.
Once we finished the tour of Montmorency Falls we knew that lunch was on our own and we had the rest of the day to do what we wished. Not one to sit around I had found an afternoon 1.5 hour boat ride on the St. Lawrence River which would give us an opportunity to see Quebec City from the water and some of the surrounding area. Rather than being taken back to the hotel we asked to be dropped off in the lower town as that is where the river cruise landing was located. As we worked our way toward the boat pier we kept our eyes open for a likely place to grab lunch and ultimately picked a promising looking pizza parlor with outdoor tables, most of which were occupied, so we thought it must be good. As it turned out it was excellent and we had a leisurely lunch before working our way to the boat landing for our 2PM departure.
Pizza parlor in lower town with outdoor seating.
Grabbing a bite before our afternoon boat ride.
Margherita pizza with burrata cheese!
An ice cream shop in Lower town.
At last….an ice cream shop.
Our narrator telling us what we are seeing on our 1.5 hour river boat ride.
Watching the world go by as we cruise the St. Lawrence River.
A Princess ship was also in port today.
Views of old Quebec from the water. It was well positioned to be protected from invasion.
The Queen Mary 2 was in port today.
Chateau Frontenac as seen from the water.
A naval shipyard where a new naval ship is being fabricated in secrecy.
A view of the pastoral island of d’Orleans, located in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. In hind sight a visit to the island might have been better than the boat trip.
Montmorency Falls as seen from the St. Lawrence River.
Quebec is a major shipping port of grain. Grain comes by rail from western Canada and stored in these 600 grain silos before being shipped to Europe.
In my opinion the trip was a bit of a disappointment as I thought we would go further and see more than we did. The highlight was maneuvering past the docked Queen Mary 2 located right next to our boat!
I knew we were on our own for dinner this evening and so months before we arrived I searched for a noteworthy restaurant to try while in the city. One that appeared with very high ratings was called “Le Continental” and I managed to snag dinner reservations for the 4 of us, but at 6 PM because that was all that was available, months earlier! It turned out to be an excellent choice. The restaurant is definitely an”old school, traditional French ” restaurant. Tuxedoed waiters, lots of wood and candles, table cloths and fine china. An added touch that I was not aware of was that most of the cooking is done table-side so there was entertainment as we dined! And the best news was that they knew how to really make a marvelous Manhattan which pleased all of us! Gerry and Sue treated us to the marvelous dinner here in honor of our 60th wedding anniversary we had celebrated in June.
The city is getting ready for autumn.
Québec’s oldest gourmet restaurant, located in a house built in 1845 by the Honourable Jean-Thomas Taschereau, justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.
My guess is this was the original owner of the building, Honourable Jean-Thomas Taschereau, justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.
Our leather bound menus. Choice of dishes was hard!
Definitely an old school ambiance.
Old school atmosphere- lots of wood, and candles.
Finally a Manhattan worthy of its name!
Gerry and Sue are experts on the subject of Manhattans! They liked these!
Most dishes are prepared table side. This is our Caesar salad being prepared.
An outstanding Caesar salad.
Filet Mignon big enough to feed a family of 4!
Finishing Gerry & Sue’s filet! It was done perfectly says Sue.
Scallops to die for!
The 4 of us on an evening on the town.
Quiet streets at 8:30 PM.
It was another busy walking day as we logged 11,318 steps for the day.
Marie Legrouix’s morning lecture was entitled “War and Peace” which focused on the various wars the area has endured over the years.
This shows why Quebec was settled here. It is, indeed, the narrowest part of the river.
The first British attempt to take Quebec failed miserably.
The victory of Britain over the French in 1759.
Did not realize we had attacked Canada and look by whom!
A famous Canadian Army regiment (the Van Doos) is stationed here.
I had not realized how close the Germans came during WWII.
There was another 30 minute break before meeting at 9:59 (note- exact time) AM for our morning walking tour. It was again another (unexpected) warm day in Quebec, temperatures in the mid 70s were expected. It should have been in the 50s this time of year, but no one was complaining. This morning’s tour was of the “lower town”, the original location of Quebec City. It is a lovely location (my favorite) as all the streets are pedestrian only, and lined with small shops, homes and restaurants!
The walls protecting the old town town of Quebec City.
Multilevel apartments that could only be reached by these stairs.
A whole street dedicated to antique shops.
The area in lower town that once was waterfront.
Once a bank these are now condos.
Another previous bank, now law offices.
The Americans were not always allies of Canada!
Example of one of many art galleries that are in lower town.
Not unreasonable prices considering the value of the US dollar!
There are works of art throughout the area. This very small art piece represents what a store that catered to mice would look like!
Another artwork depicting the life of mice!
Quiet pedestrian streets with small shops and restaurants.
You can see one of the buildings that is part of the larger artwork I had shown in a earlier picture. Each year a new piece of art is created.
One of the main streets in lower town Quebec,
The original town square of Quebec City.
Buildings surrounding the town square.
Impressive 17-18th century buildings in the original site of Quebec City.
Another idyllic street in lower town.
You can see the funicular in the distance that links the lower town to the upper town.
Views of the Fairmont hotel in the upper town as seen from the lower town.
A large mural showing pioneer living on a building in lower town.
Riding the funicular from the lower town to the upper town. $5 each way and it is privately owned!
Homage to the lumber era here.
Another example of street art throughout the city.
On our walking food tour the other day we visited Boulangerie Paillard and enjoyed one of their croissants. Today our tour group is having lunch there. We had each been given a crisp $20 Canadian bill to buy whatever we wanted on the menu. It turned out to be a bit of a hassle as the bakery did not have the staff to handle all 30 of us (and other regular walk in customers), but it all worked out; we simply had to wait a bit to place our orders and wait for them to deliver our dishes (soups, salad, or sandwiches). This has been the only disconnect we have experienced on the tour.
After lunch we walked to the nearby Ursuline Museum, where local docents led us on a guided tour. Three Ursuline missionary nuns came to Quebec in 1639, led by Marie de l’Incarnation. There they created a school for girls, which still exists today. The museum is dedicated to explaining the role of the nuns and what they taught the girls who either were interested in joining the convent or studied as boarders of families living in the area.
One of the elaborate 18th century altar hangings made by the Ursuline nuns.
Figures showing the expansion of the Ursuline convent over time. There are 17 buildings now, and the girls school is still active.
Some of the equipment used in the classrooms at the Ursuline girls school.
The metal box that held the heart of Marie l’Incarnation before she was buried in the chapel.
The Ursuline chapel
The burial site of Ursuline nun, Marie l’Incarnation, in the chapel in the Ursuline convent.
Another example of an old French home.
Am I in a Time Machine back in the 17th century?
One of dozens of small restaurants in old Quebec.
This is either a time warp or a tour guide on his way to another gig.
After the tour we boarded a good old fashioned yellow school bus that took us outside the city walls to see other parts of the “modern city” and the Plains of Abraham, where the September 13, 1759 battle between the French and English took place. The name is not a biblical reference; it is named after the person who owned the land, Abraham L’Écossais. The British, under the command of General Wolfe, executed a surprise attack on the French army led by Marquis de Montcalm. The battle was over in 30 minutes, won by the British, which resulted in them taking control of all of Quebec by 1760. Both Wolfe and Montcalm died during the battle.
The national parliament of Quebec.
The parliament building of Quebec, with statues of important figures in Quebec history.
We were lucky to have Marie Legrouix as our tour guide again today.
Looking out at the Plains of Abraham battlefield.
Statue of Joan of Arc in the park.
A city park overlooking the plains of Abraham, the site of the 1759 battle between the French and English.
On the plains of Abraham looking back to the “new” Quebec.
One of the original gates to Quebec City.
The group dinner this evening was at L’ Entrecôtes, a traditional French steakhouse where we enjoyed steak frites. From the looks of the bar area Gerry and I assumed we might finally be able to get a decent Manhattan. Au contraire. Gerry swears they used a maple enfused bourbon for the basis of the drink. At least they were not expensive!
L’ Entrecôtes, the French steakhouse where we had dinner.
When we saw this bar at L’ Entrecôtes we hoped to find a decent Manhattan. Sadly, no.
Classical steak & frites at L’ Entrecôtes. It was quite good.
Profiteroles, with ice cream was a perfect end to the meal.
Having experienced last night’s after-dinner stroll with Chantal we decided to pass on tonight’s walk, choosing instead to find the ice cream shop where you can get cones dipped in one of many toppings, recommended by Chantal earlier in the week. Mission accomplished!
With a least 10 dipping sauces you can make your favorite chocolate covered ice cream.
Had to buy some of her “Chicago Blend” a mixture of cheese and caramel flavored corn. It reminded me of Garrett popcorn in Chicago.
It was another busy walking day as we completed 10,301 steps! Needless to say, we all slept well that night.
Each day starts with a lecture right after breakfast, usually followed by a field trip. We met our local lecturer, Marie Legrouix, an 11th generation Québécois, whose ancestors arrived in the 17 th century! Marie turned out to be an absolute delight. Her lecture this morning was on the history of the city.
View from our hotel room. A cruise ship coming into Quebec City for the day.
Chantal, our tour leader, introducing our guest speaker/guide, Marie Legrouix.
Describing the architecture of Quebec homes. The French would use stucco while the British favored bricks.
Important dates in the history of Quebec.
I had forgotten how much land the French controlled back then.
Leaders of the two armies (French and British). Both died on the battlefield.
After the lecture we had 30 minutes to freshen up and gather whatever we needed for our walking field trip. We were broken up into two smaller groups (a second local person led the other group) for our walking tour of the area. We also had been given “whisperers” (those audio headsets) so we would be able to easily hear her commentary as we walked the nearby streets of old Quebec City. Road Scholar always seems to have these headsets on their tours. They are a godsend! As there were several cruise ships also in town this day, we often passed some of their tours where the large group of participants walked around with no audio headsets, certainly making their experience nowhere as good as ours.
One of the old, original 17-18th century buildings in the city.
Inside the basilica of Notre Dame de Quebec, founded in 1647, built in 1843.
The hanging dome over the main altar. It is unusual to not have supporting pillars.
The grave of Bishop Laval, an important figure in Quebec history.
The original campus of Laval University, founded by Bishop Laval in 1854.
The Anglican cathedral in Quebec. Once the British took over this religion made its presence known.
The flag of Quebec.
Another of the narrow street with 18th century buildings in Quebec City.
Another ornate Quebec door.
Sadly this is the last buggy offering rides in the city.
A city park over looking the St. Lawrence River.
The famous 610 room Fairmont Le Château Frontenac hotel, built in 1893.
The Fairmont hotel looks enormous from the boardwalk. Surprisingly it only has 610 rooms.
The wooden promenade on the waterfront.
Looking down at the lower town area, the original site of Quebec City.
The wooden promenade overlooking the lower town and the St. Lawrence River.
Statue of Samuel de Champlain, the discoverer of Quebec.
Buskers were evident in many locations. They needed to be vetted before being allowed to perform. Many were also members of the local symphony and this was a way to supplement their income.
Road Scholar includes most of the meals on their tours and we had to laugh when we stopped for lunch at La Buche, one of the stops we made yesterday on our food tour. The good news is that the food was excellent so we did not care it was a repeat. We had a choice of 3 entrees for lunch, which was a nice touch.
Lunch was served at La Buche where we visited yesterday. There was a line waiting to get in again but we walked right in!
A larger portion o their shepherd’s pie.
A three cheese sandwich.
Gerry tried their version of a meat pie, called a tourtiere.
The “must do” thing at La Buche is to go the the restroom. The stalls are located behind these doors.
People are encouraged to “decorate” the restroom! I could not find a space to even attempt to add to the decor!
Last stall on the right. Yvonne immortalized our visit.
Gerry & Sue enjoying another maple “lollipop”.
After lunch there was a visit to a local cultural museum (Museum of Civilization) in the lower town area, where a local docent led us on a one hour tour of the exhibits.
Maison François-Jacquet-Dit-Langevin, built in the late 17th century, is considered the oldest building in Quebec City. It is now a restaurant.
Some homes still have the original metal shutters popular back then.
Riding the funicular from the promenade to the lower town where the museum was located.
The Main Street in the lower town where Quebec was initially settled. They later moved it to the top of the hill for better protection. The lower town remains and is really magical.
A seasonal artwork made of aluminum foil positioned on a series of buildings. You must stand at a certain spot to see the total picture.
Inside the Museum of Civilization.
An old 17th century skiff used to ferry goods and people from sailing ships. It was unearthed when the museum was being built.
A diorama of what an Indigenous village would look like.
Tools crafted by the indigenous tribes.
What a fashionable trader wore back then.
Winter clothing for the locals in ancient times.
Walking back to the funicular to return to the upper town after our museum tour.
Autumn’s theme at the city park.
The day ended around 4 PM so we had time to rest a bit before meeting at 5:39 to walk to our dinner restaurant, Bistro Horus. Did you note the rather specific meeting time of 5:39? Chantal always gave us an unusual time to meet,e.g. 5:39 rather than 5:40 or 5:45. Smart, as we were more likely to remember the time. As a result, everyone always seemed to be on time.
An attempt to get a decent Manhattan. Attempt failed!
Dinner menu choices at Bistro Horus..
A surprisingly good vegetarian lasagne.
Sausage and mashed potatoes was another option.
Fairly decent cream brûlée.
After dinner, Chantal offered an short evening stroll to anyone interested in joining her , to see the city at night. Gerry and I joined her, our wives declined. However, her “stroll” was anything but; it was fast and involved some hilly climbs as the city streets are pretty steep in places. It was pretty seeing the city at night but we ended up fairly tired when we returned to the hotel. In fact my steps for the day were 11,247!
One of the few buildings I saw with the extended bow windows.
Looking down at the lower town and harbor during our evening stroll.
A church steeple at night.
One of the gun placements used to protect the city.
Chateau le Frontenac at night.
October 2, 2023: Quebec City Food Tour and Meeting Our Fellow Travellers.
Our late night arrival in Quebec City was a bit chaotic. Our plane was late, luggage delivery was late and by the time we were looking for either a taxi or Uber there were none to be found! At least a dozen people were in line waiting for an occasional taxi to arrive. I tried to call for one but instructions were in French so that did not work. I tried ordering an Uber but kept getting rejected as none were available in the area. I figured trying to land an Uber was my best option and I did finally land one with an obscene ($55) surge pricing addition (on a regular ($50) fee, but at this point I was not going to argue as it was already past midnight and we have been waiting over 30 minutes to find a ride. We finally got to the hotel around 1:30AM- not a good start to the trip! I had already alerted Gerry that we would be arriving late and that we would meet in the morning for our scheduled food walking tour.
People waiting for a taxi!
The lobby of Manoir Victoria, a boutique hotel in old town Quebec.
Later that morning : The Road Scholar course begins this evening at a 6 PM dinner. Until then we were free so we had planned to take a local food tour in the morning. As you may recall this is a common thing we do, especially when visiting a foreign country where we know little about their food. We have had some great food tours over the years, sampling some amazing dishes in places where we would not have entered if we had not been with a tour group. As it turned out our Quebec food tour was one of the best we have experienced!
Typical street in Quebec City in the early morning.We quickly learned that the streets in old Quebec were hilly!
Many colorful flower boxes adorn the buildings.
Our food tour guide
A very French looking door!
Inside the funky La Buche restaurant. There is always a line of people outside waiting to get a table!
Pea soup, made with chickpeas, at La Buche, our first stop on the food tour.
The La Buche version of shepherd’s pie.
Dessert was a maple syrup “lollypop”. It is poured on a cold surface to make it hard, but you had to eat it fairly quickly as it gradually softened and ended up on your hands!
We were asked to eat our maple syrup lollipop out doors in case they started dripping!
Another marvelous 17th century home in Qecbec City.
Statue of Marie de l’Incarnation, an Ursuline nun who founded their community in Quebec in 1639. More on her later.
The Ursulines were a major force in Quebec as evidenced by this 1879 picture showing their property.
City hall with its lovely plaza that is decorated during the various seasons.
The next stop was at Paillards for their authentic croissant!
Enjoying our croissant outside Paillard.
This stop was to enjoy some honey that is grown on the roof of the bar along with some local organic white wine.
Sampling maple syrup candy.
Selling locally grown herbs and forest products for cooking.
Next stop: to sample local gin!
They are famous for their many different infused gins. We tried this one- not bad!
Last stop was to try the national dish of Canada-poutine- French fries doused with gravy and a variety of other toppings. In this case -fresh cheese curds! Heart attack in the offing!
After a group dinner at the hotel we met with our group leader for the week, Chantal Bellon, a former engineer, turned teacher, turned tour guide. We quickly learned that she was going to be a marvelous leader and we would be lucky to have her as our guide and chaperone. She briefed us on tomorrow’s activities and schedule and had the 29 members of our group tell who we were, where we were from and a bit about ourselves.
October, 2023: Malheureusement je ne parle pas français!
Quebec City is the oldest French city in North America, dating back to 1608 and one of the earliest cities in North America; only St. Augustine is older (1565). It has fiercely retained its French heritage and French is its official language. Quebec City is the capital of the province of Quebec and its 2nd largest city (population of 550,000), with only Montreal being larger.
French explorer, Samuel Champlain, established the settlement on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in 1608, naming it “Quebec”, an Algonquin Indian name meaning “where the river narrows”, which aerial photography easily confirms.
Visiting Quebec City has been on my bucket list for years. We even had plans to go there in 2021 but we all know what happened then. This year we finally made it. Given my interest to learn as much as I can about the places I visit I signed us up to go on a 6 day Road Scholar trip called “Signature City: Quebec” (https://www.roadscholar.org/find-an-adventure/19748/Signature-City-Quebec). These signature city programs focus only on the history and attractions in/near a city. Earlier in 2023 we attended a similar one in San Antonio, Texas. We really like Road Scholar trips (this was our 12th) because the program includes lectures along with field trips to provide the attendees with a lot more information and insight into the history and culture of the area visited. My brother, Gerry, and wife, Sue, also joined us on this latest adventure.
Our hotel is near the airport in the small town of Keflavik, which is about 49 km from Reykjavík. Our flight home is not until the late afternoon and we are slated for the 1:00 PM provided shuttle from the hotel to the airport, so we were free for the morning. Steve remembered a bakery he and wife, Julie, discovered on their last trip to Iceland and recommended we go there for coffee and a pastry. It was about a 20 minute walk but the weather was pleasant so off we went. The city was amazingly quiet (no cars, no stores open) at 9AM but maybe it was because it was a Saturday. Once at the local bakery we tried some of the local favorites (recommended to us by the gentleman ordering right before us); his suggestions were spot on.
Irish bar in the daylight!
Typical home in Keflavik.
Recommended pastry to try. It was a sweet dough, somewhat like our cake donuts.
The other recommended pastry to try. It was similar in taste.
By the time we returned to the hotel it was time to check out of our room so we ventured down to the lobby to play a couple more games of cribbage before leaving for the airport. I maintained my record of NOT winning a game; I was becoming suspicious that maybe Steve was using a “stacked” deck!
Our fancy bus from the hotel to the airport.
Check-in, security screening and passport control went smoothly and we simply had to wait for our flight to depart, which it did on time. We arrived back in Seattle to bright skies and beautiful summer weather. It was the conclusion of what turned out to be a great trip with our eldest son.
Lunch!
Well, we did have food to go along with the beverage.
Bought a take out charcuterie tray to take on the plane.
Inside the Reykjavík airport-modern but poorly designed for passenger flow.
The devil made me do it. Had another Iceland hot dog at the airport before boarding our plane.
Near Grindavik, Iceland.
Near Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada.
The top of Mt. Rainier greeting our return.
Tacoma waterfront below as we were landing in Seattle.
Riding the passenger high speed catamaran from Seattle to Kingston, which is only 10 minutes from our home.
Epilogue:
– Both Steve and I developed runny noses and an occasional sneeze a couple of days before the end of the trip, which we attributed to simply a cold as we had no other symptoms. When Steve got home, his wife, Julie, suggested that perhaps he had contracted Covid . He took the rapid test and, sure enough, it came back positive. He dutifully called me and I also took the rapid test and yes, I also had Covid. Both our symptoms were extremely mild, with no evidence of a fever or other symptoms that commonly are attributed to Covid. Within a couple of days we both tested negative. Moral of the story: make sure you get all the vaccinations you can (I have had 6); I am convinced that is why our symptoms were so mild.
-As I mentioned earlier, the trip exceeded my expectations both for visual beauty and experiences. Greenland is certainly worth visiting if you enjoy this type of vacation.
– I was impressed with Quark Expeditions, although we both felt we learned more from naturalists on our National Geographic (NG) trips. However, it should be noted there was more “down time” on the NG trips then this one. The ship (Ultramarine) was like a modern cruise ship; it was well thought out. The food was excellent and the staff friendly and outgoing. And bar drinks were $8! I would sail with them again.
Parting comment: “Life is short and the world is wide.” – Unknown
July 21, 2023: Leaving Greenland and Returning to Iceland
Luggage was out by the requested 7AM time, after making sure it was less than the 18kg weight limit that was imposed by the air charter and stressed by the ship’s staff. There were scales set out for us to verify the weight. We were asked to simply vacate out cabins by 9AM and were free to leave the ship at any time. The main activity planned for the morning was the availability of a ferry shuttle to take us across the fjord to the original home of Erik (sometimes you see it spelled as Eric) the Red who settled there in 982. Once there we were free to wander around and see some ruins, visit a current active sheep farm and stop by the local “cafe” for souvenirs and free food samples.
Unfortunately when we awoke it was raining somewhat and we were not eager to walk around Brattahlid (“steep slope”), the name Erik the Red gave to his village, in the rain so we waited in the lounge and worked a bit more on that darn puzzle before leaving the ship around 10 AM, once the rain stopped. The shuttle ferry ride across the fjord took only 5 minutes or so on a fairly modern vessel.
Looking across the fjord to Qassiarsuk, the ancestral home of Erik the Red.
The shuttle used to ferry us to/from Qassiarsuk.
Nearing the village where Erik the Red lived.
The small landing in Brattahlid (now Qassiarsuk), the home of Erik the Red.
Local mode of transportation. They had two 5 passenger models available to take us around if we did not want to walk.
Fairly lush landscape in this part of Greenland. Picture taken by Steve.
One of several hostels for visitors who want to linger. Note statue of Leif Erickson on top of the hill.
Steve climbed the hill to take this picture of the Leif Erickson statue.
Picture of a Greenland door for my collection.
First time we have seen animals in the area.
The village church.
I guess if you offer one thing you might as well offer other activities.
We spent the next 2.5 hours wandering around the small village, talking to some local guides about what we were seeing and enjoying some of the local food samples that had been prepared for us. They even provided several ATVs to take us to various sights in the village if we did not want to walk the distances between the sites. The rain had gone and it was a pleasant visit to the surprisingly lush area that is still active today as a livestock (mostly sheep) growing area. No wonder Erik the Red selected this area to settle. Compared to the other areas we have seen on our visit to Greenland, this area certainly is more conducive to living.
Remains of an ancient building site. As you can see it is very green here!
Replica of the 10th century church built here. Steve gets picture credit.
Inside the tiny recreated church.
A local resident telling us the history of the church we just visited.
The type of home used by Vikings in the 10th century.
What the inside of a typical Viking home looked like.
Winter attire for a well dressed Viking!
Archeologists looking for ancient artifacts.
Sod home of the type the original settlers would have lived in.
The local coffee, brewery and souvenir shop-all in one place.
Inside the local store where free food samples were offered to us.
Giving us samples of a delicious lamb soup.
Today’s selfie, with Peter Cammell and his son, Alex.
Two local boys.
Some local girls with face painting.
Local general store which was surprisingly well stocked.
The hostess who runs the sheep ranch in the village. She made a bunch of appetizers and desserts for us to try.
Some of the appetizers the owner of the sheep farm offered us.
Some ulu knives and purses offered for sale.
An intricate shawl common in their culture.
Our host’s wedding picture, showing her in her native dress.
We were instructed to be at the airport by 1:30 to check into our return charter flight to Reykjavik, scheduled for a 4:10PM departure ( 7:50PM arrival). Quark had arranged to have box lunches waiting for us at the airport and told us there was an interesting museum and cafe near the airport terminal for us to visit as we waited for our flight. As I had mentioned earlier the local shuttles they had to take us to airport were either a small van or small school bus and since there are 150 of us Steve and I again opted to walk rather than wait for the erratic scheduled bus run. The weather was pleasant so it was not an unpleasant walk. Our game plan was to quickly eat our lunch and get in line to check in our luggage early, hoping to get better seats in the plane (we were way in the back of the plane -row 27 coming out). Our plan worked BUT once we checked in we found we had been assigned to same seats for our return flight-bummer! Oh well, at least we were now free to go visit the museum and cafe, while others awaited the very slow check-in process at the airport.
We just missed the ferry. Another came by in about 10 minutes.
The cafe and museum near the airport.
The terminal at the airport.
The museum was surprisingly large and informative. Turns out this area was a major refueling spot during WWII. The museum had artifacts and pictures from that era. It took over an hour to work our way through it as it was really interesting. It was then time to go to the next door cafe to look at our last chance for souvenirs and a local beer.
1400 personnel were here at its peak.
There was a large US presence in the area during WWII.
Over 10,000 flights came through here during the war.
130 planes landed here in one day in 1944! At the peak there were 5600 military personnel in Greenland.
Had to laugh when I saw this.
Old artifacts from WWII.
Some very old gaming equipment. Sad to say I remember them.
Ancient ax that dates from the era of Erik the Red. Could it be his?
An old Inuit kayak.
In 1915 170 sheep arrived from Iceland and began the current sheep raising industry here.
When we arrived at the airport we were told that our return flight would likely be late in leaving. Rumor initially was it might be about 20 minutes, not a big deal. However, by the time we were enjoying our beer on the outdoor patio we heard it would now likely be a 2 hour delay for departure, not a good prospect, but we cannot do anything about it except enjoy our beer and the warm sun shining down on us. Steve was antsy, having noted that there was a trail going up the nearby hill, decided he needed more steps and wandered off to take it on. Me, being of sound mind, decided I would simply enjoy my beverage and catch some more rays!
The cafe next to the airport.
Great labels for some local beer.
Steve decides to climb the hill behind the airport.
Steve takes this picture of the airfield from the top of the hill he just climbed.
As it turned out we were not boarding our “unpainted” airplane until 6:30 PM , putting us about 3 hours late in departing Greenland. Thus our arrival at Reykjavík, where we were taken to a local hotel for our final night’s lodging, resulted in arriving way past any opportunity to find dinner (11 PM local time). Steve did some research and found a nearby Irish pub that was open to the wee hours so we walked there for a pint and perhaps a bit to eat. Alas, the Guinness was available, but there was no food served there. I had to laugh as there was not even any Irish music playing; there was a DJ blasting out modern R&R. We did find a couple of our fellow travelers there, however, and joined them as we downed our Guinness. Still hungry, as we walked back to our hotel we passed an all night convenience store that had really good salads and sandwiches which we purchased and ate while watching a bit of the opening US women’s soccer match in our hotel room!
Boarding our no-name plane for our return flight.
Inside our Irish pub at 1 AM.
In our hotel ready to eat our late night dinner while watching US women’s soccer team.
A surprisingly good sandwich from an all night convenience store.
Watching the US women’s soccer team play in the World Cup.They won their first game.
The game plan for the day, conveyed to us last night, was to go up a fjord where there is expected to be significant ice and offer both helicopter sightseeing rides (no landings) and/or kayak excursions among the ice floes in the fjord. As is a common issue with expedition travel when we awoke this morning we were in dense fog and ice, forcing the ship to limit its speed to 3 knots… and we were 24km from our destination. So it turned out to be a leisurely morning and they moved the initially scheduled afternoon disembarkation talk to the morning.
A retired librarian from DC has been helping us work in this dastardly difficult puzzle!
Our disembarkation talk, as, sadly, we leave the ship tomorrow.
Showing us how the wrap our bulky parkas into a package about the size of a basketball!
Details for leaving the ship tomorrow.
The place where Erik the Red first settled around 982.
The village originally settled by Erik the Red is across the fjord from our docking area.
After we return from Qassiarsuk we either ride the small shuttle to the airport or walk.
Lecture on Arctic foxes.
The arctic fox.
Scientists were surprised how far foxes can go in search of food.
Fox waiting to eat the leftovers from a polar bear kill.
We did finally arrive to our planned destination around 11 AM where the sun was shining and the fog was gone. Furthermore it was a balmy 14 degrees C (57 degrees F)! However, weather predictions were such that the staff scratched the idea of the helicopter flights as they felt they would not be able to give everyone the opportunity before the weather changed.
And the afternoon scheduled polar plunge was now on before lunch! I was on the fence about doing it again as I had done one in Svalbard in 2019. However, when I heard they would be giving those who participated a cloth patch I decided I had to do it once more. Steve had done them both in Antarctica and Svalbard and decided to pass, acting as official photographer for the event. The ship had a great location for the plunge, off the stern of the ship where they can launch their kayaks from a nice stationary platform. As we lined up in swim suits and bathrobes to await our turn the staff pumped out loud, high energy R&R music to urge us on. Many of those in line with me had never done one and I do believe the music was meant to encourage one to continue. Quark is super cautious and attaches a rope to each person before they jump in. When I did it in Svalbard we were on our own-although there were staff members right there to help pull you out. Here they simply pull on the rope to haul you back to the ladder if you need help. My plunge would not win any style points as I choose to hold my nose to avoid ingesting all that salt water. Yes, it was a shock (water temp was 4 degrees C- 39 degrees F) to the body when you hit the water, but not as bad as one might imagine. Some people actually swam around a bit before returning to the ladder. Once surfaced I immediately headed back to the ladder with assistance from the staff member holding the rope and eagerly accepted a towel, my slippers and bathrobe, a shot of vodka and my coveted badge of honor- my polar plunge badge. A quick hot shower and life returned to normal.
Strapped in and ready to go.
No style points for my plunge!
My reward- to add to my collection! I also have one from a polar plunge in Svalbard.
As we ate lunch the ship repositioned in the fjord where the kayak people would go for a ride through the expected icebergs in the area. We queried whether there might be an opportunity for a zodiac ride among the icebergs and were happy to be told there will be some. Most of the icebergs we have encountered so far have been quite small. Once out on the water we were pleased to find that this region of the fjord had some really formidable sized icebergs which made for wonderful sightseeing. Our zodiac driver/guide did a fine job passing by (but not too close as icebergs can suddenly rotate) and explaining why some looked the way they did. Viewing these marvelous works of Mother Nature ( each looks like a sculpture) was one of the highlights of my trip to Antarctica in 2012 and seeing these monsters today brought back fond memories. I snapped a heck of a lot of photos as we spent 1.5 hours working our way through the maze of icebergs that had become grounded in this fjord. It was a marvelous way to end our exploration of Greenland. And luckily we were back on the ship before rain began pelting those still out in the fjord!
Our tour guide and driver for the afternoon.
It was chilly so we were bundled up.
Most of the larger icebergs have floated in and become grounded.
They can be dangerous, as they can suddenly change orientation.
The surrounding area is pretty barren.
The series of terraces you see reflect how the iceberg has changed its level with respect to the sea.
They are bigger than these pictures portray. Some can be 30 to 50 feet high.
The glacier at the end of the fjord. The large icebergs we are seeing did not come from there. They floated in and got stuck in the fjord.
No two are alike. Each is a work of art created by Mother Nature.
Some of these rivaled (in size) those I saw in Antarctica
Look how tall this one is.
Look at the small iceberg that was absolutely clear.
Looking for a white-tailed fish eagle (7 ft wing span) that was reported to be in the area. We saw it in flight.
The other zodiac that was on the tour.
The darker the color, the older the ice is.
Returning to the mother ship after our 1.5 hour iceberg tour.
There was a farewell cocktail party where the captain and staff received applause from the passengers for a job well done. As expected the chef and expedition group attracted the loudest cheers.
More cribbage. Never did win a game this trip. Figured the cards were rigged!
The captain saying goodbye.
The staff receiving a hearty, well deserved thank you from the passengers.
Some fun facts about Vikings.
Fun facts about the Vikings.
Where evidence of places the Vikings visited has been found.
One last dinner and then a return to the lounge to view a 30 minute video summary of the trip with photographs and film clips were shown. The good news is that it will be available to us once we return home.
Steak and lobster for our farewell dinner.
The movie summarizing our Greenland adventure.
Steve exchanging contact information with climber, Peter Cammell.
Farewells were offered to new found friends and it was time to pack as we needed to have luggage out by 7AM.
