Enchantingly European and yet quintessentially Canadian, Old Quebec is one of those places where I happily lose myself. Entering through the grey stone gateway brought back sweet memories of our last
visit here and this time the sun is shining, there is blue sky overhead, and to tops things off, we met up with our new Vancouver friends and played all day! Each of us had on our list one “to do” thing and so we took turns leading the others along. Here’s the list: a tour of the Parliament, a visit to the market, lunch for John and Gord, a photo stop at the Hotel Frontenac, a gelato break (where John insisted the proprietor provide me with a gluten-free option), shopping for the grandbabies and ourselves (me and Anna), dinner at the oldest restaurant in the city, and finally a night at the Hotel Wal-Mart (but that’s another story). As Anna said, “Now it feels like I’m on holiday!”
We were up at 5:00 a.m. as was John and thankfully, he invited us to use the washroom in his palatial RV (very much appreciated!). Some Super Wal-Marts are open 24/7 and provide free use of washrooms and even showers but this one was just a daytime store. Another bonus was that we got in a quick chat with him and Anna before they headed off to the Gaspe. PEI lobster dinner is on all our “to do” lists and we hope to meet up and make it happen in the next week or two.
The Lonely Planet guide encouraged a stop at a little island just 15 minutes east of Quebec City in the centre of the St. Lawrence River and so we zoomed over the bridge into pastoral bliss. I have heard that the colour green has sopor
ific qualities and we felt it as we meandered between the lush fields, cemeteries and churches of L’Isle d’Orleans. By the time we reached the campsite it was only 9 a.m. and too early for check-in so we found an old farmhouse café and ordered coffee and eggs in an attempt to stay awake until 11:00 a.m. The eatery felt like a step back in time with its high beamed ceiling and cook stove in the corner. Breakfast was a family affair with Papa at the skillet, Grandmere taking orders, Mama making cappuccinos and the little one practicing her pastry chef skills with multi-coloured playdoh and its squeezing machine. I might have been fooled into tasting one of her fancy little cupcakes if I hadn’t known better.
The campsite is one of the cleanest we have encountered and so we pulled in, popped the top and napped away the wind and rain. What a treat to sleep in!
After our nap we headed to the south side of L’Isle d’Orleans and discovered its fame as a windsurfing haven. It was a wild show as the winds reached 35-45 knots and the waves grew to heights of 5 feet or more.
Like the Gulf Island at home, quite a number of artisans ply their wares and among them we found a blackcurrant Vinegariere, a gourmet Chocolatriere, heirloom strawberries and rhubarb (in season, of course). The land is mostly agricultural and the homes date back 300 and 400 years. I just couldn’t decide where to point the camera as every angle was memory-worthy.
We only stayed one night, sadly and moved on east again. Ste-Anne’s waterfall, with its gondola and overhanging bridge required a stop, then up along the north side of the St. Lawrence to one of Quebec’s National Parks. The canyon is the deepest this side of the Rockies so a comparison was necessary. We have concluded that in our westcoast paradise we are spoiled with our fjords, snow-capped mountains and the sea. There simply is no comparison.
It’s lovely to smell the salt spray once again. I have missed it.
