On Thursday morning I awoke early and focused on putting away everything that was out of place in the kitchen and living room. We all began packing at 6 am. We ate some of the bagels and packed up the rest to take with us on the train.
We were surprised at how crowded the train station was. There were long lines for the train to Quebec City, but boarding didn’t begin until ten minutes before departure time. The staff organizes the many passengers every day! Amazingly, everyone boarded, and the train left on time.
The ride was comfortable and pleasant. The first sights through the windows were cityscapes, followed by many farms. We identified lots of pumpkins and corn growing. After the farms, forests of fall foliage were fabulous! This ride is perfect for those who enjoy seeing the shades of fiery red, golden yellow, and burnt orange that the leaves were beginning to take on. After three and a half hours, we reached our stop.
Because we arrived several hours before check-in time, Nick had made arrangements for us to store our luggage. As soon as we did that, we began searching for somewhere to have lunch. We found a small place that featured chicken and fries. Instead of a wait staff, we entered our order on a computer screen, and before to long, our food arrived.
The streets in Quebec City were filled with people who were taking in the sights. Immediately the architecture, and the mood, reminded us of France. The Fresque des Québécois is a mural that recreates the city’s distinctive architecture and tells the story of the people who shaped its history. On Rue Cul-de-sac, we walked along Umbrella Alley. A Canadian couple approached me and suggested that we take the funicular up to the Chateau Frontenac, one of the most photographed hotels in the world.
Chateau Frontenac is a castle-like luxury hotel that is atop Cape Diamond, overlooking the St. Lawrence River in Old Quebec’s Upper Town, and it’s absolutely majestic. We walked along the boardwalk to be able to see it from as many angles as possible. We came to a gelateria, where Carla and I agreed that we wanted to try a flavor that was new to us, maple syrup. We thought it might be sickeningly sweet, but it was very light, with just a hint of maple. We loved it.
As we left the boardwalk, we came upon the Basilique-Cathédrale-Notre-Dame-de-Québec. There has been a church on this site since 1633. In the 1920s it was burnt in a fire and was rebuilt. Like the basilicas we saw in Rome, it too has a holy door that is only opened once every twenty-five years.
It was time to retrieve our luggage and go to our suite. After we all settled in, we were all very hungry. Nick said he’s like to eat French food, and Yelp! told us that there was a good French restaurant two minutes away. If there is duck on a menu, Nick will order it. There was, he did, and it was wonderful. Nicholas and Carla ordered steak, which was also wonderful. I thought I ordered ravioli, but I was mistaken. I ordered raviolo, one ravioli, topped with squash puree and grated squash. That wasn’t what I had in mind. But ah, the desserts! Nick ordered squash cheesecake with pecans, which was surprisingly good. Carla ordered what was called sugar pie, a Canadian specialty. The filling is made of brown sugar, butter, eggs, heavy cream, and (no surprise) maple syrup. Although it sounds terribly sweet, it was surprisingly good, too.
It had been a very long day, and we were glad that our suite was only two minutes away.
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