Thursday 10 August Quebec City

 Another amazing day! Wake up early, still having trouble adjusting to the time changes. It was a lovely cruise into Quebec. It was sunny, no wind and 15 degrees at 7 am. The Chateau Frontenac stands out in the skyline as we approach our dock. At one stage I thought our side was going to be port side as we approached but then ship started to pivot with one tug at the bow holding it steady, while another tug at the stern was helping the ships thrusters by  pushing the stern as well. The ship was turned parallel to the dock and then docked starboard side.

We had a 9 am meeting for our tour and everything went smoothly and we were on our way by 9.20. On our way to our first stop a winery on the Cote De Beaupre, we got some good views of the city and some beautiful buildings. The winery was Domaine L’ange Gardien. The vines are trimmed by hand and the grapes are picked by hand. We sampled a Rose, a white and and a dessert apple cider. The white and rose were good but not a fan of the cider. We decided to but a rose and if we had to pay corkage so be it. But in talking with another couple they said they have no problems bring wine on board even when it goes through the X-ray scanner on board. It appears the scanner operators do not refer you to the alcohol collection point, it seems to be an honour system to declare you are bringing wine on board! I had with me the old Canadian notes and asked whether they are still acceptable and was told yes. So we bought another bottle, a reserve red we will see how we go getting back on board.

After the wine tasting we continued down the Beaupre coast to St Anne’s Canyon. The temperature is now in the mid 20s and it is a beautiful day.  Our guide tells us that on Tuesday they had 122 millimeters of rain, so there will be plenty of water in the canyon. She was right there was quite a torrent flowing through the gorge in a very scenic but rugged setting. There are casts of animals and carvings throughout the park. On the way back we get a quick glimpse of the Montmerency falls, which are claimed to be higher than Niagara Falls, but clearly not as big!

We get back on board by 1.45 and have no problems with getting the wine on board for free! Great day, more wine and the old Canadian currency can still be used!

After lunch we head back into Quebec to explore the old city. We had planned to use the funicular to get to the old city as it is well above the new city, but we just kept walking and I was able to master the stairs by taking my time and using the stair rail as support. The buildings are remarkable, typical French architecture. There is quite a lot going on and  it is very busy. We make our way to the top and the Chateau Frontenac. It is a formidable sight and you can understand why it is the most photographed hotel in the world. There is a boardwalk along the edge where you can look out over the river, and the boardwalk goes on for quite some way. Some buildings have beautiful and detailed murals painted on them. The sky is beginning to get some dark clouds and there are showers predicted from 6 pm. It is after 3.30 so we decide to head back down to the ship.  We get back on board around 4.45 very tired, but a great day.

At about 8 pm it starts raining, and we have a severe thunderstorm alert.