From the Pacific to the Atlantic - Crossing Canada by Train
2 October - 5 November 2024

Canada 2024
29 October 2024: Day 28

Quebec - day 2

Introduction

After breakfast at the hotel we walked along the Dufferin Terrace to the Governor's Walk. This climbs around the outside of the ramparts to reach a "belvedere" or viewing platform that overlooks the St Lawrence River on one side and the Plains of Abraham on the other. From here we walked around the top of the ramparts past the entrance into the citadel and back into the city.

The hotel offered us a free bus ticket to visit Montmornecy Falls, about an hour outside Quebec. We decided instead to book a river cruise that visited other parts of the area, but claimed to offer an unparallelled view of the same falls from the river. The cruise was surprisingly popular. We set off at 1300 moving downstream to pass the town of Lévis on the far bank and then part of the island of Ile de Orleans. We saw the Montmorency Falls in the distance, but we were assured we would see them again on our return. We did, but no closer, so we returned somewhat disappointed. If you want to see the falls close up then take the free bus tour, not the river cruise.

Governor's Walk and Plains of Abraham

Dufferin Terrace, just below our hotel takes one to the steps and pathway known as the Governor's Walk. There are 331 steps on the walk, as it climbs around the outside of the ramparts to reach a "belvedere" or viewing platform that overlooks the St Lawrence River on one side and the Plains of Abraham on the other. The Plains were the scene of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759, when British soldiers under the command of General Wolfe, climbed the steep cliff under the city in darkness, surprising and defeating the French, through a single deadly volley of musket fire, causing the battle to be over within 30 minutes. Both Wolfe and the French commander, the Marquis de Montcalm, died of their wounds, but the battle left control of Quebec City to the British, eventually allowing them to take control of Canada the following year. From here we walked around the top of the ramparts and found the entrance into the citadel. Although advertised as a great place to visit, there is a high fee to enter, and then you can only see the citadel as part of a guided tour - that run on the hour. We declined and continued our outside walk, back into Old Quebec.

The first set of stairs

Pausing to look at the view of the river

310 step - I'll take their word for it!

The becomes a toboggan ride in Winter.

The end of the walk.

Cross of Sacrifice at the entrance to the Plains

Monument en hommage aux femmes en politique

Field guns as part of the Plains Museum

School children re-enacting the Battle - The British

The French.

Inside the Citadel

The pedestrian access to the Citadel

Views of architecture in Old Quebec

Ornamental lettuces!

St Lawrence River Cruise

From our hotel we again walked along Dufferin Terrace and down the hill at Cote de la Montagne to reach the Quai Chouinard where the river cruise boat was moored. We set off at 1300 moving downstream to pass the town of Lévis on the far bank and then part of the island of Ile de Orleans. We had high expectations of a close-up view of the Montmorency Falls from he base, looking up the falls but the boat remained in the middle of the river, several kilometres away from the falls. So much for the unparallelled views they advertised. The cruise was surprisingly popular but we returned somewhat disappointed. If you want to see the falls close up then take the free bus tour, not the river cruise.

Welcome Aboard - he could (and did) talk a lot!