A Ten Hour Drive to Quebec City

Monday morning we got up at dawn to pack the van and make the drive to Quebec City.  Though it was out of our way, we drove to the falls for one last peek and it was absolutely worth the trouble.  Filled to the brim with tourists the day before, the walkway was empty and quiet and we had an opportunity to appreciate God's majesty once more and say goodbye.  I have always liked to take my leave of places in at least a small ceremonial way and I may have passed that on to our babes.  And Chris.  I did not have to twist his arm to take the 45 minute detour.
On the road, it was much like driving in the US except the speed limit is in kilometers and there are no billboards to interrupt the beauty of the landscape.  It was a little under ten hours to Quebec City and we spent much of that time listening to a dramatic rendering of the Narnia tales.  We got through The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and a good bit of The Horse and His Boy which is Grace's favorite.  Perhaps the most exciting part of the trip was when Mia drove.  She has to log about nine hours this trip to stay on track to get her license in October and she got two hours between Niagara and Quebec City.  My little baby--all grown up and driving in a foreign country!
We arrived in Quebec City on schedule at 5:30.  We checked into the Auberge Saint Louis which is more hostel than hotel.  Because of the size of our group, we need two rooms when staying at hotels. I had prioritized location over luxury which turned out to be a great choice.  We were right in the heart of the city.  Unfortunately, in the short term, we had a problem parking because the car top carrier did not clear the entrance of the parking garage.  Chris and Madeleine went off to find another solution but 90 minutes later, ended up removing the car top carrier to fit the van in the garage.  Lesson learned--take off the car top carrier immediately.  It was easy to do.
That first night, we walked around and ended up eating at a pub with a view of the old part of the city.  There was an accordion player, the food was typical pub fare but we were hungry so you know how that goes.  After dinner, we walked around old town Quebec.  It is incredibly quaint.  In one section, there are all different colors of umbrellas hanging upside down.  In another section, it was colored balls.  We got ice cream (a theme of our vacation so far) and went back to the rooms and to sleep.
The next day, we got up early to eat breakfast at a very well reviewed crepe restaurant.  It is rumored that at some points in the day, there are lines to get in.  At 8:15, there was no line!  A good thing as we have found that getting a table for 7 can be tricky.  The meal was one of the best we have had.  Most of us got fruit crepes with chocolate, whipped cream and even ice cream (at breakfast!).  Chris and Madeleine ordered more lunch/dinnerish crepes and those were delicious also.  We really enjoyed everything about the meal.
Things we saw/ did during the day:
*explored an ursuline convent
*toured Notre Dame and attended daily Mass in French
*went to the city wall to take photos and see the view
*played at a couple of beautiful fountains
*went to a museum about the history of the French Canadian people
*climbed around on canons overlooking the St. Lawrence River

We ate dinner in another restaurant recommended by the guidebook.  Conveniently, it was a block from our hotel.  It served typical Canadian food and was housed in the second oldest building in the city.  We had so much fun at dinner.  Again, the setting was beautiful, the company even better.  The meal was three courses which meant we took our time and lingered.  Because we had eaten out of the cooler for lunch, we were all hungry which made everything taste even better.  Sophie and Ella even tried pea soup!
After dinner, we walked around and then tried to find a carriage ride.  Madeleine and Mia made the great sacrifice of not going in the carriage (because we were over the maximum number of riders) and went shopping instead.  The carriage ended up being a lot of fun and our driver Peter was so friendly, cheerful and informative, he really added to it.
Our last event of the night was a street show.  There were continually performers in the square at the end of street and we had stopped for parts of several of them before.  This one was by far the best.  He was extremely funny in addition to being very good at juggling and unicycling.  All of the shows that we saw involved audience participation.  His first participant was a baby, probably about 9 months old.  I did not believe that the baby was randomly chosen at first because, well, who hands their baby over to a street performer?  Apparently, it was authentic.  He took good care of the baby, got tons of laughs and handed baby back safe and sound when the first part of the show ended.  We stayed for the whole thing of course and then went back to the hostel and to bed.

E checks out the view at dawn

 Sleepy Soph

 In case you've never seen it, this is the Madeleine look

 View of the side of Horseshoe Falls and the amazing mist

 Monday morning sunrise

 Our family--don't we look cheerful considering the hours in the car to come?!  Maybe we should have taken an after picture!

Stay tuned for a few installments of Quebec photos.  There are a lot!  Moderation is good in all things but photos!  

Best of the Day: Day 3

August 12, 2018: Today, we took the Horn Blower cruise to the middle of Horseshoe Falls and then to the very edge of the right side where we were soaked.  Impressive, but not the best of the day.  We ate another delicious breakfast and had a picnic lunch.  Both were yummy but not the best of the day.  We walked for frozen yogurt just a few streets away from our bed and breakfast.  A convenient treat but not the best of the day.
     I have heard it said that, when traveling, a person should do what the locals do.  Pass on the tourist attractions, get off the beaten path and really live the place.  Yesterday, while driving around, we saw people swimming in the river under a bridge close to where we were staying.  This afternoon, we headed over and spent a glorious three hours or so swimming in the river and jumping off the bridge.  Sophie surprised me by being the most enthusiastic jumper and swimmer.  Time after time, she floated from where we were sitting on the dock to the ladder at the end, climbed out, jumped off the bridge and repeated.  She met a friend--Gigi--who swam with her but was reluctant to jump again after one try.  Ella swore she would not jump but ended up going twice.  In fact, we all jumped multiple times.  It was a lot of fun, just the right amount of scary and the river swimming is my favorite kind.  The water in this particular river heads to Niagara Falls meaning that the water we swam in ran over the falls not long after it touched us.  I think that is pretty cool.  Definitely the best of the day.
    Later, Chris and I walked to the Queen's Guard Bar and spent an hour over beer on the patio.  The beer was not my favorite or that might have competed for best of the day.  Instead, it was just good time spent in beautiful weather on our last night in Niagara Falls.

 On the Horn Blower cruise.  On the US side, it is called 

The Maid in the Mist and the ponchos are blue.

 I had a rain coat with me so I opted not to wear the red trash bag er poncho

 All red

 The US side.  On the right is Bridal Veil Falls.

 Another cattle boat.  They really did pack us in.

 River swimming

I've always suspected Sophie of being a fairy but maybe she's really a mermaid.

Very clear sign

 Dock sittin' cuties

 Ella said never but jumped more than once

 She gave it a thumbs up

 Oldest three dames jumping together.  This may have been Mia's first jump.  She did not wear her bathing suit to the river because she hadn't planned on swimming.  The fun persuaded her to go back and change!

 I think this photo shows that we are not in Kansas (or Pennsylvania) anymore

I'm not sure how many times Sophie climbed up this ladder.  Many times 10.

Two sunflowers

 Look at that face. 

 Canada?  US?

Goodbye sweet Niagara Falls B & B!  Next up--Quebec City.

Day 2: Just Peachy

August 11, 2018:  It is so hard to blog about vacations because I want to remember everything, more than I can record here.  The day began with a huge feast delivered to our door at 7:45.  There were eggs cooked at least three different ways, huge sausages, a stack of pancake waffles (flat like pancakes but with the waffle grid on one side) and a variety of fruit.  It fed us all with some leftover for lunch.  I am sad to say that this is the only B & B we will be staying in during our vacation.  These breakfasts will spoil us!
We decided with Niagara on the Lake today.  On the way, we stopped at a scenic overlook and met a couple who recommended the peach festival in the downtown area.  We took Niagara Parkway and passed a huge number of wineries and amazing homes.  The scenery was breathtaking.  One establishment we passed advertised a winery and biking tour that looked fun.  Maybe next time!
Old Town Niagara on the Lake was packed for the festival but with persistence, we found a parking spot and proceeded to check it out.  There was a lot to see, do and taste at the festival and we walked the length of it before deciding on peach ice cream.  Madeleine got her ice cream with a crepe and Chris opted for peach frozen yogurt.  It was all delicious.  While we were walking around, one of the girls observed, "I'm getting Epcot vibes".  In the sense that it was very clean, well kept and picturesque, that was about right.
Leaving Old Town, we headed back toward Niagara Falls and stopped at the flower clock where we took pictures and enjoyed a picnic.  A couple of the girls had books with them and read while Ella led the rest of us in a game of two truths and a lie.  No one pulled off a lie.  I guess we know each other too well.
Mass was next on the agenda and then dinner back at the B & B where Chris grilled.  Afterward, we headed back to the falls to enjoy the scenery at dusk and watch the fireworks.  Though brief, they were beautiful and I had fun taking pictures of them.  In fact, I have very much enjoyed going back to using a real camera this trip.  The camera on my iPhone is so convenient that is has become my go-to but there is something about the feel of a real camera that still draws me.  When I put the photo card into my computer tonight, I found 100 old photos and videos taken by Ella a couple of years ago.  A fun surprise to end a fun day.

 A feast more for giants than hobbits!

 The water at Niagara Falls was an amazing blue.  Having grown up near the Potomac River, I expect my rivers to be mostly brown and murky.  This water was right out of a movie.

 Feeling peachy at the peach festival

 One of the many quaint buildings

 Crepe eating tourists

 When you see a lemonade stand...we patronized this little boy's booth where all proceeds went to charity.  Little sparks of goodness.

 I love this pic of G.  One of five reading machines living in our house.  

She said this book was excellent.

 C and me at the flower clock

 Back at the B & B:  Sunflower or shower head?

 Friends

 Candid girls

 Horseshoe Falls.  Check out that spray!

 Watching the lights on the falls while waiting for the fireworks

One of Ella's surprise photos that showed up on my photo card.   Baby mine.