Wednesday, September 22, 2004
The QM2 is in town! - Day 1
While relaxing in Ayer's Cliff the week before we decided that three days/two nights in Quebec City would be fun, allowing us to visit a city and region neither of us had been to since our childhood. What we didn't know was that bad weather was preventing scheduled stops of the Queen Mary 2 in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The QM2 was rerouted to Quebec City earlier than the original schedule. As it happened, it steamed into its first Canadian port the day before we arrived. What we got was an unbelievable sight and the most horrendous traffic jams imaginable.
We arrived in Quebec City around noon and slowly inched our way along St-Paul street which eventually becomes St-André. All the parking lots on the way were FULL!! But, as luck would have it, a car parked on the side of the road pulled out and left us with a spot (my karma must have been good that day). We just had to walk 2 minutes towards the Old-Port and then:
Wow... this is unbelievable. The picture doesn't do it justice.
With it's 2,620 passenger capacity and 1,253 crew this really is a floating city. Checkout more facts here.
QM2 seen from a slightly different angle
A few closeups:
From the top of the stairs at the Musée de la Civilisation I took a series of pictures that I used to create this panorama:
The archway entrance to the Musée de la Civilisation's courtyard, as seen from the courtyard:
More Traffic Hell... Day 1 continues
After checking into our hotel (in Sainte-Foy) we decided to head back into the heart of Quebec City for a bit of sight-seeing and some supper. Mistake! Apart from all the people who were trying to get a glimpse of, as a tourist on her cell said, "the Mary boat, the big-a$$ed boat", we ran into late afternoon rush hour combined with the added congestion caused by International Car Free Day which blocked and redirected traffic.
We eventually reached the Citadelle area of Battlefields Park, better known as The Plains of Abraham. After taking a few pictures I somehow made a wrong turn and arg... we end up at the other end of the park only to face the traffic again.
Looking westward on the St-Lawrence River from the Plains of Abraham
This gull was just floating on the wind above the Citadelle area of the park
After supper we went for a walk in the old city and these are two pictures from that evening:
Chateau Frontenac Hotel
The Queen Mary 2 at night
Edited on: Monday, October 04, 2004 11:20 PM
Categories: Queen Mary 2
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Promenade des Gouverneurs - Day 2
We returned to the National Battlefields Park (Plains of Abraham) near the Citadel and walked the Promenade des Gouverneurs boardwalk that links with the Dufferin Terrace where you can find the Château Frontenac and an excellent view of the Saint Lawrence River and Old Quebec.
... pix to come
Ile d'Orleans... Day 2
Later we visited historic Ile d'Orleans, 75 kilometers/40 miles in circumference. These pictures were taken from the viewing tower in the parish of Saint-François at the downstream tip of the island.
... pix to come
Montmorency Falls Park... Day 2 continues
The bridge that leaves the island takes you across to the Montmorency Falls Park where we took a cable car to the top of the cliff and the Manoir Montmorency. The ride up provided us with a view of the falls, the St. Lawrence River, and Île d'Orléans.
... pix to come
The Montmorency Falls are 83 metres high (30 metres higher than Niagara Falls) and a bridge over the falls hangs 100 metres over the churning waters below.
... pix to come
On our way back down we took the 487 steps of the panoramic stairway, which literally cling to the sides of the cliff.
... pix to come
Edited on: Monday, November 01, 2004 9:36 AM
Categories: Battlefield Park (Plains of Abraham), Ile-d'Orleans and Montmorency Falls