View from our patio.
Kurt went out to find some coins and do some other surprise shopping. :D I was blogging. By the time he got back and we were ready to go, it was early afternoon ... and gorgeous - as you can see!!
Same view as above - - but OH SO MUCH BETTER! :D The difference is STUNNING!
Our plan for the day was to go to Chute Montmorency, or Montmorency Falls, and then we'd see from there. But in order to do that, we'd have to take a bus ... so off we went on THAT adventure, and adventure it was! Along the way we saw ...
Rue du Petit-Champlain, on our way to the funicular
Love this shot of the dog in the window, on Rue du Petit-Champlain, just after I got some fabulous gelato at a Chocolatier
Another of Rue du Petit-Champlain, looking towards the first staircase to Upper Town
We took the funicular up - - our legs are so sore from all the exploring in hilly cities (!) - and I saw this on the tracks. The funicular is old!
A lovely shot of Chateau Frontenac from the square out in front of it ... as we head towards the bus in Upper Town
We are still making our way to the bus in Upper Town when we passed this "guard" post on the Rue St-Louis rampart gate. He let us take his picture. :D And, you can see me in reflection!
So, we headed towards the Terminus D'Youville in Place D'Youville to take the 800 bus to Chute Montmorency. However, when we got there, there was no place to purchase tickets (we wanted a 2-day unlimited pass) ... no machines vending tickets, no window tellers, nothing! At this "terminus" no less!! We explore ALL around the square and found nothing.
I wondered if, like Europe, you buy the bus tickets in convenience stores.
Well, regardless, we then decided to head toward the train station, as I knew the "official" bus station was there too. Off we went!
We saw this, presumably, archaeological dig along the way to the train station!
C'est Gare Palais ... the main train station. :D It is gorgeous, outside and in!!
As soon as you step in the main doors of the Gare Palais - the old ticket windows I presume!
The gorgeous ceiling of the first room of the Gare Palais
The stunning clock as you head into the second room of the Gare Palais
The main room of the Gare Palais ... with cafes and all! It reminds me of the "Paris" train station in the movie Hugo! Love!!!!
So, after asking at the train station window about the bus tickets, we were, in fact, told that we get them at the convenience stores. :D So, we went to the one inside the neighboring bus station and got our 2-day passes. Then, once we found the hard-to-find bus stop, we headed out to Chute Montmorency on the 800 bus! It was about a 30 minute bus ride through the "normal" part of Quebec City ... or, the non-touristy part. :D
Oh ... did you say you wanted to see some pictures of the falls!?!?!? Well, then, let me oblige!!!!!!!!
We entered the Parc du la Chute-Montmorency from a side path that took us directly to the suspension bridge that goes across the top of the falls - - yeah! These falls are twice as high as Niagara. Wow!
The first shot of the falls from the side of the bridge we came in on. You can see the long and windy staircase that gets you to the bottom landing, where you can feel the immense spray. We went down that!
Mon cheri ... on the bridge
I love the rainbow in the spray! You can also see the Montmorency River meeting the Lawrence River in the background.
Close-up of the spray and rainbow, you can also now get a clear view of the cement landing at the bottom ... and if you follow the path with you eye, you can see the change of color that marks how far the spray goes. :D
A great shot of the falls and bridge! Taken from a small gazebo-landing, accessed via a small staircase from the main path. We still haven't actually crossed the falls bridge. We wanted to explore this side first.
Ah! They have another tree-top promenade here! Yay!
Promenade selfie. :D
A cool tree that is growing down the cliff on the right side of the promenade.
A distance shot of the falls, and you can still see the spray-bow! :D LOVE this shot, with the plants in the foreground and the falls and the bow.
We are now in the Maison Montmorency, which started as a summer home for one of the early governor's of Canada. Now, it houses a fancy restaurant, a small cafe, and an exhibit with the park's history. This exhibit shows the the world's first long-distance electrical current was sent from the newly erected hydro-electric plant at the falls, to streetlights on Terrasse Dufferin in Quebec City in 1885
This blows even my mind!! And, I'm a thrill seeker!! They, still today even (!), sled DOWN the frozen spray (or the sugarloaf as they call it) in the winter - - wowowowo!!
Back on the promenade, on our way to cross to the other side of the falls and go down those stairs to the bottom
Selfie with the falls and bridge in the background; we are now on the other side of the bridge
We climbed this cool root system on our way to the other side of the park, looking for those stairs
A lovely meadow on the other side of the falls, with Ile D'Orleans in the background - a lovely island full of farms that supply most of QC's nicer restaurants with their local produce and cheeses
Ah! QC cityscape!
We have reached the long staircase, and are at the top. There were many small streams underneath us as we walked along the promenade, and you can see that one of them forms a second waterfall to the left of the BIG one. Neat! Also, you can see Maison Montmorency in the far left, on top of the cliff.
Lower down the stairs now. I love that you can see the spray in the air!
Getting close! Love the sunbeams in this one!
Ah! We are AT the bottom now!! I only took a few shots, as it was VERY wet and my phone is not waterproof. BUT WOW ... love this shot with the massive spray shown, and the cute little extra waterfall on the left!
Okay, so Kurt has his eyes closed ... but I simply LOVE the HUGE smiles on our face! Standing in the force of the spray was SO exhilarating!!! And, drenching! We were SOAKED!!! But, so happy. :D
Last shot ... and a gorgeous one with the sunlight on the water. Thank you Chute Montmorency for a OUTSTANDING experience!!!
From there, we headed back into the city on the bus, got off at Gare Palais again so we could easily catch a cab home. We had decided on the the bus ride that we would have our fancy dinner out tonight, as we brought one nice outfit with us, and it would be at Le Chateau Frontenac.
Our heading-out selfie in our fancy duds!
Mon beau mari ... my handsome husband. :D
Kurt says "ma belle femme" ... which, based on the above, you can probably translate. :D
I'm wearing one of my new hand-painted Quebecois scarves and pins! Love it! The color is GORGEOUS!!!!
We took the funicular up, and this is an evening shot of Lower Town about halfway up the tracks to Upper Town
Frontenac, and Luna (!), selfie
Frontenac and Miss Luna
The view from our table at Le Sam Bistro. It's in the Greenhouse Room and overlooks the promenade and the river
The first course of our 3-course meal ... their own 1608 cheese deep-fried with beet ketchup and topped with arugula - - they love their arugula in this province, which is great because we love it too and cannot get it in Alamogordo! This entree (American's changed the meaning of that word) was OUTSTANDING!!!
My prix principale ... principal plate. :D Chickpea cake (like falafel) on tomato coulis and puree of root vegetables, topped with arugula and asparagus - - again, OUTSTANDING dish!!
Last course ... vanilla creme brulee - - once again, OUTSTANDING!! An excellent meal with excellent views and excellent service. C'est parfait!
One last view from our table, now that it is fully dark outside.
Frontenac lobby selfie as we head out to see Upper Town at night.
So glad we had dinner at the chateau ... it was a night, with the gorgeous lit up views and the fabulous food, and it was lovely to dress up. Me with my new scarf and Kurt with his new cuff links.
We then walked around Upper Town to see some more night views, and got caught in a rain squall!
The Frontenac promenade
Frontenac with the Greenhouse Room of Le Sam Bistro seen on the lower-right of the building - it is aptly named with all those windows!
A view of our dinner-table window from the promenade below
Upper Town as we head towards the ramparts on Rue St-Louis
Rue St-Louis rampart gate. We took shelter in the right-hand tunnel during a sudden downpour. C'est romantique!
During a lull in the rain, we went atop the rampart gate and then took shelter in a tower door as it began to rain again. The door was handily lit and we were silly at that point. :D
The rain has finally stopped, and Kurt is being "spooky" in the same tower doorway we took refuge in. Zoom in on his face! :D
The small rampart tower on the left with Frontenac in the background
The lit rampart towers as we are about halfway back down to street level
C'est magnifique! Taken from Lower Town as we make our way back home after a oh-so-lovely evening.
The lit mural at the beginning of Rue du Petit-Champlain - - gorgeous!
It was close to midnight when we finally arrived home, after a lovely stroll in the warm night air. We had a blessed evening.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you'll come back!
Here is a link to ALL the photos I took today (over 120) ... enjoy! Honeymoon Day VI, Chute Montmorency & Frontenac at night, Quebec City
Bonjour!
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