It's Paris -- no wait it's Quebec

Our tour started out unfortunately early this morning -- tomorrow is even earlier -- blech -- and we had our "Grand Tour of Quebec". We had to walk down a ramp that was 45 degrees. This morning the temperature is 60 degrees for a high and winds of 30 MPH. But we have one day so we have to go. First of all we went to Place Royale which is old town Quebec. Man oh man did that city look French -- and it didn't hurt that all the signs were in French. While the guide (who was excellent by the way) told us the history I had seen a woman unfurling a scarf which would be PERFECT for my traveling hat.

We saw houses which have all the stairs on the outside. She said these were mother in law stairs because when it was winter and the stairs froze over the mother in law could not get down to the main house. Ha ha ha. :-) We saw the Notre Dame des Victoires which is an old church that they used in the movie Catch Me If You Can. Before I forget the fall colors here are SPECTACULAR. Bright orange and bright yellow with smatterings of bright red. Just jaw dropping.

Next we went to the Plains of Abraham. This is a lovely park where they have outdoor concerts in the summer and some history which I already forgot. Oh one thing I do remember is that Quebec means narrowing of the river which made Quebec the city it is today because it was such a marvelous strategic location. However, after the war narrative was over it is strategic unless you are British in which can you can just walk in and take over the place.

Then we went to Chateau Frontenac which is the hotel which was built by the Canadian Transcontinental Railway to entice people to take the train to Quebec. It is a city icon and if you have seen pictures of Quebec you have seen Chateau Frontenac -- it is the hotel that has all the copper on the top of the building. We had 30 minutes so I zoomed over to the souvenier shops and could not find that scarf anywhere. I was just despairing when Tom and I got to a lovely church and he started taking pictures and I said I'll just run over to that souvenier shop across the street and lo and behold they had the scarf! I'm sure the saleswoman thought I was crazy when I took the scarf off the hanger and stretched it around my head. But she sold it to me anyway. It is a lovely dark rich chocolate brown with metallic orange and yellow maple leaves -- could that be more appropriate for a trip to see the Fall colors? And it goes so super nicely with the hat. All it needs is Jennie's help to make a super cool bow. So now I'm all happy.

We go back to the bus and start off to see Ste. Anne de Beaupre Basilica. This is a truly lovely church. And best of all they let you take pictures. Tom took a picture of Mary and Joseph outside and she is really one of the most beautiful Marys I have ever seen. Young and beautiful and baby Jesus is a darling baby. Hopefully the pictures turn out. Inside you go around and they have little alcoves for various saints and important people in the history of the Basilica and Catholicism. Although the church seems to be rather non-denominational. Then we go downstairs to the I'm going to call it the crypt because that was not what she called it. It was like we had gone under the sea. And wouldn't you know we find an amazing replica of the Pieta downstairs in this area. Seems that when they took the original Pieta to New York they made a replica to keep in case something happened to the statue and wouldn't you know it they gave it to St. Anne's. (I did not know this but St. Anne was Mary's mother -- so Jesus's grandmother.) After this we went to lunch at Le Moulin de Saint-Laurent. We had delicious tomato soup and then Tom had the chicken breast and I had the poached salmon. Then they had a mango cake, raspberry cream and vanilla sponge cake with raspberry coulis.

Then we went to Montmorency Falls which is about 30 meters -- Dustin you do the math -- higher than Niagra Falls -- just not as wide. For this time of year it was still pretty impressive. Final observations: Quebec is a beautiful city -- very like Paris -- the scenery is beautiful. But the fall colors are the star. We are going to the Captain's reception now -- and then dinner -- and then probably bed. I'm exhausted from all the walking and on and off the bus. And Tom and I were up for about 2 hours last night -- not sure why. Tomorrow -- Saguenay