When we arrived we realized that this was indeed the same
campground where we had stayed in the past. While it’s no great shakes for
camping, it’s wonderfully convenient as a place to lay your head when your goal
is to spend the day exploring. A long walk after dinner, to work out the kinks
of driving all day, reveals not one but three HUGE RV dealerships in the
neighbourhood. Quickly part of our plan included heading back during business
hours to have a closer look. Alas the regret in not having more time. Given the
two days that followed, there was just no time!
We had hoped that we might get to spend some time with my
sister Nancy and her family. She is not the easiest person to contact so
leaving messages for her, we decided to head into Quebec City. The campground
provides a shuttle for $14 pp return. You can drive and park for $10 but given
that we have the truck and roads in the old city are tight that hardly seems
the best option. Our friend John, who is never without a suggestion, told us
that we could take a ferry across from Levis. Parking there was also $10 but
the ferry was only $3.10 pp one way (...or $6.20 pp return ... on a very large
government sign ... our tax dollars at
work as they do the math!!). Given the gas to get there it was obviously the most
expensive of the options but somehow seemed the coolest, so a ferry into the
city it was.
Our goals were exploring and eating and we decided to get
right down to it when a little cafe appeared at the top of two intersecting
cobblestone streets – views, a baguette, local fruit and cheese and a bottle of
wine – life isn’t going to get any better than this! Pure bliss!
Following lunch we wandered in and out of little shops until
I reached my shopping limit (not long with me as everyone knows!) and we took the
cable trolley up to the Château Frontenac. Yearning for a little historical
exploration fooled us into believing in was a good idea to climb the 310 stair
boardwalk to the Plains of Abraham! Ordinarily I would highly recommend the
hike. Well maintained trails, beautiful views of the St. Lawrence and a real
sense of history are the rewards of endeavors here ... just pick a day that
doesn’t boast 30+ temperatures! Now some might say that an historical site like
this is marred by 21st century commercialism but I say the lady
(with the wisdom of Solomon) that had an ice cream stand at the top of the
climb was a vision! In fact I’d venture to say that had she been selling her
wares in 1759 the battle may have ended very differently. It’s tough to feel
ill will toward anyone with an ice cream cone!
Arriving back at the trailer I discovered that I had missed
several calls from the French teacher at Bishop Scalabrini. Sr. Elaine Simard
has spoken many times of her family’s cottage north of Quebec City. When I mentioned
that we were going to stop for a few days in Quebec City she issued, what I considered
at the time, to be a polite invitation to come visit her at the cottage. Her
multiple calls and messages and a subsequent conversation made it very clear
that she really wanted us to drop by
for a visit. We set out early the next morning with what David referred to as
my “Frenglish” instructions for what would be an incredibly marvelous day!
The “cottage” is more “resort”. Lac St. Joseph is home to
multi-million dollar estates much like Muskoka. Her order, The Sisters of
Charity, and her family both had properties on the lake that they have owned
for some years. She vacationed there as a child in rented cottages and as her
family grew up, her parents and her four brothers and sister eventually bought
a cottage and “built up”. While the property and the surroundings are spectacular;
it was the hospitality that assured a magnificent day. One of her brothers was
there with his family and everyone set about to make us feel welcomed. We swam,
we BBQed, we lounged and visited, and toured the lake on their new speed boat
that the whole family had entered in a good natured “best parking at the dock” competition!
Perhaps the nicest moment (from an ego perspective) came near the end of our
visit. I learned that many folks at work know of her cottage in Quebec and
several have mentioned a wish to drop by in their occasional travels. She
admitted to always passing off the hints and being very protective of her
family and her life outside of school. She said she was so glad that I was willing to come and visit though
so that she could share it with me! What a compliment to my first year as V-P!
We ended our visit with her insistence that David follow us in the truck up to
the main highway back to Quebec as she transported me on the “motorbike”!! I
just love these serendipitous days that appear in our vacations as they so
often do!
We decided to stop at Chute de Montmorency on the way back
to the campground. Claiming to be the highest Canadian falls, one and a half times
higher than Niagara, it appeared worth the stop. As yet again we are reminded
that length is not everything, the falls may claim a bigger drop but are
considerably less spectacular! Although an established tourist park it was
really nothing more than a $10 parking spot on a poorly maintained trail to a
beautiful waterfall. Making the best of it we wandered and took pictures for an
hour. On returning to our car we discovered the cell phone ringing. It was
Sister Elaine and her brother calling to check that we had arrived safely back
at our trailer. When I told her where we had stopped, there was silence on the
phone. I knew that she had lost her sister some years ago. Her sister was a
Quebec Police Detective Sergeant who was killed in a helicopter crash in the
line of duty on October 25, 1993. What I didn’t know was that the helicopter
blades became tangled in cable car wires at Montmerency Falls! I was apparently
standing very near the spot where the helicopter went down! Odd coincidence!
While we head to New Brunswick I am now well into holiday
mode, just waiting for the next surprise!
Quebec City on the ferry from Levis
Cheers!
Just the roadside planters!!
The local beer that saved my life on our return from the Plains of Abraham.
Sr. Elaine's cottage on Lac St. Joseph
Montmorency Falls
