Monday 4 September - Quebec (Day One)

We had long anticipated seeing Quebec and we weren't to be disappointed.

North America's first listed UNESCO World Heritage Site and that in itself was no surprise either.  What a gem of a place.

We were not due to dock until around 11.  Today's excursion was going to be a marathon nearly 6 hours. Our guide was Québécoise and bilingual. Our first stop was at the delightful Old Town.  Apparently the area doubled as France in the film Catch Me If You Can. The photos probably speak for themselves!

We then drove through Orleans island with its lovely houses towards the Basilica of Sainte Anne de Beaupres.  The basilica was only completed in 1934, having replaced one which burned down some years before. It was a beautiful light and airy building with a magnificent mosaic ceiling and floor.

The next stop was the Montmorency Falls. The guide told us several times that these falls are higher than Niagara. We think that this was for the benefit of the many Americans on the coach

Finally we went on a tour of the upper town before returning, feeling a bit weary and hungry to the ship. We spent some time enjoying the warmth and sunset at the back of the ship before dinner. 

The St Lawrence Seaway/River was at all points as we sailed upstream much wider than we might have expected and clearly a major waterway for Canada's import  and export trade.

Suggested drinks at breakfast.  Anything over $10 is beyond our included drinks package.

Once again we sailed up river at a stately pace, but it was not like sailing up a Norwegian fjord as, at all times, it was wider and the banks at each side tended to be lower.

Then we were off on our marathon excursion for today - five and a half hours without any refreshment stops.

Our Lady of the Victories, built in 1688 and named after the siege of Phipps and the Walker fleet disaster, this church is the oldest stone church on the Quebec province

The square in 'Catch Me If You Can'

Ummm

"I'm just crazy about pork!"

Crossing the St Lawrence - or half of it - to get on to the Island of Orleans

Vines for ice wine or Eiswein as the Germans call it. The grapes stay on the vine until after the first frost of the winter and then they're harvested. Having been exposed to frost the grapes make the wine much sweeter and thicker than it would have been otherwise and it's a dessert wine. The nets are to discourage birds

Migrant workers from Mexico and other places in Central America.  They have an acute shortage of labour and nobody wants to pick strawberries

The Seven Deadly Sins - Gluttony - the pig will eat and eat ad infinitum and the wolf will kill more than it needs to eat

Wrath

Envy - the snake in the Garden of Eden was envious of Adam and Eve's happiness. Dogs can show envy of another dog if it's your dog and you fuss a different one - confirmed by the dog expert the other day

Sloth - the turtle moves slowly and the owl appears to sleep all the time

Greed

Lust - the ram is randy and women use the mirror to make themselves more attractive to men

Pride - crowns are given, not earned, and it's 'proud as a peacock'

Jean-Paul II prayed here on a visit when he also apologised to the First Nation peoples for their treatment by the Roman Catholic Church

Two papal seats used during visits - Jean-Paul II and Francis

A home-grown saint - Brother Andre Bessette - who had a reputation for healing the sick

A copy of Michelangelo's La Pieta

Bridge to the Island of Orleans

Never saw a train on this line and we followed it for quite a while

The Montmorency Falls - taller than Niagara - by some margin

Quebec - meaning "where the river narrows"

No, not Durham Cathedral, but some industrial building!

View from our balcony at night