It Just Had To Be Done

Sat. 3^rd October ’26

We have been asked more than once if we had been to Montmorency Falls, so we just had to go. Apparently taller than Niagara Falls. Arriving on a sunny Saturday at noon with no planning was not our smartest move. There are three parking lots and fortunately at the last minute we diverted to P1 at the base of the falls and joined the queue of cars to get in. We were soon boxed in and so no changing our minds. I’ve no idea of the cost for the cable car to the top but one look at the queue for that and we decided to walk up to the viewing platforms.

The falls are powerful and large, but I would not call them pretty, as they cascade over the rocks to spray the waiting crowd at the bottom. The viewing platforms do give great views and we did admit, yes it had to be done. However we were glad to leave the crowds behind and head on up the St Lawrence River. We probably should have visited the falls earlier in the day first when they would probably have been less busy but we had visited Ile d’Orleans.

Our detour onto Ile d’Orleans was worth it to see the autumn colours and cute buildings. We also wanted to visit the Maritime Museum as we had failed to visit the one in Lévis yesterday. This was a big boat building region which was much needed to cross the vast St Lawrence River. Not the biggest of museums but interesting to follow the information boards and also climb aboard two boats on display. As we were leaving we saw Queen Mary 2 pass by heading for Québec. The worlds only true ocean liner usually sails between Southampton and New York but is extending this to cruise around Eastern Canada before returning to New York and back to Southampton arriving 18^th October, so back in the UK before us! It was far more impressive than many of the modern ugly enormous cruise liners we have seen. [Ed. But we are still not tempted!]

These two stops have put us behind schedule for the day and so we speed up the coast past an enormous Basilica St Anne-de-Beaupré with its twin spires, not realising we were supposed to stop. Too late we were already past before we realised. It did look very impressive but we aren’t going back. We take the coastal route to our hotel even though it means going through Baie-Saint-Paul which involved yet more road works and queuing so we hoped it would be worth it. The drive time today is only just over two hours so we have time. The route was very scenic an in a dip below the ridge of a meteorite crater which is now just covered in trees of the many colours of autumn.

The road heads down to the coast past a beautiful golf course which we would have love to have played. May be we will have to come back?? Luckily, the coastline of the river distracts us which we take a walk along before sunset. The small jetty makes a good foreground to the vast river spreading way into the distance below a pink sky. On the way back to the hotel we see light shows on the rock walls and the path. Why we ask? We seem to be staying in the affluent part of town which is towered over by yet another Fairmont hotel (who own the golf course). We hope we continue to be in quiet surroundings as we head further up the St Lawrence River.