Quebec City

 On Thursday, July 4th, we got up early & walked to the central train station.  Thanks to our hotel concierge we knew where to stop & grab Montreal bagels to enjoy while we waited for our train.  Yes, the bagels are different & delicious-think thinner & less dense than our bagels with a tad of sweetness & crunch from sesame seeds.  We enjoyed those while we waited to board the train for Quebec City-our destination for the day.

The train ride was just a tad over three hours & not as scenic as we had hoped it would be (our trains last year along the coast of England & Scotland will be very hard to beat).

But we arrived in the city late morning & headed off to do some sightseeing.

Chateau Frontenac-check.

Dufferin Terrace & views of the Citadel-check.

Took the Escalier Casse-cou (Breakneck Steps) down to the Petit-Champlain area of the Old Town to explore & find lunch.

A U.S. Navy ship was docked at the port & was really nice to see our sailors in their uniforms out enjoying some time off the boat for the 4th.

I had a list of restaurants & we picked out one to have lunch at (Pape Georges).

It was down this charming alley with an amazing view.

Poutine was ordered & enjoyed.

And we continued exploring the alley-ways.

The was another restaurant on my list-Le Lapin Saute.

The crowds had arrived after we finished lunch & we found out a cruise ship had docked & passengers come ashore..... and a major music festival was kicking off that afternoon.

Keenan found a bakery that served "Beaver Tails" so we took a snack break in the afternoon.

Think flattened fried dough covered with topping of your choice-they were delicious.

Funicular up to Terrace-check

Did not take Funicular though-line was crazy long & we just walked up.

Gorgeous murals on some buildings.

Basilica Cathedral Notre Dame de Quebec-check.

Really beautiful stained glass & murals.  Was somewhat quiet inside.

A sign you would rarely see in NC.  

We wrapped up our day by walking to a fountain Kevin had heard about (Fontaine de Tourny).  It was built in France, then deconstructed & dismantled for decades, then purchased by a Quebec buisness man, restored, shipped & reassembled in Quebec City, then gifted to the City.

We didn't linger at the fountain long-it was the main stage for the music festival & final sound checks were occurring.  We headed back to the train station, grabbed sandwiches for dinner, boarded our train & headed back to Montreal.  Long, but fun day-even with the crowds.