Day 26 - May 20, 2022

Back to driving for the day. Today from Ottawa to Beaupré, QC. Loads of traffic! So, just a few shots along the way, then some of the side streets in Beaupré. And, a couple of the outside of the The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. It is one of only five national shrines in Canada. Some history can be found here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupr%C3%A9). I am going to see if they allow visitors for some interior shots. Fingers crossed.

Day 27 - May 21, 2022

I debated on splitting this into two posts, one for the Basilica Saint Anne de Beaupre (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupr%C3%A9) and one for the rest of the day due to the number of photos. However, I decided to go with just one.

I have been in churches all over North America, including the National Cathedral in Washington DC. This one is simply stunning. The level of detail, the craftsmanship, the artwork and the beauty are unparalleled. Every pew has a different, hand carved sculpture at the end of it. The photos cannot even come close to doing it justice. There is the main level with the high ceiling and the lower level with the lower ceilings. All photos are taken handheld (because Bud E. forgot the tripod at home…my excuse and I am sticking with it).   I wasn’t sure about the protocol so I went in without Bud E. at first and then made a second trip inside with him. Again, the beauty is simply breathtaking. I went in expecting to see something special but I was not prepared for this.

After finishing there, I drove about 20 kms along Avenue Royale. This is a narrow street lined with a mix of homes, some from the late 20th century but many that are hundreds of years old.  Some have plaques on them with the year of construction and I saw many built in 1650 or even earlier. That makes them over 370 years old. Beautiful and amazing. I also stopped at an antique store in a 300 plus year old building. It was full of “stuff”, some of which is pretty cool.

Then on to a suspension bridge over the highest waterfall in Quebec, Chute Montmorency. 272 feet high which is 99 feet higher than Niagara Falls.

After the falls I drove over the bridge to I’le d’Orleans, an island in the St. Lawrence River. A beautiful drive around the island (about 80 kms), again with a mix of very old and new homes. The map shows only about a 2-hour drive, but it took me all day. I know Joy would have enjoyed this day with all the old buildings and antiques.

Day 28 - May 22, 2022

Today started off cloudy and the forecast was for rain, so I decided to just take a short run up the north shore of the St. Lawrence. However, I don’t know how to do short, and it turned into an 8.5 hour drive (see the map). Beautiful, even with so-so weather. Baie-Saint-Paul is a lovely, quaint little place. It cleared up for about an hour when we crossed the Saguenay River on the free (yes, I said “free”!) ferry. If you look closely, you can see Bud E. in his car seat, enjoying the ferry ride through the car window. However, when we went north to Saguenay, it rained. Hard. We did stop at a pretty, covered bridge and had lunch.

Day 29 - May 23, 2022

Today was the big day in old Quebec City. The weather was great. I decided to leave Bud E. in the car until I figured out the lay of the land so no shots of him until later, then a bunch in a row.

I started with a walking tour where a lot of the history was told. Old Quebec is the oldest city in North America, founded in 1608. The city is a walled city, built on a cliff for strategic reasons with an upper and lower section. This means lots and lots of stair climbing and hills. I went down then up again 6 or 7 times and I estimate it is like climbing down, then up a 7 story building.

After spending most the day, I went back to the car and got Bud E. You should be careful when turning a bear loose in a city! Trust Bud E. to find a girlfriend right of the hop! Anyway, we had dinner in an Italian restaurant with over 2,000 ceramic figurines decorating the walls, and an accordion player/singer serenading the diners. I decided I wanted some night shots so we just hung out for a while, watched a couple dance like no one was watching to the music of a street musician, went to a bar and watched some hockey and waited for dark. It was worth the wait.

I know there are too many photos here (84) but I couldn’t narrow it down any more. 

Day 30 - May 24, 2022

A much easier day today. Just drove into Quebec City and took a cruise on the St. Lawrence. So, a shot of Bud E. Bear preparing to board the ship and few more from the upper deck while on the cruise. I noticed the flag was upside down, so I told one of the crew members and they changed it right away. I think they were a tad embarrassed. I met a lady visiting from Italy who sent me a couple shots she took of your travel guide working. Thank you, Georgina. Also just a few from the city.

DaY 31 - May 25, 2022

There are several advantages to timeshare. While they can be relatively expensive and occasionally not up to standards (most are really good but some, well…) they do offer amenities not found in hotels such as kitchens and laundry. One of the things I like is staying in one spot for a week. We planned this to be near Quebec City and while the city was beautiful, a couple days is enough. The extra time is used to tour the surrounding area of wherever we are staying. This is no different.

I love traveling the back roads. At home or on the road, I find the back roads infinitely more interesting than the highways. Today, the weather was terrific, and I took advantage of that and drove back roads all day, east of Quebec City. Actually, I started off to go golfing, but the local course didn’t offer club rentals and I just kept driving. The scenery is stunning, I found another covered bridge, several waterfalls, views of the St. Lawrence River, and some stunning panoramas. Baie St. Paul is a beautiful little town that is much prettier on a sunny day.

The only thing I need to do now is teach Bud E. Bear not to play on the road!

Day 32 - May 26, 2022

Last day in Beaupre (30 kms east of Quebec City). Tomorrow off to Matane and then Gaspe. Today was raining so while I did take a drive for a while, i didn't get a single shot. So here are few of the timeshare. I know...boring. But better than nothing...maybe.