Wednesday, August 29, 2018

The weather has been crazy! High temperature, pouring rain, bright sunshine, rainbow. Repeat in that sequence… all day long!

We departed mid-morning for the Chute-Montmorency park, and meandered there until 4:00 pm. The waterfall is 83 meters/272 feet high (in fact, much higher than Niagara Falls, even if it doesn’t command the same awe), and you can admire many angles of the falls in different ways: following the board walk and stopping for lookouts, crossing a bridge over the roaring waters, taking the stairs on the side of the promontory, hoping on the cable car to the elegant Manoir Montmorency, or simply following the paved trail to the bottom of the falls. Of course, if you are brave, you can try the Falls Zipline (la Tyrolienne)… NOT!

Note to travellers:

1. This is the perfect time of the year to visit Quebec, as the tourist crowds started to dwindle and line-ups are very manageable. The weather might be a bit less clement, but temperatures are still very pleasant.
2. The cost of parking + cable car is $40.25 for two people
3. Should you be caught in the rain without protection, you can purchase a lovely blue rain poncho at the Manoir Montmorency gift shop, for $5.50.
4. Even in the middle of the Summer, the poncho might come handy if you follow the trail up to the bottom of the falls… It is very wet out there!
5. You can also travel along the scenic coast between Montmorency Falls and La Malbaie with the Charlevoix tourist train. The rate for the whole stretch (125 km) is $128 + tax/pp (return trip).

We had a great time and recommend the visit. Take your time. There is a lot of walking, but plenty of opportunities to sit, even enjoy a coffee with a piece of cake!

Back to Quebec City, we parked too early for dinner, which was conducive to explore a second-hand book store on Rue Saint-Jean: Comptoir du live Enr. With my nose up and down the shelves and my eyes scouting for the perfect discoveries, I managed to buy 11 novels (looking like new) for $80.00. Now, THAT’s what I call shopping! Only possible on a road trip, though, The extra weight would have costed a hefty surcharge if we had travelled by plane!!!

Dinner at the Hobbit Bistro, on Rue Saint-Jean. A delicious meal. We broke the “no dessert” rule since it was our last meal in Quebec City, but ended up disappointed by the modern rendering of a French classic pie (Tarte Tatin). Mental note: stick to dessert elsewhere, with local ice cream or chocolate!

With the evening temperature cooling down, time to wrap ourselves in our bathrobes!

Bonne nuit,

Anna