Bonjour Quebec!

In front of the Basilica

We woke up this morning to the news there was a suicide jumper on the bridge leading into Quebec City.  This was the bridge we needed to cross to get to our activities today and traffic was backed up for several kilometers.  So we didn't rush as we packed up our things.  We  had a lovely breakfast of homemade pancakes with fresh fruit.  Thanks to Rejean and Rachelle for the lovely hospitality - we were glad we made the journey to St. George to visit.   

Sibling love inside the church

Shortly after 9:00 we discovered the suicide jumper was talked off the bridge and traffic was flowing freely so we said our good-byes and made our way to Sainte Anne de Beaupre, which was a place we visited 8 years before when Natalie was a little baby.  We arrived shortly before lunch time and walked throughout the church and the grounds.  What a beautiful building and somehow you feel more at peace with yourself as you walk up and down the aisles looking at the beauty surrounding you.  The children were great, I think they realized the importance of the building and the need to be reverent.  They carefully looked at all the paintings and statues and asked questions about the things they saw.

They were amazed at the wall of crutches and asked how people were healed.  Natalie said our neighbor Cindy should have visited this place when she broke her foot last year.  

Way of the Cross

We also walked the large outdoor Way of the Cross - I think it gave the children a better perspective of what happened to Jesus.  They had lots of questions about why things happened.

The kids with the Royal Guard

We had a quick lunch in the parking lot of the church and then proceeded to Quebec City.  The beauty of the city is amazing as you drive down the streets and it is a place Francois and I would like to come back to visit.  I think it would be great to roam up and down the cobble streets looking in the gift shops and eating in some of the French restaurants.

Je Me Souviens

We did walk a little bit in the downtown area and took a tour at the Citadelle, which is coined as the Gilbrator of North America.  Our tour guide was an energetic young man who made the history of Quebec come to life.  It was really interesting to walk around the area and the kids appeared to be interested in the information we were told.  On the tour we met a man from New Zealand who was driving across Canada from west to east.  Once he heard we were from PEI he had some questions for us about our province.  Francois was a great tour guide and advised the gentleman that a trip across Canada would not be complete without visiting our beautiful province.

We also got to see the Royal Guards on duty in front of the Citadelle and the kids were amazed how still they could remain - Natalie said even their eyes didn't blink.  We took a few pictures with them although we were not sure how close we were allowed to get to them.

Quebec City

Spaghetti for supper

We had supper at a rest stop outside of Riviere du Loup and then we decided to camp for the evening.  This may be our last night for camping on our trip, so we looked at the weather forecast many times during our travelling wondering if it was going to rain.   We were told it did rain hard several times today in the area we chose to camp, but the forecast is suppose to be clear for the evening.  We decided to stop in Cabano and although the campsite is a little tight for our huge tent and the location is next to the highway - the kids are excited to camp again.  The bathrooms are beautiful at this campground so I know the girls will approve.

Tomorrow we head to New Brunswick to visit Andrea's friend, Emilie-Sophie.  We are slowly making our way closer to PEI and expect to arrive back on Monday, at the latest.  I think the kids are looking forward to being at their house although David said this evening he forgets what our house looks like!  

Take Care! Happy Friday!

Tanya