October 14th – Quebec City Encore Un Fois

Today I did a day-long tour which ventured around most of the sites of interest close by to Quebec City. Our guide took us around the cobbled historic streets of Vieux Quebec, before we headed over to the large unspoilt island of Ile d'Orleans, sitting in the St Lawrence River just before the river narrows at Quebec City. The island makes for a complete bucolic contrast with the City – rolling fields of farmland, and leafy forests, just 20 minutes or so from the streets of the city centre.

We then headed to Ste Anne de Beaupre – a holy site of pilgrimage for Quebec's devoutly Catholic population. The modern church inside that Neo-Gothic exterior is beautifully decorated with mosaics, and does have a holy aura to it.

After a delicious typical Quebecois lunch at a countryside restaurant, we headed back to Quebec City for an exploration of the Upper Town, and some close up views of Quebec's most famous site, the Chateau Frontenac, one of the most distinctive and prestigious hotels in the world, before the cold finally drove us to seek the warmth of the ship.