Quebec City - Zuiderdam - Canada/New England - June 28, 2025

 Today was a turn around day for the ship - the end or beginning of the cruise for most so the ship was bustling early and breakfast in the main dining room was open early which I thought I would take advantage of.  The food was better than on previous mornings but the service was so incredibly slow which was a bit surprising given the fact that they are usually trying to get people off the ship quickly.  

I also asked about tonight's dinner menu because at dinner the night before, my waiter told me the chef had not finalized the menu yet. He had promised to send it to my cabin the evening before when it was finalized but it never appeared.  With a dairy allergy/sensitivity, I pre-order all my meals in the main dining room.  The wait staff found me a menu although warned it could still change.  I put my order in regardless.

Then I walked up on deck to check out the view of the city and see if I could see what route we should walk.  There is a shuttle that takes you out of the port but I really preferred not wait for a shuttle.

Once the ship was cleared, my Dad, nephew, and I headed out to explore.  There was a huge triathlon going on which had some streets blocked off but we made our way towards the city's longest staircase, Cap-Blanc Stairs with 398 steps.

A peak into a courtyard

A view of the Funicular (cable car which takes you up the the hill)

First view of Chateau Frontenac - it had started to rain a bit at this point)

the European feeling charm of Old Quebec City

Cap-Blanc Stairs

At the top was a view point of the Saint Lawrence River with a pavilion with public bathrooms in the lower level.

Remembering Through Beads by Ludovic Boney

Then we followed the Governors Promenade which said it was comprised of 308 steps (although many of them down for us)

At the end of the Governors Promenade, we were eye-to-eye with the Chateau Frontenac and with the rain, there was a nice reflection off the boardwalk.

Underneath the Chateau Frontenac (a modern day castle form the late 1800s), you can tour an archeological site of the original chateau, Chateau Saint-Louis.  A self-guided tour is free or you can purchase a guided tour.  It really is a hidden gem.

After touring the archeological site, we continued on our way to the Citadel.

The original walls of the old city

The Citadel of Quebec is still an active military base so you can't wander it unaccompanied but they do offer guided tours and have a museum.  We were on the tour that ended just at noon when they fire the cannon so got to see it in action!

At one spot there is a spectacular view

Batisse is a member of the royal family's goats and descends from a goat given to Queen Victoria in 1883.  There have obviously been many Batisse's since then.  The current one still participates in special events.

"I remember"

After touring the Citadel, we walked into a few shops to do a little souvenir shopping and then walked into the Notre-Dame of Quebec Basilica

One more view of Chateau Frontenac before we descended the hill

The street that meanders down the hill filled with shops and restaurants

On our way through the port, we took the route that would have us crossing this draw bridge and it happened to be up for a sailboat passing under as we arrived so it was cool to watch it in operation and then watch the locks and the sailboat head back into the marina.  Unfortunately, the rain and wind had really picked up at this point.  Our walk up to this point had been pretty pleasant but it got quite cold at this point.

A quick ship photo as we hurried back in the cold rain

Twenty years ago, on this exact ship, I sat around the dinner table with my family, my new husband at the time, and his family.  My sister was seated next to me and ordered an espresso martini.  Before she could even take a sip, I picked it up and sampled it.  I then passed it around the table.  Even my Grandma took a sip.  I don't remember how much was left when it made it back to her but it is a story that has been told over and over.  And (maybe sadly) is one of the things I remember most about my wedding cruise.

So on this evening at dinner, now that the divorce is final and I was back on this ship, I was the one to order an espresso martini this time.  My sister snatched it up, sampled it and passed it around the table the other way, even my Mom took a sip this time!  It seemed like the right ritual to do in reverse on this trip as a symbol of returning to me.

A look at how the fog had rolled in over the city after dinner.

That evening, I decided I wanted to make use of the hot tub.  I sent a message to my niece who was happy to join me!  There weren't many out since it was a bit chilly but it was better that way.