Canada - Day 11

Up, and a stroll to Café Smith - but not before some more foolery.

"Aren't you going to be a serving maid?", I enquired, gazing wistfully at the cutout of the buxom wench with the foaming jugs (of beer). "Get stuffed", came the reply - "I want to be the Captain"...

On, and into Place Royale, where Louis XIV surveys all-comers:

Breakfast:

A ride on the funicular; from the top and with full zoom we could make out the location of the Montmorency Falls and even one of the observation decks:

Walking slowly past the Chateau Frontenac and the Wolfe-Montcalm Monument in the Parc des Gouverneurs:

Following the footpath up towards the Citadelle de Québec we looked back on some spectacular views:

There was a lot of construction work going on in the Citadelle:

and, in spite of (or, perhaps, because of) the loud exhortations of two young tour guides touting for business for two different companies, we opted not to go into the Citadelle, but to continue our walk around the ramparts.

Looking towards the Plains of Abraham:

Eventually we even found the end of La Promenade des Gouveneurs, which had eluded us on our first visit:

Amanda soaking in the sights:

On maximum zoom we could just see, about 9-10km upriver, the road, rail and pedestrian Pont de Quebec and, behind it, the Pierre-Laporte Bridge; the latter supports a six-lane highway and is both the longest main span suspension bridge in Canada and the longest non-tolled suspension bridge in the world:

More walking, and we eventually arrived at the Assemblée Nationale du Québec:

As can be seen from the bottom of this panoramic shot, there were about 150+ people queuing patiently to enter the building:

Crowd control was about as civilised as I have ever seen, with complimentary cold water available and stewards checking on the well-being of those waiting in the heat.

A little further away, and what's this? Though it seems hard to credit it now, in May 2019 Extinction Rebellion was barely a year old as an organisation, so we can perhaps be forgiven for not immediately understanding the significance of the organised 'die-in' just a few yards from the orderly queues:

To be honest I can't recall what Amanda had spotted, but it must have seemed important:

Perhaps she was just impressed by the Fontaine de Tourny:

Back to the old part of the city, through the Porte St Jean and along Rue St Jean.

Recognising a familiar name we stopped off in another Cafe Smith for refreshments - Earl Grey tea, with a ham and cheese croissant for Amanda and a chocolate muffin for your correspondent:

Out, and more walking - first to the boutique Artisans Canada on Côte de la Fabrique for a mooch and eventually to pick up a late birthday present for Amanda:

during the purchase of which I was told by the female assistant that I had a wicked sense of humour...

On, and along the Rue du Trésor, where almost every inch of wall space is occupied by local artists displaying their craft:

Past the Wolfe-Montcalm Monument once more:

and eventually to find a free seat in front of the Château Frontenac, from where we were able to watch the world pass by, occasionally relocating to watch the action on the river.

The St Lawrence is used for fun:

and business:

Eventually we had to acknowledge that it was time to start saying 'farewell' to Quebec City.

A final view of the Montmorency escarpment:

Touristy pics to capture the moment:

a final ride on the funicular:

and a final snack at our local Cafe Smith:

A last look at the ferry:

And once more, ladies and gentlemen - give it up for the majestic and magical Chateau Frontenac:

The front of our hotel:

The side entrance:

This plaque in the road, just a few yards from the side entrance:

and this shot of the cruise-ship passenger walkway on the bank of the river:

show just how far the shore has retreated in 200+ years.

After a short rest, and with packing begun, we took a break and decided to have a final dinner in Artefact. This collection of antique bottles was on display in the wall not far from Amanda's head:

A bit of a turnaround: a burger for Amanda and a club sandwich for me:

As soon as we vacated our table a young couple started to set up a small PA system in its place, and began to play live music (guitar and vocals) in the bistro. We retired to the Reception / Gallery on the first floor, from where we could take advantage of the free periodicals, enjoy the music and, from time to time, lean over the balustrade to applaud the performance. This latter seemed to be much appreciated, as the majority of their audience were far more interested in maintaining a general hub-bub of conversation than listening to the music - which was actually very good:

And so, back to our room to continue packing.

It has to be said that the evening's "Good Night" card from Housekeeping did not bode well: