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The old part of Quebec City is on the north side of the St. Lawrence River, but it is difficult to park there. We parked on the south side and took the short ferry ride over. On the way we met a family from Halifax.

 

The old city is on a plain above the river (The Plains of Abraham) so we rode the funicular to the Chateau Frontenac.

 

Here is the front of the Chateau, with an elephant sculpture by Salvador Dali...

 

...and a memorial to Samuel de Champlain, who founded Quebec City in 1608.

We took a break in front of the Chateau and watched the world go by. At the next table was a couple we had met earlier in the day at an information center many miles away.

We took a narrated tour on a double-deck bus around the city. Following are scenes from the tour giving a taste of the architecture.

Some architects perhaps got carried away.

This is the top of a church showing a saint and his dog. The dog had somehow saved his life. And, of course, this church has a frequent blessing of the animals.

A typical sidewalk view.

The Plains of Abraham. This is where a significant battle took place in 1759 in which the English scaled the steep cliffs from the river at night, surprising and defeating the French in the morning.

Canadians seem to love flowers, perhaps because in winter outside is so bleak.

The name translates as "the three boys". It is an "industrial-chic eatery".

 

More flowers, and, if you look closely, some frogs. (Significant in a French-speaking province?)

The frogs.

They keep their public gardens well tended. The Canadians take saying it with flowers to a new height.

A better view of the roof of that earlier building.

Couldn't pass up this sign.

After the ferry ride back to the van, we noticed this really nice bike path along the St Lawrence. People told us you can go quite a ways, even into the countryside. We headed upriver and enjoyed the ride quite a bit.

It is divided so bikers, skaters, skateboarders, and walkers can share the path.

There were several little parks along the way.

And a bunch of birdhouses.

And  birds.

The Valero oil refinery is up on the cliff. They are trying to make their tanks a little more scenic.

Speaking of creative architecture.

The van with Quebec City across the river, before we headed downstream to one of our favorite campgrounds.

Along the way.

The lake from the top of the campground.

The van  with a village church in the background. Most of the church steeples along the St Lawrence are aluminum colored. I think I remember hearing it had to do with manufacture of aluminum being a local industry (at least at one time). At night this church has a golden glow, like those in Italy.

A shrine along the road.

Sunset over the lake from our campsite.

Next, towards Nova Scotia.