Vieux Québec

It poured last night—we could hear the rain pounding on the roof of the Tiger all night.  And, good news, we stayed dry.  The day was a bit overcast and drizzly and we opted to drive into the old city.  Don set the GPS for a parking lot but we found street parking very close to the elevator and stairs into the walled city.

We spent a very pleasant day walking through the streets of what could be the historic district in any French town.

We had the pups so we stayed outdoors

except for the beautiful church.  It was absolutely stunning—flowers, gold leaf, statues and paintings.  It also contained a history of François de Laval, who founded the church and whose relic (a bit of collar bone) was on display.

We walked around the citadel

and the wall overlooking the St. Lawrence (or St. Laurent) seaway.

This is a very beautiful city and well worth a longer visit. 

It is also full of dog lovers—Boomer and Sheila posed for many photos and endured many pats on the head.

We had lunch at a bistro with a charming hostess.

Although dogs are not allowed in the restaurants, even in the outdoor patios, she said we could sit on the outer edge of the patio and park the dogs just outside.  So we were able to enjoy a classic quiche Lorraine and French onion soup with a slightly miffed pair of dogs, who wanted so badly to sit under our table.

We then headed south to Maine.  This part of Québec is thickly settled with tidy homes and gardens, and it appears far more prosperous than the area north of Vermont.  Just north of the U.S. border, the farms and homes stopped.   Our crossing into the U.S. was actually quite pleasant this time.  Our border agent was a nice young man who went to high school in Anchorage.  And this part of northern Maine (the Moose River region) is very thinly settled.  Fall color is peaking here and the drive was just spectacular—and it helped that the sun came out.  We stopped at a campground on a river in a small town—Jackman—and walked down the highway to Schmoose’s Cafe for a beer and lobster roll.

124 miles; Jackman, Maine; N45°38.078’ W 70°15.840’