Wednesday in Vieux Quebec

Wedneday began with a forecast of rain, so we made plans early to hit the old market for a few items so we could stay in for dinner. We bought 2 Québécois cheeses (one curiously named Le Verdict d'Alexina? It was made from the milk of cow, goat, and ewe. The other was - scandalously - non-pasteurized. And yet, we live. We also found French bread, smoked maple salmon, smoked mussels, and meringues for dessert. We found a bottle of sparkling cider to join all that. It was a feast. 

Back to the market - I was wandering around, looking in cases, and saw this. A refrigerated case is probably not the best place to keep your guitar. 

As said in yesterday's post, we found a Provençal restaurant last night to which we returned today for a wonderful lunch. Tourist season has slowed, and not only do we get great service, but we get to chat it up with the server/owner/chef at hand. 

I am loving this cold. As I have told many, I would much rather deal with this than a MEMPHIS summer.

I also love what the ice does to things, especially here where it sometimes seems to defy gravity. 

See - these icicles are all leaning the same way.

And, although you can't see it as well here, these all lean to the rear.

This is a light at the Chateau Frontenac.

And this wins the funkiest icicle prize.

This is Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer dude who founded New France and Quebec (maybe 1608?). He is deceased now, just for the record.  

Let it not be said that Vicki won't get back on the horse. This is the very spot where she fell and bounced her head off the wall. There are cracks in the wall - just sayin'.

The rest of the day was spent wandering the streets until the rain started. We retreated to our condo and had a cozy afternoon, then a cozy dinner. 

Vicki: Okay - now it's my turn. Those freakin' cracks were there long before my sweet little head hit that wall. The cracks on the sidewalk may be another story. 

Dan didn't mention that before we hit the market, we found a lovely place with Nutella croissant and bowls of cafe au lait. I don't remember being served coffee in bowls before coming to Quebec, although Dan is sure that he's had it before. He just can't remember where or when. The dude that served us must have been our age, wore a Hawaiian shirt, and had a ponytail down to his waist. 

And I would like to say that I don't know when or why prohibition America left the custom of having a glass of wine or beer with lunch, but it's quite civilized. 

Apres lunch, we strolled around, ending up in the upper town of Vieux Quebec. Dan made a friend. 

And I took a photo from the top of the funicular, an up-the-mountain elevator. This is the St. Lawrence River, flowing with much less ice today. 

The high tomorrow is supposed to be 36F, so we plan to put on shorts and walk the town some more. We will hit the Plains of Abraham, where the "Anglos" beat the French after a 3-month siege of Quebec during the Seven Years' War (known to us U.S. folk as the French & Indian War). On Friday, we are renting a car to head out to the Ile de Orleans, where maple farms, vineyards, and orchards await. We I'll also see the Hotel de Glace, where you can (but we will not) sleep on a bed sculpted out of ice. Just to be on the safe side, I'm going to make sure that I pee before we get there.