We woke up at 8 and got everything together, used the internet, and cleaned up after ourselves. Although we probably couldnt check into the hotel most likely until about 10am, we didnt have to rush over, but that being said, we want to get the most out of it!
We cycled through the plaines of Abraham to get to the chateau (took the scenic route) and arrived at the chateau around 11am. It was a beautiful day! Perfect day to enjoy Vieux Quebec and the chateau! We checked into our rooms then split up to do errands. Jimi went to get his bike fixed while Michael and I went to reserve a spot at Crepe Breton (our favourite crepe place in Quebec!... and the cheapest!). It turns out we couldnt reserve a spot and its first come first serve. There was a big lineup when we were there, so figured if we came back for an early dinner we wouldnt have to wait in line as long.
When we met up again after the errands, the three of us went into old Quebec to see the oldest church in Quebec, and in North America (which isn't surprising since Quebec is the oldest city in north america, which is pretty cool! It just turned 400 years old a few years back). We then went to a local farmer's market and bought a LOT of raspberries for only $7!!! Which is amazing because raspberries are my favourite (and usually very expensive)! We also bought three cheeses: a firm one called Alfred Le fermier, made by La Station de compton, then two creamier cheeses called Maitre Jules made by Du Village, and Le Mi-Careme. They were all very good (and local and award winning cheese)! We also bought some baguettes and sourdough bread, which was fresh and wonderful! We went back to drop off the food at the chateau before going to walk around the Plaines. We walked along the boardwalk (where the basement of an old fort or castle were exposed, which was cool to see! It used to be hidden under the boardwalk and they removed part of the boardwalk and opened it up to the public). We walked to the citadel then walked along the wall into Vieux Quebec. We went straight to Crepe Breton for dinner (at around 4:30). It was so good! And there was no line-up (even though we were early, it was still a surprise)! We all had a dinner crepe and desert crepe, and a blueberry milkshake!
On the way home, we stopped off at a busker show in between the restaurant and the chateau. Was really funny and they were so good! They were doing some break dancing and some really impressive things! But they had a really good sense of humour and were really good to watch!
Before heading back to our rooms, we stopped off at the SAQ in the chateau. We asked the sales person for help and he recommended, and we bought some Quebec wine (honey wine and a merlot). The guy who worked there was so fun and funny as he helped us pick out our wine. He also recommended we drink on the Plaines instead of in our rooms (as it's Quebec so we're allowed!). He also let us try ice cider, which was so good! It's specific to Quebec, and we were so tempted to get it too, but we only have so much money! There was also a maple cream liqueur I want to try one day, but again, not enough money and we wouldn't be able to finish it all tonight, and we don't need more weight for our cycle tomorrow!
We went up to our rooms then went to use the pool and hot tub (in our wicked fairmount robes). As the sun was setting, we went to Plaines with our bread, wine and cheese. It was a beautiful view! Stunning! We were right near the citadel, as high as we could get without crossing (somehow) to the top of the citadel. It was such a nice night, so chill and enjoyable! We were just talking and enjoying the view when we heard a bang, like a gun going off behind us, and a flash of light. We looked and all there was was smoke. It scared the hell out of us! We were so shook up and confused, and asked someone else chilling on the plaines if that was supposed to happen, and his answer was, nonchalantly, “yes. It's 9:30.” So apparently they shoot blanks out of a cannon at 9:30 every night. It was funnier that we didn't expect it, but it still scared us! We stayed out for a little while longer then returned to the chateau. We explored the hotel for a bit (it was really cool and stunning!) and then went back to the room to get to bed! Today was definitely one of the highlights to the trip!