“Off Deck”Quebec In Check

“At sea, I  learned how little a person needs, not how much.” (Robin Lee Graham)         

What do you like  most about cruising travel?

One of the most  beneficial aspects of cruise travel happens for me as I settle into the slow moving passage from port to port. For my hyperactive mind concentrates more clearly amid such sea life solitude when there’s less opportunity to follow my habitual home routines of being on my I Phone/ I- Pad or watching TV excessively at home. 

Know then that this “monkey mind” of self burden felt somewhat tamed as we reached day fourteen at the end of our recent, Canada bound cruise. Consequently, I logically predicted  that  two days spent in the busy metropolis of Quebec City would provide a legitimate test of my resolve to avoid overthinking how, with whom, and where we should visit. 

Keep in mind that we originally thought to meet up with two Canadian companions and spend a busy day walking around with them the entire day to cover the main sights of “Old Quebec.” But how could we do this tour conveniently given our cruise docking  location  upriver was much further away than expected from where they planned to meet us? With no offense to both of these caring friends, I also did not desire at this latter point of our cruise to undertake such an arduous travel agenda with the added pressure of engaging in continuous socializing chatter for who knows how long.

So with that ambitious sightseeing option ruled out, we decided instead on a much simpler plan to hop on a nearby shuttle bus, exit at a convenient drop off point, and finally make our way uphill on steps to the steep heights of this  “Old Town” vicinity. At the top, we envisioned taking no more than two- three hours to accomplish our sightseeing agenda. Such expectations of a less challenging nature included eating a light breakfast at a French cafe, doing some curious  “people watching” on a shaded park bench, taking good  photos of the famed  Chateau De Frontenac and strolling along the promenade lining the St.Lawrence River below. 

I think you will get a good idea of how  Ruth and I chose to ease up a bit and prioritize simple pleasures during our visit to Quebec City in the photo set I compiled then below. Know that our next U.S. road trip begins soon this August. My blogs over that three week period will  focus on our passionate interests in live sports/music as well as summertime mountainous scenery in the eastern portion of our country.