I’d heard that people in Quebec City could be pretty militant about the language thing, so I wasn’t sure what kind of reception we’d get when we arrived for our Canada-New England cruise, but no worries. Everyone we’ve encountered has been friendly and helpful, though that may be because they assumed we were American (when our cab driver found out we were actually from Canada, he chided us a bit for not speaking French.) Still, it’s been a good experience overall.

We had one night on our own in the city before boarding our ship, so we took advantage of Chris’s corporate connections to get us a super cheap room at the world’s most photographed hotel: the Chateau Frontenac. We didn’t get there until almost midnight and had to check out first thing this morning, but it was still a treat. The hotel itself is very castle-like; the lobby strongly resembles a medieval dungeon, with dark woods and intricate carvings everywhere. Our room was nothing special and had absolutely no view, but that wasn’t the point. Cross that one off the bucket list.

We spent the morning wandering around the Upper Town of Old Quebec, which is surrounded by fortress walls and overlooks the St. Lawrence River. Buildings in the area have been carefully preserved; some are more than 300 years old. It’s very much like walking through an old European city. We also stopped at the Musee du Fort and saw a very interesting sound and light show that covered the various battles fought by the French, British and Americans over control of Quebec. I’m a history nerd, so that was pretty cool.

The ship is docked here overnight, so we have one more day to explore before we sail. Lower Town tomorrow…