Today was exhausting, but so much fun!
We got up early, and were at Josh and Sarah’s at 8:30 for breakfast. Ryanna had requested homemade biscuits and Aunt Sarah obliged. Even though she was busy feeding Analee she called out directions so Josh could make them for Ryanna. She is such a great Aunt to my girls. We had a strict timeline, we had to be out the door by 9. Today we were headed to the changing of the guard at La Citadelle de Québec. Josh is a great tour guide, he had all the kids fed, to the bathroom, and in the car by 8:56…now to get us adults out!
We made it, Québec drivers (Josh included) are crazy! It makes me nervous, but Alan and Josh zigzagged their way into the old city. We were hoarded into the Citadelle to purchase tickets to see the changing of the guard and then went straight into the fortress. Before we knew what was happening a very loud man in a fancy bearskin cap was shouting orders in French to his men.
We hurried our group of 11 to a spot around the parade ground to get a better view. However, we got stopped because the Royal 22nd regiment’s mascot was waiting to enter the parade ground, Batisse…the goat!
We waited for Batisse to enter then continued around to a great spot. We watched them inspect the new guards and salute, march around and even the huge band came out and played during the ceremony. I was enthralled with it. Even the kids were quiet during the entire thing. 35 minutes of silence when the Campbell cousins are together is unheard of!
After the ceremony we decided. To forego the tour, because an hour long tour would never work for the Campbell cousins, they just need to run and play! So our tour guide Josh decided it was time for us to see Québec City. Sarah, and the two younger girls headed back to the house. I forget Sarah just gave birth a few weeks ago, and Analee is still so tiny, so it was nice to be able to have them get out with us even for a short time.
Away we went, Josh and Alan at the front and I was bringing up the rear in case any kiddos straggled behind. Josh first took us to the walls of the Citadelle where we could see all of Québec City, the Old City, lower city, and the south shore of Levi across the St. Lawrence River. It was a beautiful view, this picture will for sure go on my travel wall!
Québec is a very old city with cobblestone streets and a very European feel. I loved it! Josh took us down to the lower city and we searched for some lunch. I love my brother in law dearly, but he just about killed me with all the walking. He is so full of energy and I liked to have died, but I made it and saw so much in the process! After walking around, we vetoed a restaurant that serves only rabbit and settled on Casse-Cou, it served burgers and fries!
It was such a cute little space, we were seated on the second floor and despite the stifling heat and no air we had a great time. It was delicious food and our view out the window was beautiful. After lunch we were off again! We visited little shops and Josh took us to the site where Samuel de Champlain first lived (founder of Québec).
One of the prettiest buildings in the Old city is the Chateau de Frontenac. So Josh took us up to see it. It is a hotel that is beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the Plaza in NYC. He had a fun way for us to get up to the Chateau that involved a very tiny, hot claustrophobic funiculaire up the side of the wall…I opted out of that ride and took the stairs. Sarah told me later it was like 207 stairs…it felt like a thousand to me. The kids enjoyed their ride though!
We toured the beautiful hotel and then watched a street performer. I was less than interested so I opted for the extremely long line at Starbucks. In Québec They don’t use ice, as an ice lover, filled to the top with ice I am hating it…but not my Starbucks! They still use ice! I was so glad to have a drink with ice in it! Yum!
After the performance was over we decided to head home, we had dinner and church tonight! A total of 4.5 miles we walked in the old city. 😳
We fought the afternoon traffic with Josh at the wheel! We made it safely and Sarah had chicken pot pie cooking in the oven when we got home! We had picked up some vol la vont for us to put the pot pie filling in, they were so yummy! Just like pea pods that I make in the states. I did not take any pics of dinner because we were changing, eating, and running out the door to head to church.
We arrived at their church and were greeted with so many friendly church people. They made us feel so welcome. When Josh started the service I was so proud of him, to see him stand at the pulpit and speak French was so amazing. I remember meeting him at like 16 or 17 years old and how he had such a desire then to be a missionary. It was so neat to see him now 15 years later following what the Lord had called him to do. I enjoyed the service, Alan was able to play the piano for them and we all sang along in French. We had prayer and praise time, Ashlyn translated for us, which was another proud moment for this aunt. She is so great at it. The girls would listen to her so intently as she translated, even Alan and I were listening to her. When the message started the girls went with Ashlyn and Dakota to a children’s class. Josh had a friend Max translate for us, and we then had prayer time. I went with the ladies to pray and it was so neat to hear them pray with such passion to the same God I pray to. I could not understand anything they said but God did. They asked me to pray in English and I just felt an overwhelming love for these people and the God we serve. Afterwards we talked for a few minutes, I in my very limited French and they in their very limited English! We made it though and understood everyone.
One sweet lady, Claire, is so burdened for her children. She was a Catholic and was saved, but her older children do not understand how what she had told them their whole lives is now not true. I told her I would be praying for them, Pierre, Philip, and Dennis. Please pray for their salvation. She was so happy that I would pray for them.
We came back together for a song and then we fellowshipped for awhile! They are a small church, please pray that they can grow and reach many others for Christ.
After church Josh introduced me to Tim Hortons – coffee, beignets, and muffins! I was so tired from all day that I needed a pick me up!
We also picked up a couch for Josh and Sarah at the church, so after we delivered that and got it in their basement we finally went back to the hotel and collapsed into bed. My watch read 5.2 miles today…over 10,000 steps. Tomorrow is another day!