Living the Dream...: Friday, August 3, 2018 (Part 1) (Quebec City KOA Holiday, Quebec)

We thought we would split today's blog into 2 posts again. It was another full day with lots of pictures.

Like yesterday, we were up at the office to catch the 8:30 shuttle into the city. Once at the terminal, we went inside to have one of the tour bus reps help us...we plan on taking the green line out to Wendake, however, we needed to be back in time to catch the bus to the cruise ship terminal. We found out that we would have to catch the bus back from Wendake at 12:30 to get us back into the city to catch the 1:30 bus from the terminal and get off at stop 4, to catch the cruise ship.

With that all figured out, we headed out to catch the green line bus to Wendake, an authentic First Nations experience. It took a little less than a half hour to get there. We entered the museum and paid for a guided tour. Unfortunately, no picture taking is allowed inside the museum.

The history of a culture that is still alive and vibrant, and objects which evoke ancestral traditions that are more than memories: this is what visitors discover in the permanent exhibit of the Huron-Wendat Museum. Taking an interactive approach, this extremely rare collection allows us to enter into the heart of Wendat culture and explore the themes of territories, memories and knowledge.

Visitors pass through a depiction of the creation myth and arrive at a forest. The Spirit of the great forests of northeastern North America tells of the origins of the Wendat people and their long journey through the ages. Behind the forest, the material universe is revealed a series of showcases arranged in a great circle. They present and explain the significance of objects, guiding us on the path to knowledge. The multimedia environment above the great circle plunges visitors into a poetic vision of the natural universe which nourishes and stimulates the imagination. Objects take on life once more.

After the tour inside, we were taken out and shown the village...inside the palisade walls...

Longhouse made out of bark...

They used a funky pink light on the interior which made for horrible pictures so Steve salvaged them somewhat by going black and white...

Small bark shelter used when travelling...

They used to place there dead on structures like this one...

Next, we followed her a few blocks to Notre-Dame-De-Lorette Mission...
The current church was built around 1730 and modeled after the Santa Casa di Loreto in Italy, under the supervision of a Jesuit missionary, Father Pierre Daniel Richer. On June 10, 1862, a fire broke out at the neighbouring paper mill. It spread to the steeple and a large section of the roof, both of which were badly damaged by the flames. Fortunately, most of the furnishings, silverware and liturgical objects dating back to the founding of the mission were saved.
The church was renovated several years later and, at the beginning of the 20th century, a side chapel and a sacristy were added. Today, there is also a small sanctuary dedicated to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in October 2012.
In 1957, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette Church was classified as a historic monument by the Commission des monuments historiques de la province de Québec. In 1981, it was declared a National Historic Site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

Robe worn by the first Indigenous pastor...

Our tour guide...

She took us to a riverside park, Chute Kabir Kouba...
The rapids and falls of this section of the river are called Kabir Kouba the «river of a thousand bends» in the Montagnais language. An interpretive center and trails permit the observation of the Kabir Kouba waterfall that has a height of 28 metres. The trails also provide a view of the canyon which at its highest point measures 42 metres as well as a rich variety of flora, fauna and fossils dating over 455 million years old.

Remnants of past industries at the falls, a mill and a power plant...

Tsawenhohi House...
Located in the heart of Old Wendake, construction of Tsawenhohi House began in 1807 and was completed in 1820. Tsawenhohi was the name of the first Grand Chief to live in the house, Nicolas Vincent Tsawenhohi. In 2001, he was declared a National Historic Person by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Between 1820 and 1993, Tsawenhohi House was home to three Grand Chiefs and other individuals actively involved in the political and economic life of the community. Classed as a heritage site by the Council of the Huron-Wendat Nation, it received the visit of numerous public figures and celebrities during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Kids had just finished playing Lacrosse in the parking lot as we walked back to the centre...

The tour included a drink in the bar/restaurant...so with the tour ending shortly after noon, we had about 20 minutes (barely) to down a beer. When we raced to the entrance, we found the bus waiting.

The tour of Wendake was interesting (kind of) but in hind-sight, we both agreed that our time and money would have been better spent in the Museum of Civilization.

We arrived a half hour early at the Croisier River Cruise terminal for a guided sightseeing cruise along the St. Lawrence River.

The Chateau Frontenac...

Ready to board...the lady with the camera takes everyone's picture as you climb aboard...

Since it was going on 2:00 and we hadn't had lunch, upon boarding we found a snack bar and grabbed a bite to eat. We were basically finished and up on the top deck by the time the tour started. They had great table seating topside...