New Brunswick Trip - Day 2, to Quebec City.

Before we left their place Emma looked up the best route, told us verbally and we all assumed that was the way the GPS would take us. Well driving into Ottawa we never saw the exit that Emma had recommended, so we just followed the instructions of the GPS. We drove through Ottawa and headed down the river. As we neared the point that the GPS indicated we should turn left we could see no bridge over the river. We turned left and

At this point the GPS said "get on the ferry"!

The perils of blindly following the GPS. It was a fun little trip across the Ottawa river, then the GPS said "get off the ferry" and we were on our way again.

The next place Emma had recommended, so we could stretch our legs was Montebello, where there is a beautiful Fairmont Hotel. We were not allowed onto the grounds at the hotel so went just down the road to Manoir Papineau, which is a historic site.

We didn't go inside but walked around the grounds and saw the funeral chapel,

granary,

stables and

orangery.

It was all owned by the Papineau family and he was the first seigneur of the Ottawa Valley.

So much opulence, supported by the tithes of those who farmed in the area.

A short trail allowed us to walk across the river side of the hotels grounds.

It is a huge log lodge with

 beautiful views

of the Ottawa river and surrounding hills. We had a picnic beside the tourist information area and then felt ready to drive some more.

Rather than drive through Montreal we disagreed with the GPS and went on secondary roads through small towns before rejoining the highway further down the St Lawrence.

Every town had at least one church, perched up high, with one (or sometimes 2) silver steeple and a silver painted roof. The foliage was a little further along. Again, we followed the GPS to our detriment and ended up driving through Quebec City at rush hour. This put us too late to visit Montmerency Falls so we decided to try and do that the next day.

We stayed overnight in Auberge Baker, just north east of Quebec City

The hotel is at least 200 years old and our room had thick stone walls and scarred old rafters.

The bathroom door was new, half the thickness and 2ft taller than the original.

An antique rug, under glass. I didn't get to ask whether it was a Tremblay but it was definitely of his style.

We ate dinner at the hotel in the lovely wood paneled dining room, surrounded by the ebb and flow of french speakers. We shared a light salad, scallops on a roue of mushrooms (they melted in your mouth), butternut squash gnocchi in a garlic cream sauce and a 1/4 carafe of red wine. It was absolutely delicious, reasonably priced and light enough not to disturb our sleep.