St’ John’s, Saguenay & Quebec October 8-12, 2014
 Leaving St John’s Harbour |
 Parliament Quebec |
Day 6 October 8 Wednesday, St John’s, Newfoundland
St John’s has been described as a unique and colouful place to visit. John Cabot sailed into St John’s harbour in 1497 and French, Basque, Portuguese and British ships soon started making frequent appearances along the coast of Newfoundland. A permanent settlement was established in 1583 and St John’s became the first British settlement overseas.
 St John’s at dawn |
 Narrow entrance to St John’s |
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Bing and I disembarked before 8am and we did not return to the boat till 4pm. First, we picked up a map at the pier. Our plan for the day was to walk to the Signal Hill, visit the Johnson Geo Centre on the way and go to the Quidi Vidi Village on foot. Then we would take a taxi back to the pier.
We walked along the Water St and arrived at the First World Memorial. Then we followed the Duckworth St before reaching the Signal Hill Rd. We spent over two hours at the Geo Centre which offers visitors over 60 a discounted entrance fee ($9). The centre is well-designed with good interpretations. We watched an introductory film as well as an outstanding 45-minute film showing amazing caves in Borneo, Mexico and US.
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We had a quick tour of the five main exhibitions on The Planet, Our Province, Our People, Our Future and Space and The Titanic Story. Based on the facts presented in the exhibition, there were plenty of early warnings of the location of the iceberg: the fatal accident could have been avoided. After the boat had struck the iceberg, the casualty might have been minimised had the evacuation been carried out professionally and efficiently with trained staff, sufficient lifeboats and proper coordination.
 Cabot Tower, Signal Hill |
 Johnson Geo Centre |
At 11:30am we reached the Signal Hill where the first transatlantic wireless message was received in 1901. We climbed to the top of the Cabot Tower, an iconic landmark built in 1897 to commemorate 400 years of John Cabot’s discovery of Newfoundland and Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The panoramic views of the city, the Queen’s Battery, the harbour, St John’s Bay and the coastline are magnificent.
 Battery |
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The harbour is indeed well-sheltered with a narrow entrance. To protect it the British had built the Waldegrave Battery, Chain Rocks Battery and Queen’s Battery on the north side and the Frederick’s Battery on the south. There are several good hiking trails: Burma Rd Trail (one way 1.2km), Gibbet Hill Lookout (round trip 1 km), Ladies Lookout (one way 650m) and North Head Trial (3.7km loop).
After a sandwich lunch, we walked to Ladies Lookout and followed a trail to Quidi Vidi Village which has an extremely narrow entrance i.e. several metres in width. We saw a couple of bald eagles sitting on their nest on the way.
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The village is not as picturesque as Peggy’s Cove.
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We tried to find a taxi to return to town without success. Eventually we spent over an hour to walk from the village to the St John the Baptist Basilica (1841), a landmark of Halifax.
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The walk is not too bad. We walked along the lake shore and saw the Government House (1824-1831). By 3pm, we reached the basilica which is impressive. I decided to walk to The Rooms (the province’s museum and art gallery) nearby while Bing would return to the ship.
 Government House |
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 The Room (pink and glass building) |
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As there was not much time left, I did not buy a ticket ($12. But I had enough freebies: an exhibition on St John’s special relationship with Ireland; excellent panoramic view of the city and the harbour from the top floor of the musuem and free Wi-Fi. My heart sank when I read the latest developments of the student protest in Hong Kong.
Watching the ship leaving the harbour
On the way back to the ship, I passed by the Anglican St John Cathedral (1892) and the Supreme Court. Both are notable historical buildings.
After dinner, we watched a performance ‘Swing City’ by the in-house singers and dancers.
Day 7 October 9 Thursday: Third Day at Sea
According to the itinerary, we could get off the boat at 7:30am at Saint- Pierre. Bing could not sleep and moved around before 6am. We got up and had breakfast before 7am.
The sky was dark and cloudy. I sensed something was wrong: we were still far from the port and the ship had stopped. Finally the Captain announced that it was unsafe to enter the port as the wind was too strong (13 knot).
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The ship did not leave immediately. For a short while, the wind dropped and the sky cleared up. I was hopeful that we might have a chance to land. My hope was dashed when strong wind returned. I took a last look at Saint-Pierre, a place I would unlikely to return in my life. What a shame! Well, we are at the mercy of weather and safety is of paramount importance!
 A windy and cold day |
 Bad weather but a beautiful sunset! |
Our cruise director Topi Ylonen from Finland had a busy day. He had to revise the activity programme in order to arrange something for the passengers to do. He gave a presentation on his eight month-long journey from Panama to Sydney across the Pacific Ocean. He is passionate about teaching, learning, travel, life and his work. His account of his experience of sailing with his friend and new acquaintances is interesting and inspiring. He treasures his time to think and reflect, to get to know how to get on and work with other people. I totally agree: travel gives one time and space to learn, think, develop and grow.
Bing and I attended an art auction in the afternoon. She brought a painting by a Chinese painter while I won a lucky draw and got a free painting.
Tonight, Filmer Flores V (the music director), a classical piano recital Moscow trained pianist gave a piano recital. The theatre was fully packed: the audience seemed to enjoy the performance especially after lots of pop singing, dancing and comedy. I went to the casino for the first time, tried my luck on two gaming machines but lost US$20 within an hour. An expected outcome!
Day 8 October 10 Thursday: Fourth Day at Sea
Today, the Captain, Chief Engineer and Environment Officer had a session with passengers. The theatre was half full with curious passengers who raised some intelligent questions ranging from mechanic issues to environmental ones. They asked how wasted food and sewage were treated, the working hours of the staff and reasons for changing the first seating dinner from 6 to 5pm. I was glad someone asked why the TV channel on the sea route did not work.
After a quick lunch at Windjammer, Bing and I attended the grand finale art auction. Bing got two more paintings. In the evening, we watched another in-house production ‘Absolutely Fab’ with more dancing and popular songs by Tom jones, Robbie Williams, Dust Springfield and Elton John etc.
All staff work hard on board. In addition to their own job, they all have to entertain passengers sometimes. Tonight 67 staff took part in the Parade of Flags: each carried his/her national flag and paraded in the Centrum. The parade lasted less than 20 minutes. It’s fun giving some recognition to the staff. I went to the casino and lost another US$20.
October 10 Friday: Saguenay, Quebec
The Saguenay-Lac Saint Jean region is renowned as one of the most beautiful destinations in Quebec. In 1600, the French set up the first fur trading post. In the 19th century, logging, aluminum, pulp and paper industries developed. Today, visitors come to explore the fjord, numerous charming towns and the Saguenay National Park.
Our ship entered the Saguenay Fjord before sunrise. This beautiful fjord has a length of 105 kilometres, a width varying between two to four kilometres with an average depth of 210 metres. The cliffs along the fjord have an average height of 150 metres reaching a maximum height of 350 metres. Fresh water originating from Lac St. Jean flows through the fjord into an estuary long St Lawrence River.
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I got up early hoping to watch an awesome sunrise in the fjord. Unfortunately, it was cold and cloudy. I saw a waterfall and the Notre-Dame Statute of Saguenay from a distance. Finally we arrived at the Bay Ha Ha at the end of fjord. A group of performers from the show La Fabuleuse, the story of the Kingdom of the Saguenay dressed in traditional costumes greeted us on arrival.
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We disembarked at 9:30am. There are many things to do. One can purchase a bus ticket for $15 which takes passengers to the downtown and cultural area where the Saint- Francois-Xavier Cathedral, La Pulperie (Regional Museum), La Petite Maison Blanche (Little White House) and the old port of Chicoutimi are located. Bing decided to take a whole day fjord discovery tour by boat while I planned to explore the place on foot.
On the way out, I met an elderly lady, Andrée who planned to take a taxi with a couple to take a self-guided hike near the bay. She invited me to share their taxi. I gladly accepted her invitation. The taxi only cost $10.
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We began our hike at 10am. The trail is well-marked but not too easy: some sections are slippery and rocky. I had no problem and went all the way (about 1.7km) to the cross. My elderly friends reached the second lookout point when it started to rain around 11pm. They decided to return instead of risking their life to climb the rocks to reach the top. It is important to know one’s limitation and when to turn back! It rained heavily when we were awaiting a taxi around noon.
I returned to the boat for lunch and did not venture out till the rain stopped. By then it was too late to take the bus to visit the cultural centre. Instead, I spent almost three hours walking along the Bay of Ha Ha enjoying the tranquility and beautiful scenery.
The trees have turned golden with only a few red maple trees. I was thrilled to find thousands of snow geese in the bay: they would be flying south soon. It is a pity that I have not made my way to the downtown and cultural area of Saguenay.
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In the evening, we saw the third aerial show “Seasons” with six aerialists. The performance was accompanied by music, singing and dancing. I find too many things going on at the same time in the small Centrum.
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Bobby Arvon, a singer, impressionist and pianist who sings the theme song of TV’s “Happy Days” was the star of the evening show. His energy and passion are amazing for a singer of his age. Tonight, I lost another $20 – my final contribution to the casino.
Day 10 October 12 Sunday: Quebec City, Quebec
We had excellent weather today: sunny and chilly with clear blue. The ship went past the Island of Orleans which is very pretty in full fall colours. Many passengers came on deck to watch the boat approaching Quebec City which in my view, is one of the world’s most beautiful ports of call and the best kept fairy tale city.
Quebec City, the capital of the province of Quebec, was founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608. The English arrived and battled with the French for domination. In 1759 General James Wolfe defeated General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham outside the citadel. With the exception of the small islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, France ceded its North American possessions to Great Britain through the Treaty of Paris in 1763 thus ending its dream of establishing a New France in the continent. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec, a World Heritage Site are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico.
Today the city with a population of half a million still has a distinctive French appearance and flavor. French is commonly used: most of the interpretation panels and tourist information are all in French and the streetscape and architectures resembles those in France. Quebecois have been pressing for independence but the motion has been turned down through referendum so far. In any case, for visitors the French appeals have made the place unique and more enchanting.
We disembarked at 11am. I have been in the city twice (both in winter) and my memories returned when I arrived at Place Royale where the Notre-Dame of Victory Church, the oldest stone church in North America, stands.
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Strolling in the old city despite the steep slopes and steps is blissful. We had a lovely walking tour for the next five hours reaching the Place d’Armes, Chateau Frontenac, Terrasse Dufferin, Promenade des Governeurs, Citadel, Parliament Hill and Rue Saint Jean which is filled with cafés, restaurants and boutiques. I had an excellent cappuccino in a café for less than $3!
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We visited the Cathedral of St John the Baptist which is expansive with impressive stain-glass. Close by is the St Matthew Church which has been turned into a library. But its wooden structure and the cemetery (the oldest urban cemetery) are interesting.
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Time passed quickly. As I had to get information on train and bus from Quebec City to Montreal, we walked to the train/bus station on the way back to the ship. The cheapest train ticket was about $70 while the bus leaving every hour is cheaper ($52 only). I decided to take the bus.
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At 5:30pm, we had our last dinner on this cruise. I had roast lamb which was delicious. Then I brought my last painting on this trip (four in total). Though there were two entertainment events on the boat, Bing and I decided to explore the old town by night.
The streets were quiet, deserted and atmospheric. I enjoy Place Royale by night even more. We went to the Montmorency Park where 15,000 solar bulbs which changed colours had been installed. I am not impressed by the lighting effects.
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We strolled along the narrow streets in Petite Champlain which is full of restaurants and souvenir shops. The whole place was strangely quiet.
Bing was busy packing while I spent over an hour on internet searching for accommodation in Montreal. We went to bed after midnight: our last night on the boat!