Farnsniente

The four of us in front of Montmorency Falls

Falling for Montmorency Falls

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in
📍 Montmorency Falls, Quebec

Photos

Trip index

Summary

After a lazy morning and lunch we walked below the city walls then climbed 395 up to Plains of Abraham and Citadel. We wanted to spew time looking around but had to scoot back to our hotel to meet up with our private tour guide. He drove us out to the beautiful Montmorency Falls for a walk to falls base then drive to suspension bridge over top (Scott opted to walk up 487 more stairs). Next was Orleans Island which is three times the size of Manhattan but only has one gas station, one stop light and 7,000 people, we made stops and a Chocolate shop, a market for locally grown produce and at a sugar shack for a maple syrup tasting.

Details

Today we have someone picking us up for a tour. First though, breakfast, at least for some of us. Melody and Gregg have the meal included with their hotel bill, so they’re there. Karen and I suck it up and survive off of just coffee til lunch. 

At 11:30 we walk to the Cochon Dingue which means something like crazy pig. We’d looked at the menu and thought it looked really good. We get there at 11:30. In my best French I tell the girl we’re there for “dejeuner” (lunch). Sorry no more dejeuner. I misunderstand. I try to clarify… [in French] “so no lunch til noon?” She’s a bit baffled. It turns out that in France French dejeuner means lunch. Here? It means breakfast. Lunch? Here it’s “midi” (noon). So it was like a “who’s on first” comedy sketch. In the US an entree is a main course. In France (and Canada) it’s the ‘entry’ to the meal (an appetizer). So confusing. 

In any case, lunch is great. We sit outside and the weather is cool, breezy and nice. People watching is great. Afterwards we go for a walk that gets out of control and becomes a very long walk. We walk along the water, or at least parallel to it. At some point we have to go inland. No options for that for a long time. When we can it’s a single set of stairs that ends up being a total of 395 steps. Oof. 

At 1:30 we’re picked up by Yves, our tour guide. The car is comfortable and he’s interesting. He tells us about stuff we’re seeing and (Canadian) French history. We head out to the Montmorency Falls, which isn’t too far from Québec proper. The falls are impressive and a big draw for the city. There’s the falls, and walks to the base to get covered in the mist. If you pay extra you can do a long zip line across the falls. 

Yves points to the stairs and says there are 487 steps to get to the top of the falls. The plan is that we’ll get misted at the base and then drive up to the top (to walk across the bridge there). I can’t resist and offer to walk up (and do). It’s not bad at all. 

After the falls we head across a bridge to the Orleans island. The island is the same size as Manhattan, but is mostly agricultural: apples, strawberries, grapes for wine and the like. It’s very pretty and there are good sized houses with big lawns and great views of Québec in the distance. There are so few people or businesses on the island there’s one narrow two lane bridge that services the island. It’s been there forever and they’re just now replacing it with a new bridge. It doesn’t need to be much bigger so it won’t be.

After passing lots of fields of strawberries, some with dozens of workers harvesting, we stop at a “fruit stand”. It has strawberries, blueberries, and “Indian corn”. Mostly it has maple syrup and we’re here for a tasting. Yves serves each of us a little cup with about a tablespoon of each of the different maple syrups. 

First we try the amber, then the dark, then the really dark, then the ‘aged in old bourbon barrels version. Then we have the maple sugar. So much sweet but it’s all really good. We buy some suitcase gifts for family and friends and Yves buys a big quart of gorgeous strawberries which he gives the four of us. 

We drive back to our hotel hearing more history and asking lots of questions. At the hotel we’re dropped off and say our thanks to Yves. The only thing left for the day is more eating. It’s dinner time. Melody has found a fun sounding place, hard to get a reservation but we have one. The place is not far from our hotel, if you’re able to fly. Since we’re at the bottom of the rocks and wall that protected the city back in the day we have a long, steep climb ahead of us. 

The restaurant is small and popular. We’re seated inside and have lots of time to review the menu and people watch while the cheerful but harried wait staff run around servicing all of the many tables inside and outside of the little restaurant. They’re out of a couple of ingredients for my cocktails of choice so I just opt for a blanche (whit) beer. Oops! The tap just emptied, they’re swapping it out, it’ll be a good minute. Just bring me a red wine. That they can do. 

Dinner is delicious, and we have a blast. Good choice of restaurants. We’re full as we leave so it’s actually a good thing that we have such a long walk ‘home’ ahead of us.  

Photos

In the interest of eating less and saving money, Karen and I forgo breakfast and instead have our first meal of the day at lunch, at the Cochon Dingue, the crazy pig, perhaps?
Lots of good food here in Canada. Chicken Caesar Salad for Karen and a salad with lobster, shrimp, etc. etc. for me. Yum.
After lunch we walk and get our selves in a bind where the only way out is this set of stairs. 395 stairs. We huff and puff our way up. Others are running up and down repeatedly, we figure just to taunt us.
I’m initially flummoxed at first as to how the steps are only worn down on the underside. Wha?? Then I get it. They were originally flipped over, but after a certain amount of wear they turn them over for a second life. Smart!
Picked up by our tour guide, Yves, and his big comfortable car, we head up to the Parc de la chute-Montmorency (Montmorency Falls). We hear a lot of interesting Canadian French history. The license plates all say “I remember” which I gather is short for “I remember the good old times before these damn English speakers came and took over”.
Their winter mascot: Bonhomme, as if they need anything to remind them it’s winter.
Lots of things to do here at the falls, including hiking across the bridge or zipping across on the zip line.
The falls were used to generate electricity since a long time and how they did it changed over time. The local power generation company is happy to tell you all about it.
I opt to hike the stairs to the top of the falls which means I get a good view of Yves, Gregg, and a wet Melody, soggy from hanging out in the fall’s mist a bit too long.
From the bridge across the falls we can see the 487 steps I climbed to get to the top. The others? They drove up. Cheaters!
Also from the top we can see a new attraction soon to be installed. You can already zip across the falls and walk across a bridge above the falls. Soon you’ll be able to walk under the water, through this (hopefully) waterproof tunnel.
Now on Orleans Island, across part of the Saint Lawrence River from the falls, we see all of the agriculture they have on the island, including grapes for wine and lots of strawberries. Yves buys some strawberries for us to eat (which we do) and we buy maple-based suitcase gifts.
A small portion of the strawberry plants on the island. They, like us, adore the temperate weather and gentle sunshine.
At the fruit and maple things stand there’s a display showing the progression of the maple tree taps over the decades, up until now where we use (what else) plastic.
Out of order pictures we got from Yves include this one of the group at the base of the falls with all kinds of information. Melody is pointing out where we are. I’m pointing out that I’m crazy enough to try to hike up to the top of the falls via the 487 stairs. I’m told there’s a perfectly safe car that’s happy to drive us up there.
Standing in the midst of the mist is a popular attraction at the falls, especially in mid summer. Melody was happy to heed the call.
Back in Montreal we hike to a wonderful little hole-in-the-wall bistro. The food and drinks are delicious.
The place is small but it has lots of tables inside and out, so they have lots of workers preparing the food, delivering the food, and doing the dishes, all in a space not much bigger than our hotel room.
The street view of our restaurant. I’m happy to be taking this picture in part due to the idyllic temperature. If only it were this temperature year-round here.
We’re in a big, busy city, but it’s night time and so we see approximately zero cars. It’s a fun walk back to our hotel, quite a distance away.
One of the ways that we know we’re close to our hotel proper are all the schlock “art” galleries offering paintings and other “art” in return for some of our many tourist dollars. No judgement. OK, a little bit of judgement.