Parc des Chutes-de-la-Chaudière

The Cauldron

The Chaudière River runs for 115 miles before it flows into the St. Lawrence River across from Quebec City. "Flows" isn't quite accurate, however, as the Chaudière tumbles over a wide waterfall (chute, en français) as it meets the St. Lawrence in a swirling cauldron (chaudière) down below. It is picturesque, dramatic and oddly out of place, as the falls are situated adjacent to two major highways and has power lines (from the hydroelectric plant) strung overhead.

After hiking the area around the waterfall for a couple of hours, we drove east to the town of Lévis, situated on the southern shore of the St. Lawrence, directly across from downtown Quebec City. Not knowing our way around Lévis, we were turning this way and that trying to get closer to the water when we (very accidentally) stumbled upon a small and unassuming park with spectacular views across the river to Quebec City. After taking some pictures, we got a small blanket and pillow out of the car, laid down in the grass in the shade of a large tree, sharing a pair of earbuds, and listened to (what we continue to call, despite the change in technology) our "book on tape."

After a couple of leisurely hours in the park (there might have been a nap in there, too), we got back in the car, found our way back to QC, and dined on gluten-free ("sans gluten") pizza on Rue Saint Jean in the shadow of the Saint Jean Gate. All in all, it was a wonderful Sunday.

Tidbit

The name Québec comes from the Algonquin word kébec, which means "where the river narrows." Quebec City is located at the point where the St. Lawrence River narrows before it heads inland to Montréal and the Great Lakes. A settlement was originally placed here because it was the easiest place to defend against riverborne invaders.