In August my daughter and son-in-law took me along on their holiday to Quebec City. It involved a stop along the way there and one on the way home.

Since I’d never been to Quebec City before I was looking forward all summer to the trip.

After the drive from home, we were ready to stretch our legs. It was too early to check in so we did a little walking and exploring.

Our hotel was on the waterfront and there was much to see. People getting on an off cruise boats, people in the park. All enjoying the summer activities around the city.

Just one of the many boats in the water

Posing in the park

My family had planned and booked tickets ahead to have a tour of the Kingston Penitentiary while we were in Kingston, so after a lunch at a nearby restaurant, we headed out to the facility. It closed in 2013, and there are two tours, one an  hour and a half and one two and a half hours. We were booked for the shorter one.

We learned about its programs for the inmates, the security measures, troubles for the guards, and we also saw the small cells that housed a bunk bed, a table and a toilet in one area of the large facility. We also learned about the programs for rehabilitation, jobs they could do, and spiritual counselling for those who were open to it.

We also learned the facility sponsored a Toastmasters club. The guide said it would be helpful when it came time to meet with the parole board if they could express themselves well.

I do remember one person who had been in prison and was released, who attended our district conference who took home the trophy for one of the contests. What a feat for that fellow!

one of the facility program buildings

After our tour, we drove out to Fort Henry that can be seen from the park. We walked uphill and around the fort that looked out over the bay.

Early evening, we walked up the main street and sat at an outdoor restaurant patio for supper. I won’t name the place. One of the kids in our family group had to wait way too long for his dinner. We shared what we had, and the waitress did compensate for the wait on the bill.

By then it was dark. We headed further uptown looking for the sorbet place. On our way we saw a street piano, painted in bright colours displaying the name of the city. My granddaughter sat down on the chair to play a tune.

Never having done this before, I decided to play too. The chair wouldn’t work for me, as adirondack chairs are meant for leaning back and relaxing and that wouldn’t work for my stature, and so I bent in and played it while standing.

My family looked back. One of the kids said, “Hey, Grandma is playing.”

After a few short opening bars of Fur Elise, I decided it was time to go looking for our treat further up street.

My daughter had been in the city for team meetings for her work. She knew where the treat place was. And so we found it and walked back slowly toward the hotel while enjoying our treats.

We spent time socializing that evening in our rooms, then off to bed so we could be up and ready to head to Lévis, Quebec, where our Air BnB awaited.