Early in June Toni and I went on our first vacation in four years. Of course we have been living in new locales but that is different from a vacation. For this trip we went to Quebec City. I was there only once before when I was eight years old so I have just vague memories of it. It was an easy decision to go there as it is just a one hour flight on the best regional airline in the world, Porter Airlines. Upon landing we grabbed our luggage and went straight to the taxi stand. The driver spoke no English at all but we expected that as only 1/3 of the population is bilingual. We got settled in and gave him the hotel location on paper. I noticed the catchy music coming from the radio. It was in French of course but I quickly realized that I knew the song even though that seemed impossible. It took a minute but I finally recognized it as Michael Pagliaro. He was well known in Canada but not the States. The song I was hearing was one of his best, “What the Hell I Got”, which I used to have on a single but that version was sung in English. What are the odds that I would hear a 1975 French recording that I would know the minute I set foot in Quebec? Here it is in English. What a welcome to the city.
We loved our lodging at Hotel du Vieux-Quebec.
I would never consider staying anywhere else. They start the day of right with breakfast basket hanging on the door every morning. The hotel is located right in the thick of Old Quebec and within walking distance of dozens of restaurants and shops. We definitely took advantage of the restaurants. Although less than a third of the population speaks English we were able to fumble through with our vocabulary of about thirty words.
Quebec City is over 400 years old, the only city north of Mexico that still has its ramparts intact. It has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site so if you visit keep your camera charged up and have a fresh memory card. They say it is the most European city in North America and between the language and architecture I have to agree. I will let the photos we took tell most of the story.
There were only a couple of things on my ‘must see’ list. The first place was The Plains of Abraham. This was the only thing I really remembered from my childhood visit. I didn’t know it when I was little but this was the site of the most famous battle in Canada. As part of the French and Indian War in 1759 the British defeated the French here in a 30 minute attack that lead to the French losing control of Quebec and eventually all of Canada. Today it is acres of rolling grassland used as a park with scenic views of the St. Lawrence River valley.
The other place was the St. Matthews Anglican Church where my Grandpa Nosworthy was baptized. After I booked our hotel I looked up the church and was on the same street, rue St-Jean, less than a meter west…a ten minute walk!!
With this Google street map you can stroll around the grounds.
I have mentioned my family trip a few times in this blog. It was my only travel as a kid but we covered a lot of territory in three weeks. We had stops in Chicago, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Portland Maine, Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Gettysburg. It was a true marathon and all by car with three adults and three kids in a Chevy Impala station wagon. Most of the places we just spent an afternoon. Sometimes they were simply pointing out sites from the car without even stopping, especially towards the last part of the trip. Without setting out to do so I have suddenly realized that I have been going back to most of these same places as an adult and seeing them properly. In a couple of cases I have been actually living there. It was not intentional but there are only four places left on that list that have not been revisited.
Santol is on duty at the lobby of the Chateau Frontenac. He is always ready for a walk with the guests.
The baptismal fount in St Matthews Church. Grandpa Nosworthy was baptised here nearly 100 years ago.
The Plains of Abraham were just as I remember them as a kid
The Funiculaire that takes you from the upper part of Old Quebec to the lower part of Old Quebec. It is an elevator that goes at a 45 degree angle.
Perhaps our favourite restaurant located in the lower section
Another photo from dusk at the centre of town
Toni's hair seemed to blend right into the sculpture behind her.
If you haven't seen enough already check this LINK for a panoramic view of the city showing the upper and lower parts and the Funiculaire that links them. It is a large photo so give it some time to load.
