COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader
I still love Quebec! Of all the places I have lived over the last forty years, including my twenty years in British Columbia, this province still stirs something deep inside more than any of the others. Something must get in your blood when you are born and raised here. I can't explain it is but I can feel it every time I return to visit. The history, the countryside, the people, the art and culture, the signature architecture and even the countless dairy farms that dot the landscape with their characteristic old barns and silos. Vancouver and Quebec City are not only separated by distance but also by a mindset that is just as huge. But once again, I am beginning to ramble as we sit here at my cousin's condo in Quebec City having a little R & R before our next little jaunt to Brockville, Ontario where we will stay with my parents a few days before heading back to China.
A couple of days ago, we rode down the south shore of the St. Lawrence from Riviere du Loup to Quebec City. We got off the main road and wound our way along the old highway for
most of the way. We have tried to stay off the main freeways as much as we can on this trip, where all the stops start looking the same and the monotony of the roads sometimes puts you into a deep coma before you realize it. You get to see the real side of the states or provinces when you are passing within spitting distance of peoples' front porches, and our ride along the St. Lawrence was no exception. The old Quebec villages, farms,and small towns we rode through had a sense of history and most looked like a lot had not changed in decades. The only negative side is running into patches of road construction but after three trips across the country we are getting pretty confident with any situation we run into. Much of the roadwork this time was due to damage done by flooding and washouts along the route.
At times, the road hugged the shore of the river. On a clear day, the view would be something but on this trip the other side of the St. Lawrence disappeared into the haze and fog in the distance. Of course, the largest structure in most of
these towns was the Catholic church, usually the focal point of the surrounding area. Anywhere we stopped for gas or food, I got to practice my French that is slowly getting a little rusty. Once again, the bikers and others we met along the way were sick of the cloudy, rainy summer that has been plaguing them for the last month. You don't find a lot of English along this route but the few that do speak it are more than willing to do so. As when I was learning the language as a youngster, I refused to break into English unless I got really stuck!
We switched back onto the main "autoroute" about half an hour before we got to Quebec City. It's always neat to see the old Quebec Bridge that we used to go over when I was a kid visiting our cousins in Lac Beauport. It was always a big deal for us to cross this bridge, although I have to say it seemed a lot bigger back then! Today a new larger bridge has replaced it which took us across the river and towards St. Foy, a suburb just outside the city where we
are now staying for a few days.
Yesterday, we took the local bus downtown to "Vieux Quebec". It is always fun to walk around the old walled city and check out the shops and restaurants. It is the 400th anniversary of the city and there is stuff going on every day and night all summer. Millions of dollars have been spent on the city to get it ready for the summer. We splurged on a traditional Quebecois lunch since it has been a long time since I have had real pea soup, Tortiere Quebecoise (meat pie), and maple syrup pie. After stuffing our faces for lunch, we ended up having a baguette and local blue cheese for supper, washed down with more wine. We have decided that we will get our fill of incredible cheeses and breads before we head back to China where neither are available, although it may take the rest of the year to lose the weight we have gained over the summer!
By mid afternoon, the clouds had moved in again and the rain started. We had to dash into a consecutive series of shops to stay dry as we made our way back
to where we had originally got off the bus. Today was nice and the good weather is supposed to stick around for a few days. If luck stays with us, we will be able to get to Ontario under sunny skies but we are not holding our breath.
COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader_blog_bottom
Tot: 0.136s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 9; qc: 46; dbt: 0.076s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb