Advertisement
Our darling little baby girl Megna was born on June 14th 2005. We were very happy parents enjoying her sweet little face, chubby little fingers and cuddly little body. But we somehow felt that we needed a break from parenthood; not that we spent sleepless nights each day. We just felt that we needed some time to ourselves, like a mini honeymoon. So we planned a trip to Quebec City during the Labor Day weekend in September. We got a really good deal at the Hilton and the hotel was located in an excellent spot, within walking distance to old town as well as new town. The Hotel was right adjacent to the Parliament building of Quebec. We had driven in our Nissan Quest watching movies throughout the 7 hour car ride. But once we got there, we hardly took out the van. There was no need!
If you want a taste of France in N. America, then Quebec City is “the place” to visit. Quebec City is divided into two distinct areas: Haute-Ville, located in the upper portion of the city and Basse-Ville, situated in the lower portion of the city, near the port. The city’s 400-year history and
scenic setting make it impossible to avoid using the words “quaint” or “charming” when describing it.
Basse-Ville :
This is the best part of Quebec City. The lower portion of Quebec City or the ‘Old Town’ has charming little sidewalk cafes, plenty of shopping, and a variety of art galleries and museums as well as a wealth of history. 400 year old Place Royale is considered the birthplace of French America and its narrow streets are inviting and picturesque. The compound of buildings includes the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church and the Maison Chevalier. The Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church was built in the 1700’s and was designated as the “church of the Irish” by the Bishop of Quebec in 1824. The Maison Chevalier, built in 1752 for ship owner Jean-Baptiste Chevalier, is now a museum offering a view of domestic life in the 17th century.
We walked inside Vieux Quebec to get a closer look at the incredible architecture of the numerous, very old buildings. We walked past the Rue du Petit-Champlain, said to be the oldest shopping district in North America. The quaint shops and friendly people made a lasting impression, not soon to be forgotten. We watched the various glass blowers
making colorful glass merchandise on the streets. Strolling through the streets of Vieux-Québec, we were unable to resist handicraft stands, renowned fashion designer boutiques, art galleries and gourmet food stores … A real treasure trove! Numerous souvenir shops invited us to linger, browse and purchase a few items as well.
Funicular:
For a panoramic view of the Saint Lawrence River and the lower portion of Quebec City, we took the funicular - an inclined cable railway that transports you 195-feet above the city at a 45-degree angle. Begun in 1879, and completely rebuilt in 1997, the enclosed funicular took us between the Louis-Jolliet House in Basse-Ville and the Dufferin Terrace station in Haute-Ville. We also climbed the “Break-Neck Staircase” between these two destinations. We sat down overlooking the St. Lawrence River eating cotton candy, ice cream and popcorn and watching the street performers.
Haute-Ville:
Quebec City’s “upper town” has an appeal all of its own, with a distinctly urban feel to it. For shoppers, Rue St. Jean is a delight with plenty of sidewalk cafes and pubs offering refuge to fatigued feet. For art-lovers, the Rue de Tresor is an alleyway brimming with artists displaying and selling
their work. The place is very lively and entertaining for a stroll. Rajesh wanted to buy wine and we learnt something new. SAQ stores sold liquor. There were different types of SAQ stores -Classique, Express, Selection, Signature that had different price ranges according to their names. Interesting!
Chateau Frontenac:
Perched on a bluff overlooking the cruise ship pier, the historic Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, offers great views of the city as well as a cozy bar with a fireplace. More than a century old, the castle-like hotel is named after the flamboyant French governor Louis de Buade, Count of Frontenac. Le Chateau Frontenac has played host to many of the rich and famous, including King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, as well as acting as the heart of the World War II Quebec Conferences, which involved President Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. We roamed inside the Chateau and were slightly drunk when we walked inside a souvenir shop located inside the Chateau. I fell in love with a hand painted watch designed by Diane Balit and Rajesh bought it for me. The price was CAD 180!
Fontaine de Tourny:
From the Chateau
Frontenac we headed over to the stunningly beautiful Fontaine de Tourny. This is another of the many spectacular sites in the city. Donated to Quebec City, by the Simon Family for the occasion of the city's 400th anniversary this fountain is enchanting. At one point, the fountain stood at one end of Allées de Tourny in Bordeaux, France and is now in its new home in Quebec City. It certainly was one of the most alluring sites in Quebec City.
Shopping:
To the southwest of Quebec City, in the suburb of Ste-Foy, is one of the largest shopping complexes in North America, made up of three adjoining shopping malls (Place Laurier, Place Ste-Foy and Place de la Cité) with over 600 shops between them. We went there on a lazy afternoon and roamed around the shops. The merchandise was very expensive and very French. Rajesh was thrown aback to be greeted with “Bonjour” from one of the shop assistants and “Merci” when he was leaving.
Citadel:
The Citadel is a military base and we wanted to see the changing of the guards. We stood in the big grounds and saw a desi guy pushing a stroller far away. Rajesh made some comment about the guy’s dressing and when they came closer to us he exclaimed-”Prem!” Well it was a big surprise to see Rajesh’s school friend who lived in Nashua. The parade began at 10:00am and lasted for an hour or so. It was beautiful and reminded me of the one at Buckingham Palace in England. We observed the parade from the fringe of the large parade field as the soldiers came marching by in their colorful red uniforms. I really enjoyed the entire show. The views from the top of the Citadel are just fantastic with great views of the Chateau Frontenac, St. Lawrence River and beyond.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.164s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 8; qc: 51; dbt: 0.1224s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb