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Saved: September 15th 2021
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Hôtel du Parlement
The National Assembly of Québec, where the provincial government meets. My plan this morning was to go on a tour of the citadelle after a quick along the walls and past 'Hôtel du Parlement (the National Assembly of Québec). As I walked up the drive towards the Citadelle, I noticed a soldier (not unusual, because it is an active military base) and some other people who were stopping everyone who approached. It turns out, the citadelle was closed for tours today, but there were free tours of the governor general's residence (I didn't even know the governor general had a residence in Québec City) as part of an open house being hosted by the governor general herself.
So after a quick tour of part of the residence, I was presented to Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and her husband John Ralston Saul on the terrace. It was pretty cool, considering she is only GG for three more days! I was surprised at how low-key it was, and how accommodating the staff were. They either took photos for you on your own camera, or a military photographer took photos, and they would send them to you. Then there was punch and cookies inside for everyone too. I never would have guessed that
I'd meet the queen's representative to Canada (and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian military) on a visit to Québec City!
The view from the residence is unbelievable--you can see up and down the St Lawrence, and of course the Chateau Frontenac is looming over the city too.
Afterwards, I explored a bit in the basse-ville again went for lunch, and then spent a bit of time in National Battlefields Park, otherwise known as the Plains of Abraham. This large park is where the fate of Canada was decided in 1759. After hearing about the Battle of the Plains fo Abraham the entire time I was in grade school, it was a bit surreal to be there. Still, it really is just a big park, so I didn't stay too long. If I had more time here, this is definitely somewhere I would come back to though.
I walked back along the Promenade des Gouveneurs, a very different walk in the sunshine than in the
rain. I continued exploring the old city, winding through the streets past the Monastère des Ursulines, with it's silver roof, to the Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec. The inside of this cathedral is beautiful, and it was
just the time in the afternoon that the sun was streaming in through the stained glass windows.
My wandering led me down below the walls and the cliffs to the lower city, and by the time I had walked back round to Petit-Champlain, my feet were too tired for the climb back up the hill. Thank goodness for the Funiculaire! After a quick ride up, my stomach won out, and I headed to Québec City's only Irish Pub for dinner and more Québec beer.
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