Canada (Vieux Quebec)

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In March and April of this year, we spent two months in the Old Quarter of Quebec City. When we arrived, there was a blanket of snow on the ground and the low temperature reflected the chill that was in the air. From our apartment, we had a great view of Parliament and could observe the traffic as it passed on the street below. The building we were in was about a century and a half old. If you think that is ancient, there are buildings here dating back to the 1700s. Winter battled with spring to remain and, even after spring arrived, it snowed a couple of times. Here in Quebec City, spring doesn't especially mean warm, sunny weather and one still needed a heavy coat in order to comfortably walk around outside. Heating in our apartment was by radiator and the thick, brick walls helped to keep the heat in during the cold weather.

Rue Saint Jean was a few blocks away and that is where we did most of our shopping including frequent trips to the grocery store. This is one of the main streets here in the Old Quarter and it is filled with a variety of shops and stores. There are scores of restaurants and cafes which serve all types of fare from French to Japanese food. Following these are an abundance of new and used book stores. Music shops are plentiful and sell a variety of CDs and old records. There are grocery stores, boulangeries selling freshly baked goods, and even a boucherie where one may purchase fresh meat of all types . Small newspaper and magazine shops and drugstores are included in the rich variety of stores along the colorful street.

On Rue Saint Jean at Saint Johns Gate in an area called Carre d'Youville, one is exposed to an assortment of musicians, jugglers, and other people of the street. All along this street is located a variety of people playing various musical instruments with a cup available in which observers can drop change. One enterprising fellow was positioned next to the top of Saint Jeans Gate with a cup attached to a string which he could lower for those passing by to drop money into. People found this fascinating and, financially, he seemed to be doing as well as the performers. On a Sunday afternoon, in a square across from City Hall, we found two young gymnasts performing stunts that would rival those in Cirque Du Soleil. I mention all of this to illustrate the life and color of this particular street.

A short walk placed us on the grounds of Parliament which is filled with statues of Quebec's prime ministers. Among them is a well-known leader of the province, Rene Levesque, who is best remembered as a leader in Quebec's separatist movement. This movement attempted to take Quebec out of the Canadian federation. The parliament building itself is a stately old building which is very scenic and attractive. The grounds are quite spacious and I never tired of walking around them.

Vieux Quebec is quite a large area and there is a lot to see. The Place Royale is just one part of it and is an area filled with small narrow streets and along these streets are countless small shops and restaurants. This place is a shoppers paradise where one can find merchandise ranging from a few dollars to a few thousand. The variety of cafes and other eating places provides a diversion from shopping. A ride on the Funiculaire is an additional treat and should be included in one's visit to this area.

The Port Area is still another area to visit and, like the other areas, was within walking distance of our apartment. The Farmers Market and Via of Canada railway station are included in this area. A walk through the Farmers Market exposes one to all types of fresh fruits, bakery goods, meats, wines, and other goods which are available. The railway station is an old, attractive building which has cafes and a restaurant inside. Here, one can also board an Orleans Express bus which runs to Montreal and other places. A ride on the ferry across the St. Lawrence River is an excellent way to kill a couple of hours.

We took a one hour tour of Quebec's famous 600 room hotel known as Le Chateau Frontenac which is located on a bluff overlooking the St. Lawrence River. The structure was began in the late 19th century and owes its name to a French governor who ruled the area from 1672 to 1698. Among the countless guests who have stayed here have been England's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. The Quebec Conference during WWII was held here and included Roosevelt, Churchill, and Canada's Prime Minister King. It can be seen from a distance and dominates the landscape of Old Quebec. Following our tour, we braved the cold wind and took a walk along the boardwalk and sipped hot cider supplied by a vendor who took advantage of the weather to do some business.

One afternoon, we had dinner at IL Teatro, a restaurant located next to one of Quebec City's oldest theaters, Le Capitol. A few days prior, we had attended a show there featuring a Johnny Cash impersonator and the place was packed. During our stay, we attended a couple of classical music concerts at the Grand Theatre, which is a large theater close to Vieux Quebec. All of these places were within walking distance of our apartment. It's amazing how many places are within a short distance of the old section of the city. If you want to venture out farther, Quebec City has a very good and efficient bus system.

The Citadel is another attraction that wasn't far from our apartment. It is a star shaped 25 building fortress dating back to 1820. Built by the British, it sits on the heights of Cap Diamant adjoining the Plains of Abraham. A large tourist attraction here is the changing of the guard which takes place quite often during the warmer months of the year. I have never seen this done in London but I have heard that it is similar to the one here in Quebec. It is a colorful performance and the troops put on a great show in their bright red uniforms and bearskin hats. There is usually a crowd of tourists and locals taking plenty of snapshots as the soldiers go through their drills.

Upon leaving the Citadel, one can stroll across the Plains of Abraham where the British and French fought a decisive battle for control of North America. Two European forces faced each other on this field in the fall of 1759 and, on Sept. 13, both generals, Britain's General Wolfe and France's General Montcalm, died as a result of this battle which lasted only minutes. The British emerged victorious from this battle but lost in the long run. The French and Indian War, of which this battle was only one of many, cost the British treasury a lot of money. The British, in turn, taxed the American colonists in order to help pay for the cost of the war. This led to a rebellion by the colonists and, eventually, to the American Revolution. Britian ended up loosing her colonies in North America when they gained their independence.

Everywhere one walks in the old section of Quebec, he encounters old cannon. I have never seen so many cannon in my life. There are quite a few of them scattered around the Citadel, Plains of Abraham, parks, and other places. Some have placards with the dates and places where the cannon was found or disvovered. Many of them have been pulled out of the St. Lawrence River and were on British or French vessels which sank in that body of water. While walking around one afternoon, I came across several German field pieces from World War I. Lovers of military history are fortunate that all of these cannon and other guns were saved and preserved.

One day while walking around with no place to go in particular, we found ourselves in front of the Palais de Justice. Next to it is a park called Parc de l'Amerique Latine with bike trails close by. Inside the park are located several statues of prominent Latin Americans who helped shape that area's history. The great liberator of South America, Simon Bolivar, is seated on a horse which is reared back with both front legs in the air. Across from him is another figure in South American history, Bernardo O'Higgans who is known as the liberator of Chile. There are other smaller statues of latin americans, however the two mentioned above are the most prominent.

Via of Canada runs between Quebec City and Montreal several times each day. One Thursday, we took a day trip to Montreal which is three and one-half hours each way by train. While on our Vietnam trip, we met two travelers from Montreal and made arrangements to meet with them and spend the day. Unfortunately, Jacques was out of the country so we met with Lorraine and did some sightseeing around the city for the few hours that we were there. Our first stop was the Notre-Dame Basilica, a beautiful old Catholic church that was built around the middle of the nineteenth century. From the outside it is a massive structure and resembles some of the Spanish churches that I have seen in Spain and Latin America. The inside is a work of art and is, perhaps, the most beautiful church that I've ever been in. Following this, we visited the Biodome. This is a huge place in which various animals are located in their respective climates and living conditions. One sees various birds and fish as well as otters, beavers, porcupines, penguins, etc. This is the first time that I've had a chance to see a part of Montreal and look forward to returning to the city in order to see more of it.

Le Relais des Pins is a sugar shack located on Orleans Island in the St. Lawrence River. One Sunday morning, we met family and friends here for breakfast. The cost is $20 and this covers all of the food that one can eat. The breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, ham, beans, pancakes, coffee, etc. A small band was playing and the place was packed. A gift shop was located in back of the main building and an assortment of maple products was available for sale in addition to other souveniers. There was plenty of snow still on the ground as we walked passed the gift shop and down a series of steps to the shed where the maple syrup is processed. There were containers hanging on the trees in order to collect the maple sap. Trays were laid out, packed with snow, and hot maple syrup was poured on top. One could take a wooden stick, wrap the maple around it, and eat the sticky substance in the same manner as one eats taffy or some other sweet.

During our stay in the city, I took French lessons for a few weeks and benefited in a small way from them. In the group lessons I took, some of the other students were headed to parts of Africa as missionaries or medical personnel. Senegal, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were some of the countries the students would be traveling in.

When we left Quebec City, we rode the train for nine hours in order to reach Toronto. Following that, it was a three and one-half hour bus ride to the Buffalo, NY airport. On the way, we had to stop for customs. The hotel where we were booked sent a van to pick us up. After an overnight stay, we caught a Southwest Airlines flight home. We left Quebec after an enjoyable stay with the knowledge that we would return.

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