After a pleasant stay in Montreal, we were off to Quebec City by train. Let me start by putting in a plug for Via Rail — this is the way train travel should be, from a first class waiting room and check-in area that would rival many airline clubs, to clean and comfortable rail cars/seats, to in-seat service of all types of food and drink. Amtrak could learn some things here. I hadn’t been to Quebec City since I was a kid, and Deb had never been. It’s seems that in former British Commonwealth countries/provinces, there always seem to be two main cities — one very cosmopolitan and one more provincial (e.g., Sydney and Melbourne, Vancouver and Victoria). Well in Quebec, Montreal is the cosmopolitan city and Quebec City very much the provincial. The history, architecture, and culture all reflect that.
We arrived in the rain (I suspect it was the same storm that greeted us in Montreal!) and very strong wind (that would mark most of our stay). We stayed in the old part of the city right on the St. Lawrence River. Given the threatening weather, we spent our first day exploring the old city, admiring all the architecture and working hard to not get blown over. Of course, Old Quebec is a UNESCO World Heritage site and, as you would expect, most everything is kept consistent with the period. You can feel the military and religious history as you wander around and visit the museums, churches, and fortifications.
Of course, in coming to Quebec City, we were on a mission — to investigate some of my forebears (Louis Hébert and Marie Rollet) who lived there. Deb had done extensive research on my Mom’s side of the family and traced them all the way back to the 1500s. They originally came from France with Champlain and lived through the time of French settlement as well as British conquest. In trying to track down the history, we were shuttled between convents, churches, cemeteries, and even the Francophone museum. While it was a lot of chasing around, we learned a lot and even found a statue commemorating them!
The next day we ventured further into the city to visit some of the historical places like the Citadelle, which is the oldest military building in Canada and is still an active military installation as well as the official residence of the Canadian monarch ad the Governor General of Canada. Sitting on top of the Cap Diamant, you can the best views from here. But we also visited both old and new neighborhoods around the city. As we have done so many other times/places, we used the on/off bus which really saves a lot of time and shoe leather (or in this case, whatever the soles of sneakers are made from). The juxtaposition of old and new here is very pronounced and dramatic. We ultimately wandered back down to the river to visit the local farmers’ market where we picnicked on local cheeses, paté, and baguette. Why are some of the most vivid memories of a place about food?!
On our last day, we decided to venture out of town and head over to Ile d’Orléans, just a short ride from the old city. Some say that this was the birthplace of New France, but until recently, it served as the “breadbasket” for the city. Amongst the five villages on the island lie all manner of farms, orchards, vineyards, grazing and farming land and, of course, the ever-present maple trees to make syrup. As you might imagine, agritourism is quite popular and we joined the throngs of people wanting to understand (and sample!) this element of Canadian history and culture. That evening, we ate at an authentic French Canadian restaurant where we enjoyed a lot of regional delicacies. What made it for me was the pea soup — using yellow peas instead of green. A flood of childhood memories (and saliva) issued forth! After dinner, we headed to the train station to catch the overnight train to our next stop — Halifax!
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
