Quebec City
Trip Start
Jul 05, 2008
1
6
25
Trip End
Aug 17, 2008
Quebec City,
Quebec,
Canada
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sunday 20/7/08 - Tuesday 22/7/08
Tour: "20/7: This afternoon, travel in style through the province of Quebec onboard VIA RAIL. When you see the stone walls of Quebec City, you'll feel as though you are stepping back in time to Old France. This evening, enjoy breathtaking views from your hotel as you settle in for a relaxing 2-night stay at the Lowes Le Concorde Hotel. Tonight, savour fine French cuisine at a charming restaurant in the Old City.
21/7: This morning, explore Canada's only walled city with its winding cobblestone streets, quaint restaurants, and boutiques housed in building more than 400 years old. Later, take an included excursion to the BASILICA OF SAINTE-ANNE-DE-BEAUPRE, revered by pilgrims since 1888. This evening, dinner is on your own, allowing you to sample one of the city's many fabulous restaurants.
22/7: Before leaving Quebec we'll stop at a SUGAR SHACK where you'll enjoy a guided tour, learn the art of making maple syrup, and enjoy a traditional sugar shack breakfast."
We arrived in Quebec (pronounced Keh-bec, it's a native name) City on the train, where I had a delightful chat with a lady who was going to see the Paul McCartney concert. She and 250 000 other people - Quebec was a mass of people! We wandered around the walled city after dinner amongst the throngs but eventually ended up back at our hotel for the best available views of the massive screens they had set up around the city.
Interesting political situation - the Plains of Abraham where McCartney performed was the site at which the British beat the French in the 1770s (I think). Hence the mostly French-speaking province of Quebec was pretty miffed that an Englishman should be performing at Quebec City's 400 year birthday celebrations.
Next morning we were given a tour of Battlefield Park, and learned a few interesting things about Quebec:
- the fleur de lis is a symbol of French nobility, and is used as Quebec's emblem.
- graduates in Engineering from the local university are given a ring made out of the metal from a collapsed bridge, reminding them that mistakes in their profession can cost lives. Throughout the rest of Canada, replicas are given to all other Engineering graduates.
- copper is local to Quebec and cheap - it's dark grey for the first 10 years, then turns green as it oxidises, then rusts and has to be replaced.
- they have a 'pigeon hostel' where pigeons are fed contraceptives to keep their population under control.
- In 1774, to ensure Quebec would side with Britain if the USA ever invaded, the British passed the "Quebec Act" which allows Quebec to keep its French language, legal system, etc.
- In Quebec, women keep their maiden name for their whole life. Children can adopt either the father's or the mother's surname, a combination, or something completely different! This allows easier tracing of records by the authorities.
I tried a local dish called 'poutine' - hot chips, cheese curd and beef gravy. While it should be called "heart attack in a foil container", it's actually much more delicious than it sounds.
We also took an afternoon excursion to the Montmorency falls, taller than Niagara but nowhere near the volume.
More soon...
