5/28/2015 Quebec City Spring (#5)

Spring Flowers at Montmorency Falls

John's genealogy work (see next blog from Trois Rivieres) brings us farther north to Canada and our Spring #5.  We park at Camping Juneau-Chalets, about 10 miles outside Quebec City on Lac Saint-Augustine.  French and English are both official languages in Canada and most signs and people in the cities speak both.  Quebec, however, voted to keep French as their primary language.   The campground hosts get great practice using English to help us set up tours, some of which pick us up at the campground.  A morning walking tour of Old Quebec City took us among buildings from the French era (1650-1750), the Parliament and lavish Chateau Frontenac Hotel built by the English railroad barons in late 1800's (English Era 1750-1850). Quebec City is know as one of the best examples of a walled, fortified colonial town.

Parliament and Statue Are Huge 

Early French Era

The 'upper town', built on a cliff at the narrowest point of the Saint Lawrence River is the administrative, religious and military center which contains the largely intact Citadel.  This fort is still used today, with a fantastic museum, tour and daily  

Citadel Overlooking Saint Lawrence River

      changing of the guard ceremony (like at Buckingham Palace) during July and August.  Outside the city walls, the 'lower town' developed around the Royal Palace and the harbor.  It too has wonderful shops, restaurants and a fantastic farmers/local goods market.    55% of the buildings in Old Quebec City date between 1600-1800 which helps qualify it as a World Heritage UNESCO City.  (Lunenburg, Nova Scotia is another fabulous UNESCO city we visited in August 2014.)  When traveling around the world make it a point to visit any UNESCO designated cities as they are historical treasures.    We took an afternoon bus tour of the surrounding countryside to the rural Island of Orlenes, the Montmorency Falls (taller than 

HUGE Quebec History Mural on side of building

Niagara Falls), a 1600's French home where we ate homemade bread and maple butter (YUM) and the magnificent Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Cathedral.   A tour of  the Canadian's

Montmorencey Falls

native "First People" (the Mendake Indians) museum and long house was very interesting.  On another day we parked by the Aquarium and rode a bike trail about 8 miles into the city along the Saint Lawrence River. Tours and biking is a great way to avoid Quebec drivers and traffic.  DRIVING TIP - traffic lights are mere suggestions and they flat out ignore stop signs if nobody is nearby (even the tour bus driver)!  We are pretty sure that Old Quebec City will be on our Top 10 Best Places we visited.  

Gate To The Walled City Of Old Quebec