Day 33: Old Quebec

The Canadian city that shows the most French influence is Quebec. It was founded by a Frenchman, Samuel de Champlain in 1608—making it one of the oldest cities in North America—and developed by French settlers for over 150 years before it was ceded to the British at the end of the French and Indian Wars. Quebec's Old Town (Vieux-Québec) is on a high bluff overlooking the St. Lawrence River. This area is notable for its French architecture and historic sites.

The city's most famous landmark is the Château Frontenac, a château-style hotel that dominates the skyline. It was one of a series built for the Canadian Pacific Railway and opened in the late 19th century. It is now operated by Fairmont.

Château Frontenac

Our taxi dropped us off in front of the hotel. The weather was warm and muggy. We didn't have a plan. The town was not visible from there. We walked off the hotel property to a street. A line of colorful tour buses was disgorging passengers, obscuring our view.

When we got around them we found ourselves in a small, shady plaza with a bronze statue in the center call the Place des Armes. On two sides were old buildings. We headed up the bluff toward the river.

Along the bank in front of the hotel there is a long plank esplanade with a view of the river and the city beyond, though it is obscured by overgrown shrubbery in many places.

Cruise ship in St. Lawrence River

Dan had warned me that it might be chilly along the river, so being phobic about cold, I was carrying a knit hat, gloves, and a couple of scarves, in addition to wearing a jacket. However, there was very little shade up on the esplanade and the direct sunlight was burning hot. The humidity was so high that I was lugging my body like a sack of potatoes.

Dan's next idea was to walk out to the end of the esplanade and then up three flights of stairs to the top of the bluff to see the Citadel, a fortress built by the British between 1820 and 1830. When I looked ahead and saw no prospect of shade, plus a great height to be mounted, just to see a fortress, my spirit rebelled. Every molecule said, "Get out of the sun." Instead of freaking out, I managed to talk with Dan, and we made a plan to meet in Place des Armes at 1 p.m. and get some lunch.

Then I was on my own. First I sought shade in the Place. Other hot, tired people sitting on benches seemed to be waiting for people. I didn't know what I was supposed to be appreciating, but I could sure use a latte and a restroom. By prowling winding streets filled with upscale restaurants and souvenirs I determined the only public restroom was in Tourist Information. I finally got a latte at an ice cream store.

It was so humid indoors that I couldn't bring myself to look at the museum of the port. I couldn't get interested in souvenir shopping, though quality arts and crafts were on display. I sure didn't need anything else to carry.

Between the old City Hall and the Church of Notre-Dame de Quebec I found a plaza too small to have a name or a statue. Surrounded by shade trees it would have made an inviting place to take a break, except that it had been adapted as a public performance space, and was fitted with low bleachers on all sides. In the paved center a street entertainer was playing pop music and running around frantically trying to generate interest in his show. Eventually he did some bike-riding tricks and some juggling.

When I got bored, I toured the Church of Notre-Dame. Preparations for noon mass were being made, so all the lights were on. This is a medium-size and fairly modest church but it is distinguished by a canopy-like framework over the altar, and all its decoration is uniformly gilded causing the interior to glow like the sun.

Altar of Notre-Dame Church

Dan and I met at 1 p.m. as planned. He reported that the walk had been hot and tiring. He didn't say much about the fort. I think it is probably worth visiting—it is still active, but it has some very old structures—but there is a regular tourist entrance from the street that doesn't required a lot of strenuous climbing.

We had lunch in a place he had spotted called Petite Italie. We both had the salmon salad. We sat near an open window and watched the tourists. Lots of seniors were struggling up and down the hot streets trying to find souvenirs, lunch, and some kind of experience to justify this stop on their itinerary.

After lunch, Dan's plan was to take the funicular down the bluff to the old port and catch the ferry across the river. I was so hot and over-burdened that this was too much for me. We separated without a plan to meet again. I took a taxi back to the hotel, pared my kit down to a bare-minimum, rested briefly, and took a taxi back to the Old City. 

It was late afternoon by then; the light and the temperature were a little milder, but a fresh breeze was still lacking. The place was even more packed. I wandered around, trying again to get into the mood, keeping my eyes open for Dan. Near the esplanade was another plaza centered around a large statue of some historical figure that was also used by street entertainers, though there were neither trees nor benches. These acts were even more elaborate and noisy, and they were surrounded by tourists standing three deep.

A little after 5 p.m. I went up on the esplanade and there was Dan, putting his camera gear in his backpack. He had taken the ferry across the river and back, then investigated the lower part of the Old City. Then he took the funicular back up the bluff. It seemed very romantic to find him as if by e.s.p.

We walked to a pub that had a two-for one happy hour on pints of Grolsch. Dan told me all about his adventures while we quaffed our ale. Then we got a taxi back to the hotel.

Selfie on a hot night

In the evening, Dan once again bought wine and took it to a Vietnamese restaurant and I had a salad at the hotel restaurant. Afterward I explored the area around our hotel a bit. Though our block is quiet, funky, and dominated by Vietnamese, it is right on the edge of a more fashionable neighborhood. One side of our hotel faces the back of a public library. The next street over is a very long commercial street with a legitimate theater and brand-name stores and restaurants. Two blocks the other direction I found a very handsome gray stone Romanesque style church with a plaza in front.