Quebec City

Cloudy skies. A few welcome raindrops. Milky chai tea. A quiet house. It's Thanksgiving Monday here, and celebrating yesterday means for tranquility today. It was lovely to be together with our children and grandchildren.  

The Chateau Frontenac and lower old Quebec City as seen from across the St. Lawrence River.

Shall we take a short visit to Quebec City today? The tie-in to today's weather is the rain. Here it's a drizzle, but the first day of our time in QC was filled with pouring rain. 

We stayed across the river from the old city, in a campground that provided a free shuttle to the 10-minute ferry ride that dropped us off at a most convenient spot for exploring. 

We wandered through the streets - there's Tim with an umbrella under the parasols - and thoroughly enjoyed the charming old stone houses with their painted doors and shutters. 

Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608 and the French have maintained a presence in North America since that date. The Lower Town, near the river, became the economic hub of New France as trade via sea supplied the people with goods and supplies. Administration and religion were centered in the Upper Town, a steep, but short walk up from the river. 

The Place Royale is considered the birthplace of New France. The outline of Samuel de Champlain's house can be seen. Originally, the buildings were made of wood, but a fire in 1686 destroyed most of the area. Authorities insisted that houses then be built of stone, with common walls to be higher than the rooftops to prevent the spread of fire.

From the Upper Town one can look over the old defense wall to streets and buildings below. We took a bus tour of the city, but it was frustrating to not be able to see out of the windows because of the pouring rain and fogged glass. We preferred to get wet and still see something. I loved the window boxes filled with greenery and flowers, so pretty against the stone buildings.

Just outside the old city lie the Plains of Abraham where the decisive battle between Britain and France was fought in 1759, during the Seven Years War. Both the French commander, General Montcalm, and the British commander, General Wolfe, were killed during the 30-minute battle won by the British. 

The Plains of Abraham make up a small part of The Battlefields Park which stretches along the cliff overlooking the river for some 2.4 kilometres. There are markers indicating the spot where Wolfe died (Montcalm was carried off the battlefield and died shortly after). 

The Martello Tower above was constructed in 1806, one of four defensive towers as conflict with the USA was heating up. We visited the park on a cloudy day, but the rain held off. It's now a peaceful place for relaxation and play.  

Maison Jacquet was constructed in 1675-76 and is one of the oldest buildings in the Upper Town. It's now a restaurant where we enjoyed a traditional Quebecois meal, including meat pie (tourtiére) and cabbage and turnip. It was a delicious, but heavy meal, reflecting the heartier food of the past. 

On our last day in Quebec City we cycled along the river opposite the city, enjoying the glimpses of the town seen between the trees and cottages we passed. 

I would love to visit the city again, perhaps flying next time. Driving across Canada was fantastic, but something to do just once, methinks.