We started off by looking for a street Karl remembered from 40 years ago, Rue Sous-Le-Cap. Our GPS took us within a few blocks but it still took a bit of looking to find it. It is so small and narrow that a large car could not drive through it. It seems like a back alley now, and yet it truly is an inhabited street. 3-storey old apartments. Beautifully decorated with bright paint and flowers, I can see why Karl wanted to go back!
Old Quebec reminds me so much of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The houses and buildings just reek of history, so well maintained and brightly painted that you could imagine yourself back in the 1700's when Canada's history was happening!
One difference might be the music in New Orleans. There, Jazz echoed from almost every street corner, but in Quebec, today there was just a lone Harpist. Still, the music was hauntingly beautiful.
So much to see, you could probably spend a week checking it all out! We wandered along streets that felt right out of history. Everywhere we turned we saw many quaint little artists shops and gorgeous paintings as brightly coloured as their surroundings. Add to that the street cafes on almost every corner, it looks like something right out of France.
We were stopped so many times by people wanting to pet or ask about Max. He was a very popular dog! One man, Pierre, well-versed in cockapoos, also had a cockapoo and was just enchanted with Max. He and Karl really seemed to "click" and spoke at length, even discussing their old Navy days, and the Québécois attitude to the other Canadians. If all of them were like Pierre, all would be okay!
Our stroll took us up some really steep hills full of artistic shops that came up to the Chateau Frontenac as well as the touristy area overlooking the St Laurence. Almost every building or house had a plaque telling you who lived there or what was its significance for Upper Canada.
We actually stood in the area where parts of the Confederation of Canada was signed!!
Slightly foot weary, we traced our steps to the car, and after checking out Quebec's version of an open air market (fresh corn for supper, yum) we found a park overlooking the St Laurence and had a picnic lunch. (The cafes were tempting, but don't always appreciate Max the way we do)
We wandered along the river for a bit and then opted to check out The Battlefields Park. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was fought there. The "field" looked like an overly large football field, but when we read the info boards, it turns out that the battleground was actually the entire upper Quebec promontory, so much bigger. Almost 100 years ago, they built a Park on part of the actual site and added lots of buildings etc. to tell the story. It likely would have taken us all week to check it all out!
Again the history is everywhere and, this trip, the people of Quebec have been really kind and welcoming to us.
So we returned to our campsite tired but happy, it was a good day!
Oh, by the way, as I write this it is raining again! 🙄🙄
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