Quebec: Exploring beyond the city

One recommendation for my time in Quebec City was to visit Montmorency Falls. I paid little attention to the suggestion at the time assuming any attraction like that would be a trek out of the city, and being sans car, that's a problem.

But my visit to the tourist infomation centre the other day paid off. Not only was there a bus travelling to the falls every 10 minutes, it only took about half and hour and cost $3 each way.

After leaving my luggage at the station (travelling with ViaRail has been great), I bought some lunch from the supermarket and caught the next #800 bus. The falls was the last stop, but I disembarked to no signage at all. But I could hear the water so followed a little gravel track in that direction. A few hundred metres later I was at the suspension bridge. The water wasn't great, but I put up with the rain and walked down the stairs on the edge of the cliff to view the falls from the bottom. They are 30-metres higher than Niagara, but not as wide. Waterfalls fascinate me a little. I'm always amazed at how much water continues to flow down the rivers to sustain the power of the falls. And how quickly the river calms at the bottom.



I followed the walkway, which was wet with both rain and the spray from the falls, around to the cable car station. I saw pictures of the falls in winter - it would be a pretty amazing sight. I ate my lunch then it was up the cable car to the top!

Back in the city I decided to check one last thing off my list. I really wanted to see the Old Town from the water. When walking through it, it's hard to get a good view of what you're in the middle of. There are so many levels! The Quebec-Levis ferry runs regularly across the St Lawrence River. I was going over at a peak time so only had to wait 10-minutes on the other side before the 15-minute trip back.



I would have loved to do this at dusk or night, but it was beautiful anyway. The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is such a dominating presence in the landscape. I just love the little pointy buildings too!

CouchSurfing and party crashing in Quebec

I'm a big advocate of CouchSurfing and this little recount of my weekend in Quebec explains why. The generousity and hospitality I received from not just my host, but complete strangers, was incredible. And lots of fun.

In Quebec I'm staying with Juan and his lovely pointing griffon Kelvin. Seriously - best behaved dog ever. On Saturday afternoon I met Juan at his place to head to his friend's birthday. I asked what I should take and he warns me we might not be coming back that night. I ask if we need to get any food or anything to drink and the reply is nope, it's all waiting for us. We pick up some people on the way - one has to ride in the back with Kelvin - and drive about 40-minutes out of the city.

We arrive at this house in god-knows-where. Honestly, I have no idea where we were. But it was a big house, with a huge block backing onto woods. And the party is in full swing. There's food out, kids are running around and randomly Britney Spears is playing on the CD player. I'm not the only ring-in: Juan has some friends up from Montreal and another workmate has brought his girlfriend, who doesn't know anyone either. But regardless we are welcomed with open arms and fed lobster. Lots and lots of lobster. I met so many great people, understood more conversation than usual because a lot was in English, and had a fabulous time.

As the night winds up around a fire we are shown into the basement where our hosts help us set up camping mattresses and sleeping bags. I'm ashamed to say I can't even remember the names of the people we were staying with. Just too many new faces. But when one asks who the CouchSurfer is I put up my hand and he returns with the cushions off the couch for me to sleep on. Very sweet.

In the morning we wake up to breakfast: bread and spreads and cereal and juice all waiting for us. We eat out on the deck in the sun before heading off around mid-morning.

Of the ones who stayed, about half had never met our hosts before. And for me, well I was just some random who had no connection to anyone. But regardless, we were treated like family and it was wonderful.

Back in Quebec City, we head out for Columbian for lunch (there are three Columbians in our group) and then walk through the Old City before relaxing in a park until it gets a bit chilly for us.

To have Juan, my host, agree to have me stay and then include me in this (it was his birthday too last week so the party was a bit of a joint celebration) was really sweet. And then to have these strangers welcome me, feed me and take me in for the night was incredibly generous.

It just goes to show there are some really wonderful people out there and this weekend I felt really lucky to meet some of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stepping back in time in Quebec

[caption id="attachment_1774" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="Rue du Petit-Champlain"][/caption]

After the pace and size of Montreal, Quebec City is a welcome break. Although if I complained about the use of French in Montreal at all, it was nothing to what I'm facing here. The people of Quebec consider themselves Quebecers first and Canadian second. They are extremely proud of their heritage and somewhat concerned about it being forgotten. I'd been told about this a few times ahead of my arrival in Quebec, and also warned that my use of English might not be appreciated. I didn't actually have an issue - I simply apologised and said (in English) that I didn't speak French and from there everyone conversation continued in English. Friends and strangers alike are also greeting with a kiss on each cheek - very European.



Quebec is a significantly smaller city than Montreal and conveniently most of its attractions are gathered in the part of the city known as Old Quebec. I'm staying about five minutes walk from this section, although my immediate surrounding area is also very quaint. I'm about a block up from Rue Sainte Jean (I'll use the French to avoid any mistranslations on my part). It's the main street in the Upper Town - quite literally, the part of the city above the rest of it, separated from the Lower Town by stairs and an elevator. Rue Sainte Jean is lined with cafes, restaurants, record stores, book shops, boutiques, bakeries etc and continues into the Old Quebec. I spend the morning walking along here into the Old Town and simply following the people. It was a Saturday so rather busy, especially on Rue du Petit-Champlain, a narrow street closer to the wharf. One set of stairs to get here is called the Breakneck Staircase. There are little silhouette figures dangling in the air down the middle of the street - very cute.



I popped into the tourism information centre to pick up a map. The girl at the desk was extremely helpful (down to giving me bus stop locations, times and directions for various attractions) and recommended the self-guided walking tours in one of the city tourist guides. After lunch I chose one that remained inside the fortified walls that surround the old city and was estimated at about three hours.

The walk took me along some parts I'd already walked, but at each stop there was a small explanation in the book so this time I had some idea what I was looking at. The walk took me to the Parliament building, churches, museums - including a maple museum - monuments, cute buildings, parks, great view points and the narrowest house in North America (pictured). It really is a lovely area.

The excerpt on a former prison described it as "Quebec's best kept secret". The building, which has no identification on the outside, now houses a small library. I crept in, unsure if it was open or if I was allowed in. It was and I was. The library was beautiful and everything was in English - a rarity in Quebec. On a shelf by the small reading area was a copy of Nicholas Shakespear's In Tasmania. I flicked through a few pages. It's a small world when I'm standing in some off-the-map library in Quebec reading about North Motton.



I finished the walk at a viewpoint overlooking the old town, boardwalk, St Lawrence River and the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac - the imposing hotel I keep walking by thinking "if only...."



 

 

 

 

 

Into the heart of Quebec

My last day in Montreal and two things left on Lucie's List: Saint Joseph's Oratory and the Botanical Gardens.

I leave my luggage with one of the Via Rail porters (they will store it and put it on the train for me), say goodbye to Lucie and head to the Saint Joseph's Oratory. It's a big church and has a nice view over the city (a different side than what I saw last night). To escape the heat, which has become a theme over these last few days, I walk through the Garden of the Way of the Cross. They are beautiful and although the significane of the statures and their story is lost on me, it's a nice walk.





From St Joseph's I catch the metro out to the Botanical Gardens. By the time I get there I only have about 90-minutes and decide the $17 entrance fee isn't worth it for the time I have. The grounds outside the actual gardens are nice though so I get an ice cream and relax under a tree. My time in both places was limited, but nice to see.





I make it back to the station in plenty of time, grab a sandwich and wait for the train. As promised, when I get to my seat, my bags are waiting for me. There is wifi on the train so in between checking out the landscape (it's still flat) I catch up on emails, CouchRequests and blog posts. CouchSurfing can be time consuming but it is worth it in the end, as I find out (again) when I get to Quebec.

I'm staying with Juan, a Columbian who has been living in Canada for a while. He lived in Montreal for five years and has been in Quebec since November. I join him and his friends for a roving street theatre production. The first stop is in an alley. The actors are suspended on ropes with hooks at the end and include a woman dressed as Hitler, a man in a space suit and another half-naked climbing a ladder to reach an ice cream. It is all in French. Juan's friend Chloe attempts to explain it for me. Apparently what the actors are saying is in complete contrast to how they look or the situation they are in. She says that even though she understands what they are saying, it doesn't make any sense to her so I don't think I am missing anything.



We meet some more people at a pub, where they let us bring in pizza (and Juan's dog Kelvin). It is such a random mix of people; French, German, Spanish, Columbian, Australian. No native Canadians and no native Quebecers. The languages flowing over the table are incredible. One person asks a question in Spanish, it is replied to in French then someone adds something in English. It means I can only follow one third of the conversation but it is fun all the same. Quite a few of them have learnt French since moving here and are seemingly fluent after a relatively short period of time.