Quebec (Part Two)

On my second full day in Quebec, I went of in search of an ATM (only ScotiaBank will do because they won't charge me fees) and a Starbucks (thanks to my high school friend, Stacy). To get to these wonders of modernity, I had to leave the walled city of Vieux-Quebec.

This wall makes Quebec the only remaining walled city in North America. As soon as I passed through the walls, I came upon the National Assembly, aka the home of Quebec's parliament. (It is, perhaps, a symbol of the Quebec sovereignty movement, which seeks separation from the rest of Canada, that their province government works in the National Assembly.)

After trekking uphill past the National Assembly (and some very nice sculptures), and then down, and then up again, I finally found the Starbucks.

Despite it's very innocuous exterior, this turned out to be the best Starbucks ever. It was very spacious, in a way you don't expect in a big city. It had a beautiful working fireplace, with a leather loveseat, two leather armchairs, and a couple other comfy chairs circled around. It had maybe four regular tables and two tall tables with stools. And, my favorite part, it had a cushy bench along one wall, up against two long wooden tables. I snagged the end of the bench by the front window and spent all morning working away.

But, when my work was done, it was time to explore some more. I wandered a ways down Grand Allee. As you can see, it's quite different from Vieux-Quebec.

It still had some amazing architecture. I was especially obsessed with the dome on top of the Orchestre Symphonique de Quebec building. Isn't it beautiful?

Then, just one block over from Grand Allee is the massive park and historic site, the Plaines d'Abraham. On this land, in 1759, the English defeated the French in a decisive but deadly battle which left the Generals on both sides dead.

Now it is a lovely park with beautiful paths and gardens (in the non-wintry months).

There are historic fortified towers that look out over the Saint Lawrence.

Basically, it's just a lovely place to spend an afternoon. I kind of wished I'd brought a picnic lunch, but then I had the most delicious homemade vegetable-beef-noodle soup at the pub by my hotel, so it was worth it in the end.

Making my way back toward the walled city, I passed by the military drill hall, which was apparently consumed by a huge fire back in 2008. No wonder all the windows were boarded up.

After my late lunch at the pub, I took a quick nap. (My subconscious had decided to figure out solutions to a couple of work-in-progress problems at, oh, 2:30am the night before, and I was pretty exhausted.)

That night I met up with Dave, a friend of my friend Stacy, who promised to give me some great insider info. We had drinks at St. Patrick's Pub, which was very green on the inside. And not just for St. Patrick's Day.

Then we headed out on an after dark walking tour, into some of the less touristy regions of Quebec. What fascinates me most about the two Canadian cities I've visited so far, is how all parts of life remain integrated within neighborhoods. In so many American cities, there's the financial district and the shopping district and the residential areas. All separated. But here, and in Montreal, there are shops and business and services and homes, all in the same block. It makes them much more livable, 24-hour neighborhoods that don't empty after business hours.

Anyway, after yet more hiking up and down hills, Dave led me to a spot with a great overlook of the river, the old city, and beyond.

Thankfully it wasn't crazy windy cold that night!

In the morning, I leave Quebec, heading for Toronto for a couple of days. Since I should have plenty of time and internet access on the train, expect a post tomorrow about my visit to the Ice Hotel (aka Hotel de Glace).

Hugs,
TLC