Quebec, Canada
After we left the White Mountains of New Hampshire, we headed across the border to visit our neighbors to the north in Quebec, Canada. This was a new experience for us because Quebec is a French speaking Provence of Canada.
One of the most important things when traveling for a long time, like our 6 week trip last year and 4 weeks this year, is to build in some down time. We have found that we can't just go-go-go every day. We need some "chill" days. It is hard to not want to just keep going and see all that you can when you are in a new area but we have come to learn that is just not possible. We need to enjoy the moment and the experience of just being together at times.
After we arrived at our campground, just 8 miles outside of Quebec, we decided to go to the movies. The first movie theater was showing all the movies in French but luckily one of the cashiers spoke enough English to direct us to a theater that shows movies in both English and French. When we arrived the kids were amazed that this theater had an arcade and restaurant. We were just in time to see the new Jurassic World in English in a theater with the largest screen I have ever seen and the most comfortable chairs, I didn't have to share an armrest with anyone!
La Citadelle
Proudly sitting on the highest point in the city overlooking the St-Lawrence River, La Citadelle is a working fortress that has never seen battle. Construction started in 1820, built because of the threat of an American invasion, it took 30 years to complete. Today it is home to the Royal 22e Regiment, the only Francophone Infantry regiment in the Canadian Forces Regular Force.
The construction of the La Citadelle is that of a four-pointed start. This allows it to have no blind spots. The walls are lined with cannons, however, they are non-working cannons, and the star-of-the-show is 'Rachel.' Rachel is the largest cannon which faces the St-Lawrence River and would have been the biggest deterrent to enemies attacking by water.
The changing of the guard happens every day at 10AM. Sadly, I missed this during my research and we didn't get to see it the day we visited. We tried to go back another day, had a great location for a perfect view, and it started sprinkling rain just moments before the changing of the guard and they cancelled it. We were all very disappointed, especially since 10 mins later the sun was shining and very warm.
The cost to enter La Citadelle is $16 (Canadian dollars) for adults and $6 for kids (11-17).
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Je Me Souviens is the Quebec motto. It is on everything, including the license plates.
It means, "I remember." |
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| Enlisted soldier's quarters |
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| Officer's quarters |
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| Home of the Governor General, the Queen's representative. Our tour guide said she visits about 4 times a year to inspect the troupes and fortress. |
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| This is a great view of Chateau Frontenac, which was never a castle but always a hotel. It happens to be the most iconic face of Quebec. We happen to agree. |
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| This is Rachel. The largest cannon in the fortress. |
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| My second favorite Rachel. "Rachel Deems, you will always be #1 in my heart!" |
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| This is the regiment's mascot, Batisse. The original Batisse was given to the regiment by the Queen. Today, the 11th Batisse is taken care of by "The Goat Keeper." who is an officer in the regiment. His job is to not only care for Batisse but to paint his horn and hooves gold. |
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| We may not have seen the changing of the guard but we were treated to a performance by the regiment's band. Our tour guide said, "They never do this, what a treat!" |
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| The chapel of La Citadelle, originally it was used for gun powder storage. |
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| The statues are to honor the fallen heroes and any soldier who passes must stop and salute them. |
The Walled City- a walking tour
I have to give a shout out to our tour guide Samuel Dubois. I found him on Tripadvisor and was the best thing I booked on our trip! He came highly recommenced on Tripadvisor and all his reviews were spot on. He knows so much about the city, takes you into parts that normal tours may not, is super-funny, and remembers you when you run into him on the street two days later! If you are going to be in Quebec, book a tour with Sam!!
https://www.afreetourofquebec.com/
The Walled City
The walls around what is now considered Old Quebec, are remnants of the walls the British built after taking Quebec City from the French in in the Battle of Plains Abraham in 1759.
This isn't what the walls originally looked like. Sam told us that not only were the openings too narrow but not romantic looking enough. So, the archways were expanded and the design changed to make them a tourist attraction in the late 1800's. This lead the Old City, along with all its interior buildings, to become a National Historic Site of Canada in 1948 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Upper Town:
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| This is a picture of the gate in 1871 before it was expanded and made more "romantic." |
Canyoning Quebec
Being the parents of two teenage boys means I don't always get to do things that are geared towards me. Sometimes it means doing things that are geared towards them. Thus leads me to the story of the time we, yes- including me, repelled down waterfalls.
It is said, "A picture holds a thousand words," I am going to let these pictures tell the story.
Chute Montmorency
A short distance outside the city is a natural wonder even higher than Niagara Falls. Chute Montmorency can be found in between the cliffs of the Laurentians and the St-Lawrence. There are two ways to enjoy the park, from below you can take the foot path and climb the stairs to an over look, or take a cable car ($12 a person) from the lower park to the upper park.
The upper park features a suspension bridge that you can walk on over the falls or, if you are really adventurous, you can zip-line above the 85-meter (278 feet) falls ($20 under 17 years and $26 for adults).
Lower Park
Upper Park
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| View from the suspension bridge |
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| View of bridge and zip line from where the zip line ends. |
Brodey couldn't wait to zipline...
To the Grandparents of Brodey Cook, I am sorry. We had to let him do it but just think, Dunovan didn't do it so there would have been 1 grandchild left if something went wrong.
Here is the video the zip line company took. It is about a minute long (there is a pause and the video goes black for a couple seconds after the first angle, don't give up, it will show you more).
Pictures I took of Brodey:
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| Look for the dot, here he goes... |
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| ...getting closer... |
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| ...and closer... |
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| ...almost to the end... |
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| ...way to go Brodey! |
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| Yay, He did it! |
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| Such an adventurous guy! |
Si longtemps au Québec. Nous avons apprécié notre temps ici et nous vous remercions de partager votre héritage avec nous. Quand je me souviendrai du temps que nous avons passé ici, je penserai à votre devise, je me souviens!
So long Quebec. We have enjoyed our time here and thank you for sharing your heritage with us. When I ever look back at the time we spent here I will think of your motto, I remember!
