Spent this past weekend there. Pretty cool, great old architecture. Very relaxed vibe. I ate Poutine for probably 50% of my meals.
Some observations, Canada really has obtained melting pot status. Incredible level of diversity and it really struct me how many groups and families were of mixed races. Seems like in the states I don’t see that very often.
Second, at some point it struck us that we hadn’t seen any cops, at all. We were right in the heart of the old city. We never did until we saw a cop car as we were driving out of the city to go home.
Definitely wouldn’t mind going back, maybe for the World Cup mountain bike races at Mont St. Anne which is only 20-25k outside of the city.
Quebec is definitely different from the rest of Canada, Quebec city, especially.
I don’t think any other Canadian cities have a wall.
limited guns, limited crime and fewer cops. Funny how that works.
I’ll be in Montreal in July, not venturing over to Quebec City though. There’s much to see and do just in Montreal. Plus everyone in Montreal speaks english.
In high school, our French Club took a bus trip up there
Being teens, we were mostly interested in underage drinking (for the US), and other kinds of partying, but we did see some pretty fantastic sights during the week we were up there - Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré still stands out to me as the closest thing I can imagine to what Chartres is like
Plains of Abraham (Battlefields Park) is a big park on the St Laurence just upriver of the walls and citadel. A pivotal battle in the seven years war that kicked the french out of canada. It’s also on a bluff 100m above the river and there are some interesting stairs down to the river (but obviously you’re climbing 100m of stairs )
Montmorency Falls is literally right off the expressway and on a 10km bike path from downtown Quebec.
Love this thread! We’re driving out to Halifax at the end of the summer to drop our son off at Dalhousie, and we’re spending a full day in Quebec City.
I’ve been to Montreal numerous times, but never Quebec City. Keep the travel tips coming!
If you took French classes for four years, you could go on the trip to Quebec. Mostly known as an unsupervised and unchaperoned event. The French teacher dropped us off, told us when the bus would return, and then he would just disappear for most of the rest of the trip. This was in mid-eighties - so, a little foggy on the highlights. But, as someone already pointed out - the Hotel and the park are musts.
Spent a few weeks in Quebec City a few years back for some Navy training. Had a great time. Lots of good food and wine. Beautiful architecture. It was early spring, maybe March? Cold as a witches tit at night with the wind picking up through the tight streets. I noticed that didn’t stop the ladies from going to the clubs in their tiniest dresses though.
What the putain de saint simonac of jellybean of sainte moufette of fing frootloops calisse is this tabarnak I tourne le coin and look at this ?! What the f** there’s a poupée en pénitence calisse dans le coin
We visited last August - really enjoyed it, except the travel there. We chose to fly and Air Canada seems to cancel the flights to/from with impunity.
We followed Bourdain’s lead and went to L’Affaire est Ketchup. Really memorable just for the atmosphere and the food was good too.
We also went to the Citadel and saw the changing of the guard, complete with ceremonial goat!
My kid went as a freshman. The school did it as an annual trip (only a 6 hour drive). Spanish class went to PR. But then they changed it that sophomore year that both French and Spanish would go to Paris, Provence, Barcelona, and Madrid.
This - or something very much like it - would’ve been playing in the roller disco we went to for a mixer between our school and the one in Quebec who was hosting us
Wait? The Punk went to a roller disco? Sure I did!!! That’s where the girls were!!!
)