Bienvenue! Quebec City

      I remember looking at this famous painting on the back of the Shredded Wheat box when I was a little girl. It depicts the death of General Wolfe in 1759 at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, a pivotal battle in the Seven Years’ War.  I kept thinking about Shredded Wheat, and Wolfe and Montcalm as my daughter Julia and I wandered through the streets of Old Quebec, ambled across The Plains of Abraham, cruised the St. Lawrence River.

The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West

     When I got home and set to work on my blog, I searched and searched online for a picture of that Shredded Wheat box from my youth.  I never found it!  Could it be a False Childhood Memory?  Perhaps it was in The Red Rose Tea box? Or another kind of cereal? I explored several possibilities to no avail.  Is there anyone out there of my vintage who remembers Montcalm and Wolfe being on their kitchen table in the 1960s?

Shredded Wheat Box circa 1960s

     Despite my false childhood memory and deteriorating facility with the French language, we had a wonderful weekend.  The weather was perfect, the restaurants were fantastic, the city was clean, the hotel was ideal, and Julia didn’t walk too fast. 

Relais Charles-Alexandre: Hotel

     Julia and I were tourists.  We bought a two-day pass for the hop on- hop off bus tour which included a 90 minute cruise on the St.Lawrence River and a trip to Montmorency Falls.

     

Hop on-Hop off Bus Tour

Cruise and Montmorency Falls

    Old Quebec, an historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, is the only remaining walled city in North America.  A Unesco World Heritage Site, the ramparts surrounding Old Quebec are about 4.6 kilometres in distance with four gates of entry.  

Porte St. Louis

Old Quebec: Lower Town

     Le Chateau Frontenac dominates the old city while caleches, cobblestone streets, and flowers enhance its romantic atmosphere.  

Le Chateau Frontenac

Caleche

 Cobblestone Streets

 Les Fleurs

     My cousin Judy was in Quebec City that weekend as a supervisor of 100 middle school students.  We texted back and forth but did not make physical contact.  Two things kept running through my mind on that subject.

NUMBER ONE:  What a fantastic trip for those students.  Although not too many hours from Hampton NB, Quebec City is a whole new world.  It offers another language, a rich history, a beautiful setting.  As cliched as this sounds, it is so European!!

Old Quebec: Upper Town

NUMBER TWO:  God bless the adults who take 100 kids on a trip.  Think about it. The energy of 100 thirteen year olds, the responsibility for other people’s children, the generosity of giving your time to others.  What a huge gift to those children and parents.  

Judy and an Admirer!

I highly recommend Quebec City as a vacation destination!

Quebec City at Night

........Until Next Time.......