The day dawned bright and sunny, and for once, I was up early enough to see it. After breakfast and check-out, I jumped back in the Catmobile and headed into the Old Town of Quebec City. It’s a walled city, divided into the Basse-Ville (lower town) and the Haute-Ville (upper walled town). It’s also the home of the provincial parliament, and the centre of the separatist movement.
For 8am on a Wednesday morning, it was pretty deserted. I realise that the bulk of the city trading is done down in the main downtown area, but still – I was just about the only one walking around, even with a cruise ship in the harbour. The shops didn’t open until 10am, and some were still shut when I left at noon. Luckily the cathedral, basilica and museums were all open.
Place Royale was an interesting stop, with a huge fresco depicting Quebec’s heritage painted onto the wall of a building. The church there was relatively non-descript but is an important historical site for French Canadians. A short funiculaire ride up to the higher part of the Old Town later, and I was standing on a balcony overlooking the Basse-ville (lower town) and the St Lawrence river.
The Quebecois guy at the gate to the cable car was particularly Quebecois in outlook – refused to accept any notes, and refused to speak in English – just as well I know how to count in French and I even mumbled a short insult at him as I walked through the barrier. Absolutely spectacular views from the cable car though. The walls around the upper town area are pretty decently preserved and serve to keep the riff raff (ie, cruise ship visitors) out.
The history of the Basilica in the Old Town is pretty amazing. It’s been burned down three times since the 17th century, and each time it’s been rebuilt bigger and better than before. *Apparently* there are some fairly strong anti-fire measures in place this time. Everything in the old town part of the city is really close by – you can walk the entire place in less than half an hour. Stops for tea, biscuits and chocolate may add to the time frame though.
After that, I hit the road and headed south for Montreal. The radio stations were completely in French, aside from one station which was airing an interview about the politics behind the Iraq War. Not impressed. Aerosmith it was, then.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my hotel is right in the middle of downtown Montreal :D After checking in to a huge suite (again, bigger than my apartment – it’s kinda depressing) I headed into the Old Town.
Basilica – check. Museum – check. Lavish mansion – closed for refurbishment. Views of the river – check. Church on every corner – double check. All good!
Back to the hotel for a quick change, then dinner. The clerk at the front desk gave me a recommendation for a Thai restaurant 15 minutes walk from the hotel, so off I set. He neglected, however, to mention the gauntlet of sex shops, nudie girl strip joints and weed clubs along the way. I was starting to feel a bit vulnerable from the homeless gesturing guys when suddenly the restaurant materialised and I ducked in for a fabulous meal. Deep fried ice cream = always good. The walk home was more relaxed, as I figured that no one would accost a woman smelling like peanut sauce who was still licking her fingers.
That’s it from me tonight – I’ll be out and about in Montreal tomorrow, soaking it all in. Ciao!
No comments:
Post a Comment