Quebec City, Day One
I woke up to breakfast being cooked for me, having slept through Glen’s rising. After eating, we packed the last few things, emptied the bins, then went to catch the train down to Billy Bishop airport. We caught a train, then a bus, then a ferry across the airport, and then caught the plane.
Thankfully this time there wasn’t a rush as we had arrived with plenty of time before our flight left. We did have to queue to check our luggage, further strengthening our resolve to buy suitable carry-on suitcases so we can just get on and get off without the need to go through check-out. Something to arrange before our flight to Chicago in September.
Because we had enough time, we saw where you can get free tea, coffee, water, soft drinks, nuts and cookies inside the departure area. FREE! Well, included in the cost of the airfare no doubt but still a nifty little add on.
The flight took just a bit less than an hour and a half. We played a game of Guillotine (I thrashed Glen) and read the newspaper. We landed at about 12pm.
After we collected our luggage, we were checking out the taxi cab rank and a woman came up and asked us where we were going. I said to Rue Ste-Ursule, which drew a blank look, and then said Downtown. After a bit of toing and froing we discovered we were staying at the same hotel so all three of us shared a cab. Made it a bit cheaper (even with Glen giving the taxi driver a big tip).
We’re staying in a youth hostel (HI-Quebec) which is right in Old Quebec. Perfect really. We haven’t gone the whole youth hostel experience though as I’d booked a private room with ensuite. Still, it is cheaper than a hotel and the room we have is pretty big. In fact, I think it’s bigger than some of the hotel rooms we’ve stayed in. It also has a double bed with a bunk bed on top. The only downside is that we’re quite close to street level and being a busy part of town, there’s a bit of foot traffic, but we’ll survive.
Unbeknownst to us, we’ve come during Quebec City’s gay pride festival, Arc-en-ciel. From the looks of it, it’s not very big but there are a few outdoor events happening over the weekend and a couple of parties going on. It’s also the Celtic Festival. We haven’t checked that out yet but they’re playing bagpipes in the hostel bar.
After checking in, we went looking for lunch. We walked down Rue St-Jean, one of the busier tourist strips in Old Quebec. Didn’t really find somewhere suitable there for lunch so we kept walking and found a burger place that was opposite Chateau Frontenac. The food was pretty good, especially the decadent chocolate milkshakes.
We ate quickly then headed around the Chateau and along the promenade. There was a woman performing circus tricks in front of the big monument/statue. I thought she was pretty good and should have stayed longer to watch her.
We then walked along the wooden promenade that looked like something out Brighton in the 19th century with its wooden slats and decorative pavilions. Then we walked the 315 steps of the Promenade des Gouverneurs, a commemorative walk celebrating the Governor-Generals of Canada. I jogged up a few flights and then Glen and I raced each other. Glen streamed ahead and by the time I got to the top he was waiting for me, leaning over the railing, nearly dying. Silly boy.
Big view of the St Lawrence River from up top. We were also close to La Citadelle, which doesn’t really fit with what you’d think a citadel should look like. You’d think it was some crystalline palace, resplendent and dominating the landscape. Instead, from where we were standing, it just looked like a grass field, which is quite useful from a military point of view because then your enemies don’t see it until it’s too late (in case they missed the memo that the British were building a great whopping fort on the hill).
We went inside to check it out, going through a tunnel and then a narrow archway, before joining a guided tour (in English). The tour guide was very excitable and friendly, plenty of knowledge and her grasp of English was pretty good. She did a great job really.
We saw some cadets/soldiers/people who were in the armed forces in the parade ground, going through their steps. We saw the powder storage building-cum-museum, that had a stuffed goat in it called Batisse. Batisse is a Tibetan goat and is the symbol for the 22nd Royal Battalion (a French-speaking Canadian battalion that is stationed at the Citadelle). The first Batisse was either given to them by Queen Victoria or Queen Elizabeth II (Queen Victoria was given the breed by the Shah of Persia and I think they bred a lot so she gave some out as gifts, with at least one going to Canada). The stuffed goat we saw was Batisse the Fourth. Currently, they’re up to Batisse the Eleventh and you can see him during the changing of the guard at 10am.
Fun fact of the day: the bear hats that the British soldiers wear originated in France. They were worn by the French and when the Duke of Wellington defeated Napolean’s troops at the Battle of Waterloo, the British took the hats as war trophies and decided to wear them. I’m not sure why. Seems like some sort of subversive colonisation by the French to me. Anyway, the Canadians wear them too.
After the museum, we went to the highest natural point in Old Quebec and looked out over the river. It’s a river. Not much to see really.
Second fun fact: the 22nd regiment/battalion’s crest has a beaver, the number 22 (even though now it doesn’t need it for some reason), a crown (because it’s Royal), it’s motto (je me souviens – I remember), and a shield in the middle that has two fleur de lis (for the French regime), the lion (for the British), and three maple leaves (representing Canada).
We walked past the old hospital and then the Governor-General’s residence (when he’s in Quebec) and the residence of the captain (or some officer of the battalion) who lives there with his family (there were two small pink kids bikes out the front. How cool to say you live in the Citadelle!). Then another view towards the old city before heading into the prison and then out and back to the beginning. A pretty good tour. Worth the trip up to see it. There’s also the retreat of the guard at 6pm but we didn’t really want to kill two hours up there so we went back to the hostel and had a nap.
In the evening we went down to Rue St-Jean again for dinner. Place was packed. Lots of people in the city this weekend, what with Monday being a public holiday. We went to a restaurant that wasn’t very good (and too expensive really). My food was ok (I had a chicken, fish and seafood pie) but Glen’s duck was dry and he had cauliflower curry soup which didn’t have much flavour at all. The creme brûlée he had was good though. Service was poor (had to ask twice to fill up my water).
We walked back along the street towards Place d’Youville, which had an outdoor performance by a female singer I don’t know. Strange to hear English songs sung in French, but fun to sing the English over the top by myself. We didn’t hang around long, instead walking further up the street, out of the old city. We found the place where the gay pride community fair stuff will be held during the day, and also walked past an outdoor DJ dance party thing but neither of us seem very keen on it tonight.
We went back to the hostel instead, looking forward to a sleep in a dark room (they have curtains!). Liking the city so far. We’re in the old part which is picturesque and touristy so it’s a bit of a rose-coloured view, but hey, I like roses.
Travels with Dan 
What do you say, eh?