Quebec City - Train/bus station and another fountain

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Sadly, this is our last full day in this wonderful city.

What luck - the bus tour company returned my umbrella to our hotel. We would need it because the forecast was for rain on Saturday. This would be a good time then to take a bus tour to the falls out of town. Originally, I thought of renting a car and driving to it and beyond. There are lots of places out in the countryside to explore if you have the time. But, seeing the traffic, knowing it was going to rain and feeling plain lazy, I decided I'd rather just sit on a bus.

But first... with the assistance of our most helpful Irish doorman, Glenn had packed up his bulky Auberge Saint-Antoine housecoat among other things to mail home. The post office around the corner is closed on Saturdays so we were going to hike up to the one in the Upper Town via the funicular. But the doorman suggested trying the bus station, which is down where we are, in the lower town. Seemed like a good idea. We took a cab over since the box was a bit heavy to carry for several blocks. The cab was cheap but the mailing was not. $47.00!!

Free of the package, we were able to walk back toward our hotel.

Gare du Palais - the train & bus station. The front part was designed in the Chateau Frontenac style by a New York architect.

I understand these interesting chairs, by Michel Goulet, were a gift from Montreal for Quebec City's 400th anniversary.

"Rever le nouveau monde." To dream the new world?

Glenn figured out that the line connecting the two chairs depicts the St. Lawrence River! How clever. I notice that chairs and benches in this city seem to always be clean, as if someone routinely wipes them down.

Now here's one of those slightly disappointing fountains. The vertical spirts of water don't quite make it, to my mind. But I like it anyway for the big slabs of bronze and the way the water washes up onto them. This 1998 fountain is called "Éclatement II." ('Bursting?') I'll bet it looks nice lit up at night.

Vieux-Port scenes. There are some interesting European clothing shops down here.

Now we were free to eat so we returned to the Cochon Dingue restaurant in Quartier Petit Champlain for that inexpensive breakfast. Surprise - that deal does not apply to weekends, but we ate there anyway. I noticed that all the patrons within earshot were French speaking.

I thought this circle in front of the Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church in Place-Royale was just a design element but then I read on the internet that the church was built in 1688 "exactly where Samuel de Champlain built its 'Abitation'. On the ground, you can see a stone circle made with a different colour and circling the church that defines where that Abitation once stood." I don't know what that word means exactly but our friend Ron thinks it would be a fort or a home where the settlers lived.

I hiked up these stairs to see what was at the top.

They may have led to here because this photo was taken around the same time.

'Toast!' Another well-known restaurant in town.

We went back to our hotel and got ready for the bus tour.

Quebec City - Walks, a bus tour and a bit of rain

Thursday, May 14, 2009

We met Glenn's sister and husband for breakfast at the Frontenac. There was a buffet brunch - way more than we could eat. We visited in the lobby a while before saying good-bye. A few tears were shed. They got ready to head back to the States and we of course packed up and moved down to the Auberge Saint-Antoine.

Since the forecast was for rain, which I still didn't completely believe, we thought of things to do inside. One was to go to the 'Quebec Experience' where I hoped to learn something about this town's history in an easy way. The other was to take a city bus tour. Unfortunately, the timing didn't work out to do both but we didn't know that yet. Tours can be easily booked at the booth at the top of the Funicular or at the tourist centre, both not much more than a stone's throw from the Frontenac.

We set out on foot to get information and explore more of the city.

Above: Place-Royale. I read this is the oldest marketplace in Canada. We would wander through here often.

A playground. Everything in this city seems to be done with a lot of thought and creativity. Note cannon in background.

Now this is something you would not see in Victoria!

I like the lace curtains.

Art galleries all over the place and we didn't step into one!

Rue du Trésor where the artists set up. Trésor means 'treasure' I believe.

A couple of street scenes.

After eating more of that delicious butternut soup at the hotel, except this time it had green onions in it and the toast had melted cheese, we went back to the upper town to take the 2 hour city bus tour.

The bus was small and the driver/guide drove it like a sports car. It was hard to take pictures out rain-spotted windows so the picture below, taken when driver stopped so we could get out, is the only one worth showing. I thought I was in Victoria at the Inner Harbour for a minute. Don't know where this is, but it must be in Vieux-Port. Bassin Louise Marina, perhaps. We did get to drive into the Citadelle on this tour, barrelling in with the walls just inches away from the sides of the bus.

The rain stopped by the time the tour finished, which is how I came to leave my umbrella on the bus.

I like taking pictures when things are wet but it's not raining so we walked around the city some more. Here again is the striking Aux Anciens Canadiens restaurant.

A quick diversion down a side street..

We thought we'd have the French restaurant experience, so I think it was this place on the left-hand corner where we ate. Except it was run by Italians! Surprisingly, Glenn had French onion soup and he really liked it.

Back in the square where we had breakfast our first morning. There's another of those drinking fountains for horses.

I'm confused about areas. I think this is looking down to Rue du Petit-Champlain. But I could be wrong. By the way, Quebec City has 29 outdoor staircases, more than any other North American city.

The funicular.

We were attracted to the airplane on the sign...

... on our way to a maple shop.

Everything here is done with a flourish...

Even a fence by a construction area is artistic.

It was just wonderful walking around here this evening - lively with the wind and the activity but not in an obnoxious way.

Now we're nearing our hotel.

The Museum of Civilization is right next door.