We arrived in Quebec City safe and sound, got a good night's sleep, and met for breakfast in the hotel restaurant overlooking the Saint Lawrence River. We went to the Voir Quebec and met with Michael O'Neill. Michael will be our tour guide for the next two hours. Michael was born in Canada and was of Irish descent. This was a walking tour and we walked all over the Old Town, both the upper and lower parts. Michael was very knowledgeable about the history of Quebec, both under British and French rule. The citizens of Canada refer to their country as America. Michael made that point several times during our walk. He pointed out that Quebec City is the only walled city north of Mexico. It was said that this was a bit of Old Europe on American soil. My Fit Bit recorded over 10,000 steps on this walk.
French is the official language of Quebec. If you are thinking of moving here, there are two things to consider. One of course is the winter (it is in the 20's here and has been for several weeks , what is the temperature in Alabama?) Secondly, communicating in French is essential for participating in the Quebec society. I asked Michael if his French was the same as the French language spoken in France, He said they were about the same. I read where it was similar to the difference between the Kings English and American English. Quebec was named in 1608. Its name was derived from an Algonquian Indian word, meaning "where the river narrows", speaking of the St. Lawrence River.
After our walking tour, it was lunch time. We stopped in Sapristi Bistro, a local restaurant, and had a light lunch. This was where Linda had her bowl of hot chocolate and Amanda had hot tea. Harry and I had a local French beer. Harry had French onion soup and Amanda, Linda, and I had mushroom soup. We had French flatbread for the table. A great luncheon.
After lunch we took the Funculaire from the lower to the upper town. It is basically a vertical tram that takes you up a cliff face at a 45 degree angle. A lot easier than trying to walk back up that mountain. By now it was getting late and we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner,
The concierge made us reservations at a very popular nearby restaurant called Parmesan. (an Italian Restaurant) The food, the atmosphere, the music, and the service was great. Every one agreed, should our travels take us here again, Parmesans will be at the top of our list. I am going to stop now and get ready for tomorrow.
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| Enjoying Quebec |
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| Saint Lawrence River |
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| Harry and Jerry |
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| We will ride the Toboggan Sunday |
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| Parmesan's Restaurant |
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