The rain and cooler weather has set in for a couple of days and this brings with it some challenges- walking around for example! However the grayness outside certainly was not replicated in our moods as we had a very full and enjoyable afternoon and evening in Old Québec. After the language classes, we went directly to le Musée du Fort which tells the story of the various battles for Québec City over the years (not just with the English, either, but also the Americans tried to take their share of the St. Lawrence seaway in their day too!). The museum presents this panorama of history with a narrated film and a model renactment of the major battle scenes so as to situate the sites geographically for the audience. Having these visuals helped with the comprehension quite a bit as everyone said it was much easier to follow than the guided tour of the Citadelle which was led by a guide who spoke very quickly and there wasn't enough time to read all of the signs.
We then took a tour of the famous Château Frontenac. Although never a royal "château" as such, this hotel marked the beginning of luxury hotels in Canada and has seen many dignitaries pass through its doors - including dignitaries in training, Prince William and Kate who will be visiting Québec next week and occupying at least several of the oppulent suites found in the Frontenac. I never tire of the view of this hotel and have taken many pictures of its various facades. I plan on taking some night shots next week when the weather promises to clear up.
We had dinner in a very nice restaurant along one of the many steep slopes that separate the Upper and Lower Towns. It was nice to sit and relax, enjoy each others' company and to indulge in some good food and wine.
Malgré le temps de pluie et de frais, nous avons passé un après-midi bien agréable. Le Musée du Fort nous a donné l'occasion de revivre les batailles pour la ville de Québec pendant les époques. Ensuite, une visite guidée au Château Frontenac nous a fait pensé à l'histoire de cette magnifique édifice et à tous les gens importants qui y ont séjourné - y compris le Prince William et sa femme Kate qui vont descendre à Québec la semaine prochaine!
La soirée a pris sa fin avec un superbe dîner ensemble dans la Basse-Ville. La première semaine déjà terminée, on a quelques heures de liberté ce week-end, et puis on repart!
Today we had two views of the highlights of Québec City - one from the 22 story Observatory and one on the ground as a walking tour. Both occasions gave a great overview to the sights and history that we will be exploring in detail as the program progresses. Québec is a city with many stairs and much walking. This combined with the five flights of stairs three times per day in the College and the winding staircase in the student residence, has certainly left us tired today! We stopped for un café et une sucrerie this afternoon and felt we had certainly earned it. We're off to La Citadelle tomorrow to immerse ourselves into the history of the Canadian military in Québec and the cermony of this active base.
