Quebec

Time to explore Quebec and Old Quebec proper today. We had bought tickets for the hop-on-hop-off bus and made our way to the tour starting point. We were one of the early birds today, and started off on our tour around 9:15. The plan was that we would do a full loop (15 stops) and than decide which of the sites we’ve seen from the bus we would like to visit to see them close up.

Well, this plan did not work out, just after the 8th stop the double decker open roof bus went through a street with some low hanging tree branches. One of them hit Brian, who is quit tall, right in his face. He was lucky to wear his sunglasses as otherwise he could have lost an eye. Still, he had a nasty cut on his nose and cheek. The stupid bus driver did not even bother to stop and check on his passengers upstairs. Brian was not the only one hurt by those branches, there were two other passengers with bruises and cuts on their face. Talking to the bus driver did not help, all he could say was sorry.

But as you might have figured out by now, we are a tough bunch, so after putting in an official complaint with the appropriate people we made the best of the day.

Quebec is an interesting city with (for North America terms) long history dating back to early 1600. Founded in 1608 by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, Quebec City is unlike any other city in North America with its dramatic cliff-top location overlooking the St. Lawrence River, its fortification walls, narrow winding streets and wealth of historic buildings spanning four centuries

Besieged five times in its history, Quebec City was finally conquered by the British in 1759. Capital of New France, then capital of British North America, it is, today, the heart of French culture on this continent.

The old city has an interesting architecture showing much of their French heritage. Most houses now have a tin, or when the owner has a lot of money, copper cladded roofs. When the French came here back in the day they used timber for the roofs, as they did at that time in France. You can imagine with the climate here in Canada those roofs did not last long. We also noticed some roofs that looked they were made from copper (that turns green after a while when it is exposed to the elements) but they are actually cheap tin roofs painted green to look expensive 😂.

Wandering through the old city we noticed these purple dolls on roof tops and hanging on buildings. When I say doll, I mean a big one, they must be at least 4 meters tall. It appears this is an outdoor art exhibition called MR. ROSE (PINK) FLYING AWAY and the art form it is called Mignonism.

Mignonism is an artistic movement imagined by Philippe Katerine and which creates a universe that is both surprising and delicate, in the image of its creator. With resolutely poetic and offbeat influences, this movement advocates the propagation of cuteness in our physical and psychological environments. With lucidity, Mignonism praises beauty in simplicity.

In the image of “Mr. Pink”, icon of Mignonism, a set of inflatable sculptures gently invades the surroundings of the Place Royale in a playful and colourful journey. It is by looking up at the facades, roofs and trees that we discover them with amazement. With their roundness and bubble gum colour, the characters stand out in the historic district. Philippe Katerine takes pleasure in shaking up the established order with their incongruous presence and in bringing us into the fiction.

The Port of Québec’s strategic location is its best calling card, as it provides the shortest route by sea between Europe and the Great Lakes. The last deep-water port before the Great Lakes with 15 meters at low tide, the Port of Québec effectively connects with the industrial and agricultural heart of North America. Featuring a complete intermodal terminal and with an average of nearly 30 million tonnes of merchandise handled yearly, the Port contributes to industrial sectors that are essential to Canadian foreign trade.

We enjoyed Quebec, even with the troubles we had (did I mention that Ano left his phone in the Uber in the morning 🫢). This is a place we definitely would visit again. Oh yes and Arno did get his phone back 😊

Here are a few more pictures to close of the day, you can see a small Roman Catholic stone church on Place Royale (Notre-Dame-des-Victoires) in the lower town of Old Quebec City. Construction was started in 1687 on the site of Champlain’s habitation and was completed in 1723. The church is one of the oldest in North America.

And a picture of a mural that recounts the story of Quebec City, weaving in visual allusions to its unique architecture and fortifications, and its larger-than-life personalities. Look closely at the building’s windows: you’ll see some 15 historic figures and nearly a dozen of Quebec’s leading writers and artists.