When I was 14 years old, I took my very first French class. Admittedly, the only reason I signed up for French was because I didn’t like Spanish and my school didn’t offer German (my first true love). However, despite my initial antipathy, I grew to love the language and the culture. In fact, I can still remember clearly the day my teacher put on one of those educational videos (in all of their late 80s/early 90s glory), and I became converted. Showcasing the wide variety of Francophone people around the world, that day, the video showed me Quebec for the first time, and I was fascinated.
Perhaps it seems ironic that Quebec seemed more alluring to me than France itself, but I attribute this to the fact that, as a young girl, my family would often take weekend trips to Paris during our time living in northwestern Germany. While I loved France, Quebec was for more intriguing. Upon moving to Boston two years ago and realizing that I was now within driving distance to the city, I knew I had to visit at some point. Since my roommate Emily moved at the beginning of this month (yesterday, in fact), we decided to take one last (*minute) trip together.
(*Because deciding to take a trip less than 48 hours before I leave is just how things go with me.)
My first impressions of Quebec were rather… juxtaposed. Odd fact about me: I HATE the word juxtaposition, but it really is the only way I can think to describe the city! Just imagine this: you’re driving into Brooklyn, but instead of English on all the signs, you see French, a language you typically associate with classical Europe, not urban Americana. 17th century architecture and the French language belong together as much as Ansel Adams and dramatic landscapes, so to see one without the other was intriguing, and to be honest, slightly jarring.
However, once passing through Porte St. Jean, everything immediately settled into place as we admired the historic downtown that seemed to transport us straight to a quaint European village, with creperies, boutiques, and patisseries lining every street.
Another odd fact about me, I rarely bring my DSLR around with me any more (largely because it’s so big!), however I have a rule about bringing my “real” camera with me whenever I visit a new place. So, in an effort to not just tuck all the photos I took on this trip away on my hard drive (never to be seen again, essentially), I thought I’d share them here on the blog, as well as share a few favorite things we did during our French-Canadian adventure!
- Of course, the food has made it to number one on the list (per usual). Emily and I ate more than our fair share of crepes, chocolatines, macarons, and eggs benedict, causing us to happily leave Quebec feeling a little bit chubby, despite walking close to a marathon’s distance over two and a half days. Those are the best kinds of vacations!
- Old Quebec was also absolutely wonderful. It had been three VERY long years since I last left the country (which is absolutely astounding to me!), so to wander around what felt like a small European town just made my heart light and, honestly, made me feel like I was home again. Traveling is such an intrinsic part of who I am, that to not have traveled overseas these last three years has been a little depressing!
- Montmorency Falls. Supposedly Montmorency Falls is taller than Niagara Falls, and I’d believe it. Although, my opinion isn’t very credible, given that I’ve never been to Niagara Falls. However, this waterfall was beautiful! The biggest waterfall I have ever seen, to witness the power of it was a little bit humbling! Also, we ate at a restaurant in the Montmorency Falls park and I am still thinking about that lamb burger two weeks later… such a wonderful day!
- Another one of my very favorite things is the etching I purchased from a local artist. As I was looking at all his pieces, the artist’s wife approached me and told me how each piece created was entirely unique. Like a stamp, he created the scene by carving wax which had been laid out on a metal sheet. He would then paint the color on to the wax and transfer this to the paper through a stamping and pressing technique. If I had been iffy about purchasing any of his work, hearing the story of how it was created sold me entirely!
- Hearing French again. While it was slightly frustrating to see how much my skill with the language has deteriorated, it also felt like I was greeting an old friend. Words and phrases began to come back to me during the few short days we spent there and I enjoyed trying to understand as much as I possibly could. One day I will once again be able to devote some time to picking up all the languages I have learned, and that will be a wonderful day.
Emily and I spent our last day in Quebec stocking up on all our favorite candies and treats we could normally only find in Europe, enjoying the last few hours of our fun weekend together. Monday saw us slipping back across the U.S. border in upstate Maine, taking in the beautiful scenery of the wooded mountains, lakes, and rivers, before once again beginning our weekly routine back here in Boston. And despite the fact that it’s always so quick to settle back into daily life after a trip, my heart still has half a mind to grab my passport and take the first flight to a new land instead. For now, I suppose I’ll just look at all these pictures and remember a wonderful new country visited.
Yours,
Beautiful photos of a beautiful city! I visited Quebec as a child, so my memories are as faded as the Polaroid snapshots we took, but I would love to go back someday as an adult. Thanks for sharing your visit!
You should definitely go back, Charmaine. It was such a fun city to walk around!