June 26 – July 2, 2018
The five hour drive from Lansdowne, Ontario to Saint Nicolas, Quebec was uneventful except for the construction zones and language barrier. Road signs in Ontario were in English and French but changed to French only the instant we crossed into Quebec province. Since neither of us understand French there was a certain amount of guesswork and Google translate in use as we drove.
Basecamp
For our basecamp from which to explore Quebec City we chose the Quebec City KOA in Saint Nicolas, Quebec. Situated across the St. Lawrence River, the campground is only a short drive away from the city. The campground is large with several sections. We had a deluxe patio site with plenty of living space but little room to park the truck.
What does one do with a BIG truck in an old city with narrow streets?
Having been to Quebec City once before we knew that our big truck was no match for the narrow winding streets so we inquired about alternate means of transportation. We were told that the campground offered a shuttle bus into the city (with a pickup in the morning and return in the afternoon), but we elected to drive to Levis (30 minutes away) and take the Quebec City – Levis Ferry (a 12 minute ride). The ferry runs every 30 minutes and parking is available at the terminal. Taking this route offered the flexibility of making our own schedule instead of adhering to the shuttle schedule. So, what to do with the BIG truck – solved.
Québec Citadel National Historic Site
One of the first things that we wanted to do in Quebec City was explore the Citadel and witness the changing of the guard. This ceremony occurs everyday at 10 a.m. from June 24 to the first Monday in September. With that intent we were up early Wednesday morning with enough time for our commute into the city, a ride on the Funicular, and a walk up the hill to the Citadel. Keep in mind that most of Quebec City is built on a hill with the Citadel at the highest point, Cap-Diamant next to the Plains of Abraham.
Having narrowly repelled the American invasion of Canada during the War of 1812, the British decided to re-examine their defensive strategy. Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond and Governor-in-Chief of British North America, was given the task and drew up plans to build and improve defensive works at strategic locations.
Lieutenant-Colonel Elias Walker Durnford of the British Army was entrusted with building the Citadelle of Québec. His star fort shape is based on designs by French engineer Sébastien Le Prestre Vauban. Construction spanned from 1820 to 1850, and the Citadelle is today an integral part of the fortifications of Québec.
Its first occupants were British troops, followed by the Royal Canadian Artillery. It remains an active garrison and since 1920 is home to the Royal 22e Régiment, the Canadian Forces’ sole French-language regular force infantry regiment. — La Citadel de Quebec History
The Changing of the Guard takes place in summer on the parade ground. It has been a tradition since 1928 except for the time between 1939 and 1945. The 35-minute ceremony features soldiers in scarlet regimental dress and bearskin hats as the new guard relieves the old guard after 24 hours of sentry duty. Done entirely in French, it includes inspection of the guard by the officers to ensure their readiness accompanied by the Regimental Band and the regimental mascot Batisse XI- the royal goat.
Why the goat you ask? The original goat, Batisse I, was given to the regiment by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1955. There have been many successors since then with Batisse XII currently in training. Prior to the ceremony, the royal goat is brushed and his horns are painted gold. He’s then fitted with a silver head plate and blue silk blanket.
Le Vingt-deuxième (the Van Doos) was formed in 1914 during the First World War so that the French Canadians could serve in their own language. French speaking recruits from Canada and the United States joined and were sent to fight in Europe. The story of the Van Doos is presented in a permanent exhibit in the self-guided museum within the Citadel.
Since the Citadel is an active garrison, the grounds can only be toured with a guide.
Following our tour of the grounds we spent some time in the museum and then headed down to walk the cobblestoned streets of Old Quebec.
Around Old (Upper) Quebec
The city is filled with narrow winding streets lined with all types of interesting shops and restaurants. As we worked our way down from the Citadel to the square near the iconic Chateau Fontenac I just had to investigate several of the small shops. As it was long past lunch time our next objective was to devour some poutine at a restaurant (Le Chic Shack) we had discovered on our first visit here. Well fortified, we continued our trek around this beautiful city concentrating on the upper portion of the city. Here are some of the scenes we enjoyed.
There’s always room for dessert especially after walking around a beautiful city – right? Having discovered a crepe restaurant near Chateau Frontenac we decided to sample their offerings with a couple of sweet crepes. How’s that for a perfect ending to the day?
Around Old (Lower) Quebec
Since we spent one day exploring the upper portion of the city, we decided to return a couple of days later and explore the lower portion.
We just couldn’t bid “au revoir” to Quebec City without visiting the farmers market – fresh fruit, cheese, meats, bread, pasta, and more.
As we drove along the waterfront on our way out of Levis we noticed that the water was very low. Did you know that the tidal range in Quebec City averages around 16 feet? Perhaps this is an introduction to our next destination.
