Eric’s Dream

..Quebec City, Je t’aime…..

I was snowed in last night, but ready to explore today.  I made my way to the epicenter of all that is French in Canada; Quebec City.

I have heard that downtown is the closest thing to Old Europe in North America. We shall see.

I made my way the suburbs that typically surround all modern cities and slowly made my way downtown. The streets became narrower and mixed in with the occasional cobblestone. The buildings followed suit by changing form as well.

With English seeming to be deceased (or never born)  in “Ville de Québec,” I started getting the Euro-feel. It’s not as if I have ever been to Europe, but this is how I would imagine it based on TV….besides, I recently met a few Germans working for a few weeks in Canada and they mentioned that it’s about as close as you can get to Europe without actually going to Europe.

Quebec

The Château Frontenac dominates the landscape.  It gives the feeling of a protective castle overlooking the town.  It isn’t a castle, but it is so high and so large that it cast its shadow over the old-style homes and buildings nearby.

As I climbed the steps to reach the fortress, the winds of the frigid St. Lawrence River did everything they could to make me run back to the car and turn on the heater.  The river unleashed the coldest winds I have felt on this trip yet. I was not deterred.  I have two ears, two nostrils, and I feared nothing. The hood went on and the jacket buttoned up. I think I might have been the only one walking backwards, but I consider it being innovative rather than ridiculous.

I made it to the top of the fortress walls. Amazingly enough, I was the only fool to climb these steps in the frosted wind.  It was a spectacular view, but probably not worth losing feeling in my left ear.  I also forgot to grab tissues out of the car before making this walk. We all know what happens when cold air pounds our open face for a couple of hours.  Let’s just say; a tissue (or two) is very appreciated.

I made my way back down a couple hundred of steps, back amongst the rest of the tourist.  I haven’t been able to figure out why there were so many tourist not adventuring to the top.  Sure it was cold, but weren’t they curious too?  I will never know.

There are cannons and statues commemorating people (and events) placed frequently throughout the entire area that makes up Vieux-Quebec (old city).

I had to make a quick walk back to the car to quench the parking meter’s thirst, but then I decided to walk down some of the oldest streets in North America.  The sidewalks were getting icy which made some of the steep walk-ways and streets quite an adventure.

Chateau Frontenac

While heading down one of the streets, I noticed a street that had been converted to a walking only area.  There were old European style shops on both sides of the brick street and there were people climbing up and down ladders, hanging Christmas lights up any place they could find a spot to do so. It looked more like a scene out of an old Christmas movie from the 60’s rather than a typical modern day, car congested, metro area in North America.

The Plains of Abraham, which sits next to the old city, is home to a very pivotal battle during the French and Indian War. There is a lot of history in this city, rightfully so since it was established in 1608, and it tries to preserve as much of its heritage and culture as possible.

I was parked near Notre-Dame Quebec Basilica. I didn’t take a picture or go inside because, while I had thought this church was interesting, I figured that it was “just another old church.”  I was wrong.  It turned out to be the oldest parish in North America, and while the church itself has been rebuilt a couple of times due to fires, it still remains on the exact same spot that it was built on back in 1648.  The inside is supposedly astonishing. When I return back to Quebec, I will definitely tour the church.

Darkness has fallen and I felt sad to be forced to leave. There are so many more things to see and do in Quebec and I hope to return someday to enjoy them, preferably in the summer or fall when the air is warmer and the festivities are plentiful.

I headed out of town, but not without making one more stop: Wal-mart.

I needed something, which now escapes my memory, and I knew Wal-mart would have it.  What I didn’t plan on was the amount of enjoyment that was about to take place.  Everything was written in French and I couldn’t communicate with anyone.  I walked around the store for over an hour just listening to conversations that made no sense to me.  I enjoyed the sounds and the sites of a foreign land, which made no

tis the season

sense because I had not a CLUE what people were saying. When I checked out, the girl talked to me in French, which I then told her I don’t understand French, she smiled and tried her best to say a few words in English and I reciprocated by responding with butchered French. We smiled and that was the end of my Quebec experience.

Before starting this trip, I had always given thought to moving to another country where I wouldn’t know the language or culture. I was always apprehensive to do so out of fear of whether or not I would actually like such a dramatic change.

While it was only a couple of days of being in a “foreign setting,”  I now know that I would love to experience cultural immersion for a year or two.  I love America, but I’d love the challenge of adaptation.  Two days in Quebec and the challenge of communicating put a smile on my face the entire time. It’s different than back home (where Spanish is popular enough to try to immerse myself in the language) because I always have English to fall back on.  In a world where English is non-existent and frowned upon, I am forced to learn, communicate, and progress.

Quebec has rivaled any experience I’ve had on this trip so far.  I can’t wait to the day when I can spend a significant amount of time in culture shock.

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