Native Fair

There was a special display of native arts and crafts in the old part of Quebec City when we were there.

The event was put on by a number of different native groups.

Terry and I wandered through - and watched some dancing.

There were craft events of special interest to children...

Even with our extra time - on this vacation - there was too much to see and do!

Quebec City Excavations

One of the interesting places Terry and I had time to visit in Old Quebec City was a display of recent excavations that uncovered artifacts that date back to early colonial times.

The cliff where these excavations took place was the site of the governors' residence.

Wandering through, we were able to catch a glimpse of some of life's necessities back then.

This photo shows a deep pool (on the right) which was really a large vat where river ice, cut in winter, was stored over the summer months. The ice was used to preserve meat.

The window above the excavation is a dome on the terrace near the Chateau Frontenac. It allows passers-by to peek down at some of the artifacts displayed below.

Some of the items on display included an official seal and a bottle used to hold smelling salts.

There were also dishes that would have been used by those who lived here 400 years ago.

The excavated area had a lot of ovens, reminding us that governors' residences weren't used merely built for a family of diplomats. It also would have housed a large contingent of soldiers.

The many fireplaces we saw may have been used simply for heating. It would have been cold in the massive mansion.

Perhaps every large room had some sort of fireplace,

Canada doesn't have a lot of old ruins - so this was an especially interesting place to visit.

Outdoor Circus

Terry and I were pleasantly surprised to discover that we could watch a free nightly outdoor circus performance near the Quebec City harbor.

We got lost finding our way through the old town's winding narrow streets. So the outdoor amphitheater was full when we arrived, and the performance had begun...

Free outdoor circus performances used to be a regular summer event in the city. Then funding stopped. We were glad to see them back again.

It was hard to take good pictures in the dark with action on stage. I was lucky to get a few good ones.

In this act, the acrobats were wearing roller skates as they danced around a small stage. At times he lifted her up and swung her around. All the time, we were hoping that they wouldn't slip off!

Many of the performances were nerve-wracking to watch!

It was all very exciting! Hopefully this nightly circus tradition will return to Quebec City again next summer. It's definitely worth attending!

Going Back...

A few years ago, Terry and I spent a few days in the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, at a motel with an amazing gourmet restaurant.

Let's go back - and make it an anniversary celebration, I suggested on the day we visited the Pointe-au-Pere marine museum. It wasn't far away.

I started my meal with a pear and kale soup - the consistency of apple sauce - and deep fried cheese balls. It was delicious! My main course - salmon and salad - was a little disappointing. The salad was very bland.

After our meal, we wandered over to the nearby pier to enjoy the evening view before heading back to Quebec City.

If we were to come this far for the day again, I'd plan to spend the night and head back the following day.

Three hours is a long way to drive after a full day of fun.

Visiting the Marine Museum in Rimouski, Quebec

One of my favorite parts of Canada is the rugged St. Lawrence River coast.

A few years ago, Terry and I first traveled in this region en route to Matane, Quebec, where his family used to spend summer vacations when he was a child.

His grandfather was the chauffeur of Mrs. Molsen, matriarch of the well-known brewing family, and every summer Mrs. Molsen would bring her household staff with her to her summer home in Matis Beach, near Matane.

Last spring, while doing his research for our Prince Edward Island trip, Terry read about a marine museum at Pointe-au-Pere, near Rimouski, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence.

We stopped in to see it on our way home from PEI in late May, but the museum wasn't open yet for the season.

We decided to return on this trip - even through it was a further 3-hour drive east of Quebec City.

I'm glad we did!

(This is the view through the window from the lighthouse keeper's former home.)

We were able to climb the 120 stairs to the top of the lighthouse...

(This is the light at the top of the lighthouse.)

We toured the submarine, discovering interesting facts about a submariner's life.

It's always astounding to see how cramped everything is on a submarine. The crew of this sub - back in the day - was over 40 sailors!

(You'd have to be a "people person" to work on a sub!)

A submarine has a number of watertight compartments. We crawled through their round doorways on our tour.

I learned that, on a submarine, an attempt is made to follow the natural rhythms of life on land.

For example, when the moon and stars are visible in the sky, a pale red light illuminates everything inside a submarine.

If there is no moon visible, all lights are turned off - except for the lights on the instrument panels.


The audio tour was very interesting!

A third building at the marine museum tells the story of a 1914 shipwreck that occurred not far away.

Sitting in a ship-themed theater, we watched a movie about the shipwreck. It was interesting - but also very sad...

To break the melancholy, the museum had a few fun surprises... Like seeing ourselves on screen, before the film...

Also in several of the museum's video displays.

Definitely fun place to visit!

Visiting the Governor General's Residence in Quebec

The Governor General is the Queen's representative in Canada.

I didn't realize that the Governor General had two official residences - one in Ottawa, the other in Quebec City.

I've visited the spacious grounds of the Ottawa residence several times - but I didn't even know about the second residence until our recent trip to Quebec City.

Looking for some place new to explore, Terry and I wandered into Quebec City's "Citadelle", a historic fortress which is the oldest military establishment in Canada. Though largely a museum, it is still used by one military regiment.

We wondered if we should do a tour of the fortress, having enjoyed our recent tour of Fort Henry (in Kingston, Ontario).

But since it was raining off and on, we chose a lesser-known tour of the Governor General's residence.

I'm really glad we did!

The tour focuses on a new wing of the residence - built after a fire destroyed an old wing.

The furnishings and art work feature Canadian artists and artisans.

The whole modern wing - used mostly for entertaining - is lovely!

A terrace overlooks the St. Lawrence River. The view was magnificent - but we didn't linger long.. The rain had started again!

Walking Up and Down in Quebec

Quebec City is one of North America's oldest settlements.

The oldest part was built on a massive hill, for strategic reasons.

They wanted a good view of the St. Lawrence River, to see who was heading their way.

To walk around in old Quebec City is to walk uphill and downhill!

There are many remnants of a bygone era... including this former Jesuit seminary which is now a school...

The old port is an interesting part of the city.

It's old buildings are reminiscent of old European towns.

We usually started our day in the upper part of the old city...

We'd eventually walk downhill (sometimes on the sidewalk, sometimes taking stairs)...

Then take the cablecar (the "Funicular") back up!