Quebec City

Posted by on Oct 12, 2012 in Blog | 2 comments

Fairmont le Chateau Frontenac taken from FreeLargePhotos.com

 

There is a touch of magic about Quebec City. I have spent quite a bit of time exploring this enchanting place. For one thing, for about 32 years, I lived in the state of Maine. Centrally located in the foothills, I could travel south to Boston or north to Quebec City in roughly four hours either way. Our northern border is something that perhaps I took for granted for the biggest part of my life. There was a time, in the not too distant past, when Americans didn’t even need a passport to visit Canadian friends. Sad to say, those days are long gone. Yet, Canada continues to offer so many delights for nature lovers and city lovers alike that I wonder that more of us don’t opt to pass our time pursuing the delights of its various landscapes and multicultural settings.

We always loved having visual confirmation that we had, indeed, left the country when we saw the first glimpse of French words scattered about on billboards, signs, and businesses. There was something totally gratifying about being so close to home and yet surrounded by things that were refreshingly different.

Quebec City may capture the feeling of Europe more than any other North American destination. Certainly, it has an old world charm as well as its own fairy tale architecture, in particular the Chateau Frontenac, that contribute to the distinct ambiance of a more romantic period in history. Add to that the beauty of being located on the St. Lawrence Seaway and this city is truly breathtaking. It is one of the oldest cities in the United States and Canadian regions.

Quebec City attracts lots of tourists from all over the world. During the summer it can be quite crowded. If you stay within the walls of the old city, accommodations are generally more expensive. The Chateau is a grand hotel that offers a central location, however.  In 1953, this hotel was used as the filming location for Alfred Hitchcock’s film I Confess, featuring Montgomery Clift and Anne Baxter.

 

2 Comments

  1. Hi Teresa, isn’t it interesting that sometimes we travel far away from home, when there are so many wonderful, interesting places on our own doorstep. At the moment I am busy exploring the neighbourhood around my new home in Malta. Have absolutely fallen in love with life in the mediterranean. It is still a tad warm weatherwise for my liking, but I have another change in climate to look forward to when I spend November in Yorkshire. I have only recently escaped a blast of winter weather back in Canberra. Hope all is well with you. Do you have any new adventures planned in the near future? Best regards, Rosie

    Reply
    • Nice to hear from again, Rosie. I am so glad that you are enjoying Malta. We absolutely loved it. I also know what you mean about sometimes taking for granted the beautiful places near to our homes. I will be in Los Angeles, California for a while right after Thanksgiving. In February or March I hope to attend a language school in Malaga, Spain for a month or so and then travel about, return to Competa to see friends, and enjoy Semana Santa. Always something to look forward to, isn’t there?

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