Hi friends! I am so behind on my postings...I have photos from over a month ago that are still languishing in my queue. However, I'm going to skip over those for now and get right to the good stuff: my trip to Quebec!
Lacey and I met up in Burlington, Vermont, on a Wednesday and drove about two hours north to Montreal. (Sadly, we did not spot any Mounties at the border crossing...or anywhere else, for that matter.) Being in Quebec felt like being in a different world. I knew that French was the official language, but I expected there to be a mix of English and French speakers. I was wrong; French was spoken by EVERYONE and the signs were all in French. Fortunately for me, I took enough French classes in college to earn a minor in it, so we had no problems getting around (except for the poor signage on the Canadian highways, but that's a different story).
Ok, so back to Montreal. It's a large city with a very cosmopolitan feel and a mix of Old World and New, and unfortunately we only had about a day and a half to explore it. And it rained most of the time. :(
Our first stop was the Notre Dame Basilica (also known as the place where Celine Dion had her insanely over-the-top wedding).
Notre Dame sits on the Place d'Armes, which has a statue of Montreal's founder in the middle.
The church's interior is exquisite; it's quite possibly the most ornate church I've ever seen.
The altar, with various reliquaries in the front.
Originally, there was a huge stained-glass window behind the altar, but parishioners complained that the light was blinding. So they covered up that window and added these skylights.
The carved pulpit with the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekial on the bottom.
Next we walked the streets of Old Montreal, and made a stop at the Maple Delights store.
We had oh-so-much maple while we were in Canada.
We also had to try the local delicacy - poutine (along with a Coke Diete).
Montreal City Hall
Marche Bonsecours
The Montreal skyline, as seen from the Old Port.
We then drove about 3 hours east to Quebec City. It definitely has an Old World feel; it's the second-oldest walled city in North America and a UNESCO Heritage Site.
Hi, Lacey!
We went to the houses of Parliament...
...and they had statues of former Prime Ministers all over. I thought this one looked like George H.W. Bush (or maybe Dana Carvey as Bush).
We also made a quick stop at the Citadelle, which is an active military post.
We had tea at the famous Chateau Frontenac (allegedly the most photographed hotel in the world).
So charming...when we first came upon the quaint cobblestone streets of old Quebec, I said "this looks like a Disney set!"
After a too-short visit to Quebec, we drove back to Burlington for a one night's stay. Our first priority in Vermont was to visit the Ben & Jerry's factory. And yes, there were free samples.
The "Flavor Graveyard" of retired ice cream flavors.
And with that, I'll close with a picture of Lake Champlain....
A bien tot, tout le monde!
