Lower Old Town

Before I head to the lower town, I have breakfast at a little café and head over to The Notre Dame Cathedral. I can’t get a picture outside for you since there is some massive construction going on in front of the church. I do head inside though to get some pictures. It was built in 1674. I take a few minutes to sit in prayer and light a couple of candles for my loved ones all ready gone from us.

As I have mentioned before Quebec’s Old Town has two levels. The upper level that was reserved for the rich with it’s wide boardwalk and many parks and the lower level where the trade and commerce from the river took place. The streets are narrower and there is not much green space. The buildings down here reflect that as well. They have warehouses on the ground level and residence on the upper levels. This has now changed to restaurants and shops on the ground level and residence on the top floors. This is mostly the way it works. There are some streets where it is all residential though.

There are two ways to get down to the lower city; a funicular is available near The Chateau Frontenac and a set of stairs over by where I’m staying. I actually took the stairs (to work off breakfast at the bistro). When you decend the stairs you come across a little square where there is a wall that has been painted with all that Quebec holds near and dear to their hearts. Take a moment to check it out! They hold little mini concerts here on some of the days and the sound drifts to the upper city. Cool! The lower section has a little square called Place Royal where there is an old church. This is where Samuel de Champlain first founded Quebec City in 1609. There sits the oldest stone church in North America called: Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. It is a non descript church (unlike the Notre Dame Cathedral in the upper town) that was built in 1688 but had extensive damage during the war with the British and had to be rebuilt in 1763 to it’s original specifications. The church still holds service every Sunday and is open from May to November for tourists to visit. The rest of the square, which used to be a market place, has a nice café and tables where you can sit and enjoy a rest. There is a naval museum down here and a small theatre as well. There are many shops and restaurants all over the place where you can meander around the cobblestone streets and take in the views of the river. There are little alley-ways that lead to inner courtyards that you can check out as well, just mind your head if you are tall! This is also where the cruise ships come in as well.

It is a good work out for the legs and butt because everything is uphill or downhill! After walking around for a couple of hours and picking up a bucket of popcorn for the drive tomorrow, I head back up the stairs (glutton for punishment!) to head back to my place for a rest. I head out later for some dinner at the same terrace place from the first night. Their yellow pea soup is marvelous but their meat pie is a little too salty for my tastes.

Tomorrow, I pack up and head to Montreal. Laura lives their so I get to visit.Leer más