Old Town

No riding.

Ok here is some fun: we did a guided walking tour of the old city today. We were pleasantly surprised when we discovered "Old Town" was 1750s, not 1950s. Our hotel is a former monestary from1898. I guess that is somewhere in between how

ever, judging by the pictures on the hotel's website, you would think that the hotel was built last year.

Our tour was a worthwhile way to spend 2.5 hours however, one bad thing we were told was where the "best" Poutine was located. Or maybe it is just over rated. Anyway, we learned a great deal of the history of Quebec City, how the French were having a grand time from 1608 and the British bombarded the city with cannon fire from across the St. Lawrence River with an estimated 48,000 cannon balls over three summer months in 1759. Then, in an effort to put an end to the war before winter, the British scaled the cliffs during the night with 4,000 troops and surprised the French, who were all quite drunk at the time and quickly collapsed and surrendered. The commanding British General Wolf was killed in the battle while the commanding French General Montcalm was wounded and taken within the walled city to be treated by the surgeon but died in his house five days later. His house is now a Japanese restaurant, rated 4.6 stars on Google.

These are pictures of Chateau Frontenac, a famous CP hotel built in 1893.

In the top picture, in the foreground you can see a number of cannons. On the left, two British cannons and further along, two Russian cannons captured by the British in the Crimean war. The obelisk is a monument to the end of the war between the British and the French in 1759 with Wolf's name on one side and Montcalm's on the other.

The Russian royal seal.

These giant murals depicts life in Quebec through the centuries.

Ostensibly the oldest house in Quebec City.

Our Australian guide Phil. As a foreigner,  he mentioned that non-Francophones do better if they have a French speaker to advocate for them. Phil is married to a French Canadien.

Royal Place, a square and the site of a former market. A bust of Louis the XIV was a gift of the French government and was later destroyed in a fire. The one in the image is a replacement. 

Quebec City has a habit of burning down and the new ordinance requires buildings to be made of stone with non-flamable roofs (stone or metal).

We took a shortcut and rode the funicular up the hill.

I finally had my putin today. Frankly, I don't know what the fuss is all about. I was always so intrigued because it sounded awesome but I was left feeling meh. At least I am cured from ordering it at every every stop.

This version had shredded beef and green onions.