Travel Blog: Day 9 - Breakfast - > Quebec City -> Citadelle

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Had a simple breakfast of breads and cup noodles. The hotel provided hot water, coffee and tea at ground level, right outside the lift. There was no kettle to boil water in the room. Only a coffee making machine was provided.

Soon we packed up, checked out and were on our way northwards to Quebec City. It took about 1.5 hours to arrive at the City which was once a French Colony. And of course the language spoken in Quebec City is French. You feel that you are in France!

Extracted from wikipedia
Quebec City is the national capital of Quebec. Located at a commanding position on cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway, Quebec City's Old Town is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only city in North America (outside Mexico and the Caribbean) with its original city walls.

It is indeed a vibrant, charming, historical old town that makes for an incredible visit. Map of old Quebec city but in french!

Magnificent Fairmont Le Château Frontenac on the hill in the background. We were standing at Boulevard Champlain.

Boulevard Champlain

The café culture is very much a part of Quebec City as in most of Europe. It should be very easy to find a quaint cafe around Marche Champlain, and around the Chateau. Food is fairly expensive in Quebec, and even a simpler café or bar may be costly.

Funicular in the background - you can take this to reach the upper old town.

Boulevard Champlain

Very nice artpiece/mural on the wall

Quebec City has a strong European feel, with its pretty cobblestone streets, 17th- and 18th-century architecture buildings and outdoor cafes and restaurants.

Boulevard Champlain

After a brief visit of the old Quebec City, we went to Citadell (US$12/person).

The Citadelle of Quebec (French: Citadelle de Québec) is a military installation and official residence of both the Monarch of Canada and the Governor General of Canada located atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. This citadel is part of the fortifications of Quebec City. The city of Quebec is the only one in North America with Campeche in Mexico that is still surrounded by fortifications.

The Citadelle is a National Historic Site of Canada, and also forms part of the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site of Canada. The fortress is located within the "Historic District of Old Québec", which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985.

Offered a panaromic view of the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and the St Lawrence River from the viewpoint called Rachel.

The bus was detained by the police for inspection so we had to walk down to the Restaurant 1640 at Place d'Armes. It was a good walk since we could really immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of this old quaint lovely "french" town.