Quebec City

The second part of our Canadian trip takes us to Quebec City.  Why Quebec City (QC)?  I've heard and read a lot about QC, it being an old walled city.  In fact, it's the only city in North America that has a wall around it.  More importantly, my friend, Michel (pronounced like "Michelle" in English, because it's French) lives there.  I met Michel when we were both in Vietnam in 2010, staying at the same Camilla Hotel in Hanoi.  We were one of the few "westerners" there so we clicked.  We had many dinners together, even after I moved out of the hotel into my own apartment.

Michel was a music professor, specializing in voice, at Laval University in QC.  He has since retired but he was volunteering as a voice coach to the National Vietnam Choir when I met him.

We flew from Toronto to QC, about an hour and a half flight.  We had a quick salad lunch at Michel's house after he picked us up, then we are off to see the old city of QC.

Michel's beautiful garden.  We ate meals in an enclosed patio, overlooking this garden.

Notre Dame Cathedral

Inside the Notre Dame Cathedral

One of the streets selling art

St. Lawrence River with Îlie d'Orléans (or d'Orleans Island)

Along the waterfront

A slide used for tobagonning in the winter

A busy tourist street

On the second day Michel took us to the Îlie d'orleans, an island on the St. Lawrence River.  It's about a 30-minute drive from Michel's house.  All of a sudden, you are in the countryside.  Michel took us to different points on the island and showed us different things.  We also stopped at a restaurant for lunch, a fruit stand, where we bought some freshly picked strawberries, and a blackcurrant farm, where they served wonderful ice-creams.  It's an amazing place and the people were just so friendly.

Restaurant on Îlie d'Orléans

Church on Îlie d'Orléans

Park next to the St. Lawrence River

Montmorency Falls, just outside QC

Surprisingly for Candy, this was her favorite place in Canada, especially Îlie d'Orleans, the island on the St. Lawrence River.  Another surprise was the number of beautiful parks around the city, one of them a long stretch along the river.  We stopped at one of the parks near Michel's house after dinner on the last evening.  It was getting dark.  We were surprised to find a woman walking alone and not afraid at all.  This would've never happen in the US, especially in a big city.  Michel also told us that sometimes he forgets to lock his door.  QC is a mid-size city that you have most of what you need, including a reputable university.  However, it retains the feel of a small town, where the people are friendly and the place safe.