Sometimes it pays to go off the beaten path, whether it be while on vacation or working. A new or fascinating discovery usually catches our eye along the way that we wouldn't have seen taking the same dull route as everyone else. Such was the case when we drove and walked around Quebec this past June.
The photo I captured above is one such example. In my last blog I mentioned my French Canadian relatives, but I never expected to come across a sign with my husband's surname. We figured relatives on his dad side probably came through Canada, like my mother's side of the family did, but we weren't certain. You see, his father was adopted and we never met his family.
I never noticed the name on the building as we traveled down the wrong street our third day in Quebec. It was the art work depicting Quebec's history that caught my attention. A history Lab I taught at in Minnesota years ago covered the early years of the state and one topic I shared included fur traders and missionaries and how they traveled from Canada through Wisconsin and into Minnesota. In a rush to take a photo of the art before it was out of sight, I didn't realize I had caught the names on the building as well.
Quebec is a friendly city. I felt so at home in Quebec even though I only knew a few French words. Maybe it was because so many of my relatives, including my mother's father came from the area. But I think it was more than that. The people of Quebec made it special. French is spoken but they speak English as well.
The walking tour of Old Quebec was excellent. The guide we had been assigned, who spoke very good English, found he had too many people in his group and we were asked to join another group. The woman with a thick French accent, who we thought we'd have a hard time understanding, gave an excellent tour. She used to be a history teacher and she covered the battles between France and England, spoke about the churches, businesses and architecture of the homes. She even pointed out the style of homes the Irish built when they arrived, relatives from my dad's side.
After the walking tour, we were on our own. I wanted to see the inside of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, but of course we wound up in a different area. Wrong turns of course, but we got to listen to a street performer instead. The performers have to be registered and can only remain on the same spot for two hours then they have to shift to another corner.
It was because we couldn't find our way to other sights outside of Quebec City, our third day there, that we ended up going too far on the wrong road and eventually found ourselves in Old Quebec again. So we decided to try and find Notre Dame Cathedral. While searching for the church, we found a side street full of artists. Their paintings and drawings were on display. Such talented work. Another thing we stumbled upon was an open air music and food festival. Have you ever seen singers dressed in chef outfits?
We had arrived in Old Quebec because we had gotten lost somehow and when we left Old Quebec we got tangled up again. This time hubby didn't listen to me say, "Make a left here, now." It turned out all right. We discovered things we wouldn't have seen if we'd returned to the hotel on the road that passes by the St. Lawrence Seaway. We saw a beautiful park, stone arches surrounding Old Quebec, the art I shared with you above, neighborhoods with unique houses and many street cafes.
Everyone needs a respite from juggling a million things a day. This year take a journey off the beaten path and see where it leads you. Who knows the trip might kick start your writing.
Until Next Time
This is Marlene Chabot
A Minnesota Mystery Author
No comments:
Post a Comment