Quebec City #2

Wow. This city continues to amaze me. It’s definitely not difficult to get by without much French here, and every once in a while my attempts at my second language earn me some odd looks.

Quebec City is perhaps the oldest of Canada’s Cities, we walked past a building this morning that had a plaque identifying it as the first hotel built in the city, it’s 250 years old. I was amazed. Unfortunately, we came to the city without knowing when the pre-gathering sessions were to be taking place. Henry and I took advantage of our morning as tourists to go to le Citadelle. After the British took New France, on two different occasions, Quebec City was attacked by American Armed Forces (In 1759 and 1812). In 1820, to help defend the city, Britain built a fort on the edge of the St Laurence. This fort is known as la Citadelle. After confederation, in 1867, the British Forces no longer occupied la Citadelle. In 1872, the Governor-General of Canada adopted the fort as his official second residence. That tradition has continued to today and the residence is remarkable. The 22e Regiment of the Canadian Forces (Canada’s Francophone regiment) is housed in la citadelle as well. I’m really bad at this tourist stuff but I did the free tour of the Governor-General’s residence and I even learned some things.

Being in Quebec is a profoundly frustrating thing for me, even though it is really enjoyable. I’m continually reminded in French Canada that in many ways I’m only half a Canadian; that isn't exactly what I mean but I can't think of a better way to say that. Actually, let me try again. When I'm in Quebec I realise how much of the history and the story of this country is written in French, how much its culture and art and socitety has been shaped by both languages. Perhaps it isn't me feeling like half a Canadian, maybe it's better to say I realise that the Canada I know and love is profoundly inclomplete. I really really want to fill in the blanks. Of course I get frustrated that my French is so poor and have every intention of working on it as soon as I get home. Then I go home and don’t have a reason to learn any more. I met a guy in a store from Vancouver who came out here with the sole intention of learning French. I figure maybe that’s how to do it. I’m gonna need to be talked out of this plan when I get back to Vancouver so you might want to start thinking of all the reasons for me to stay.

This Afternoon we made it into the last bit of the second session of the pre-gathering. Big things are happening and I can’t even imagine what’s going to happen in the future. I have a sense of isolation that I can’t quite pin down.

God Bless you all.

From Quebec City #1

Welcome to Quebec folks. I love this city, but I’ll get to that more later. Today was one full of providential disappointment. Got to the airport on time and flew to Ottawa, unfortunately my connecting flight was delayed by 75 minutes and consequently I was late getting into Montreal. It turns out this was a good thing. Our plan had been originally to get on a 9:00 pm greyhound bus which would have gotten us into Quebec at some ridiculous hour like 2:00. Because of my delay, Henry had enough time to rent us a car for the night and he even got direction that were remarkably straight forward

We managed to get out of Montreal and on the highway by 8:00; with a pit stop for dinner, we arrived at our hotel at midnight. Unbeknownst to us, our hotel isn’t open after 11:00pm. The manager was kind enough to check us in after Henry got his attention with the help of the night buzzer. It’s a really good thing we didn’t try that stunt 2 hours later as he would have been well within his rights to tell us to go sleep somewhere else and come back in the morning. Now I’m not opposed to sleeping in the back of a rental car but tonight I’m certainly glad I don’t have to.

To tell you a little bit more about hotel (it is more of a bed and breakfast), it’s three story building run like a classic family inn. It’s smack dab in the middle of the historic quarter of the old city, two blocks from the National Assembly and about a fifteen minute walk from the Congress Centre where the Gathering is being held. I’ve got no comparison for the old city. It’s beautiful, all three and four story buildings that look like they’re right out of the 18th or 19^th Century. Quaint and Quality boutiques, shops and restaurants are jostling one another for space along narrow paved roads. All of the old fortifications are still in place and it is truly a place out of time (at least late at night while the streets are empty) I imagine it is much like an older European City than a North American one. What is remarkable to me is that from where we are there aren’t really any visible towers the whole of the visible city is low and medium rises.

To get out of the old city and into the new, one has to walk through the St. Louis gate in the old fortifications of the city. Turns out the city of Quebec was aiming for tourist a long time ago. In the early 19^th century the governor general ordered the gage widened “as part of his plans for the beautification and improvement of the City” (It’s remarkable the things you pick up from government issued plaques) Just the other side of the old fortifications is the National Assembly (Hotel du Parlement) I can not tell you how amazing this building is, we took some pictures and if I can get my hands on someone’s digital camera, I might get to post some. The whole of the frontice of the building is cluttered with statues of important figures in Canadian History, former governors of New France like Samuel do Champlain and Lord Elgin, former premiers of the colony like Robert Baldwin, explorers and important Quebeckers. The whole of the building tells the story of Canada in the language of Quebec. I cannot wait to get myself on a tour of that place. I’m hoping they’re willing to do it in English.

Just up from the national assembly is a younger more trendy entertainment district. Henry and I went out for a beer and I was surprised how many of the people we walked passed were speaking in flawless English, and didn't really respond to French. To be honest this is an amazing City and so far the only arguments I’ve come up with against moving here is they have Winter and smoking is permitted in bars. I make take some convincing later on.

I’ll post as often as I’m able what is going on at the gathering. I might spend most of tomorrow as a tourist though.