A quick whip around Quebec Maritime

Old Spaghetti house in Rimouski

After breaking my ankle, my anticipated trip of spending 4 nights in the back country of Jacques Cartier National Park just north of Quebec city fell through. Instead, I chose to hobble around the Gaspesie cap of Maritime Quebec, an area I haven't visited since I was in my single digit years. However, a lifetime ago, I was also a tour guide to Quebec City for middle school students, before I moved to Korea. The city and I have history together. This could be a suggested itinerary for those looking for a short trip to Quebec. Using my aeroplan miles, I was able to score a 2 for 1 flight out to Quebec city and back. 

Light house with flying butress

The morning we landed, we picked up the rental car and charged our way out to Rimouski with previous plans of camping also at Parc National du Bic. However, we ended up staying at Motel au Soleil Couchant. In the morning, we went to do a quick peek at the historical site of Pointe au Pere, where one of six light house with flying buttresses still stand today. The St. Lawrence River defined what Canada become through out history as it is the gateway into as far as the prairies. Control over this waterway during the colonial years meant the control over the rest of the continent. It allowed large amounts of support, troops, settlers and otherwise to enter into the interior of North America. These light houses light the way through the treacherous shallows of the river. 

Traditional houses in Maritime Quebec

Our next night landed us right into Gaspe, just outside of Forillon National Park. We stayed at Auberge La Petite Ecole de Forillon. Given my ankle, not much hiking could be done through the snow that sat on the ground through the early spring. It was a great change of pace and view than the normal grind of the city life. The Maritimes of Quebec provided a quick little vacation with seafood and Appalachian mountain views. Even in the midst of the rain, the cloud covered mountains exuded their presence as we drove through their valleys. Out into Gaspe, the sleepy little town, the gulf of the St. Lawrence the cold ocean air served to remind me of how I miss my travels. The poisonneries, or fish markets, carried a large variety of sea food, fresh right from the ocean that is indicative of maritime towns.

Coastal towns of Maritime Quebec on the St. Lawrence

The next driving day took us through the interior of the Appalachian mountain range through the middle of Gaspe. We took a day at St. Anne des Monts and stayed at Auberge International La Vielle Ecole. The drive took us up to 600m Above Sea Level (ASL). The day after we followed the road back into Quebec City. We stayed at Maison du Roy

Quebec city itself, being one of the first cities in North America, over 400 years old, carries a rich distinct European flavour in her architectural layout. Especially in Le Vieux, the city's cobble stone originate from France herself. They were shipped across on the voyages through the Atlantic as ballast and unloaded the stones into the city, while carrying the riches of the New World back to France. With these bricks, Quebec City was laid down brick by brick. 

Chez Marie where you can buy fresh oven baked bread

We visited Beaupre, or beautiful meadows, as declared by Samuel de Champlain and visited the Bascilica of St. Anne (Jesus's grandmother). With Neo-Gothic and Romanesque styles of architecture, this church was rebuilt three times due to fire and other catastrophes. The church is located on Avenue Royale, one of the first roads in North America. On this road lays Chez Marie, where you can purchase fresh baked bread that are cooked in her wood oven as traditional as can be, in their red roofed traditional Quebec houses. Red depicted their influence and power as in the 1600's, building roofs with blood from cattle implied you were rich to own so many cows you can use their blood to paint the roof red. Green roofs meant wealth as the roofs were built with copper (same as the Parliament buildings in Ottawa) but would oxidize and become green, which would increase the strength of the roof. Stairs would be built on the outside of the house as winter time would bury entirely, the first story door and so they can still enter and exit through the second story. 

Montmorency Falls

Quebec means the narrowing of the river in a Native language and the source of it's name. The Citadel located right at the Cap Diamat, provided protection to those entering the river and into the lakes. As mentioned before, those who control the river, control the flow of supplies into the new lands. Placing a fort right at the bottle neck of this river is a smart militarily strategic placement. In 1759, however, the British camped across the river in Levis and spent the summer months bombarding Quebec city, sieging it. The battle of the Plains of Abraham occurred after the siege between General Montcalme and General Wolf. The British won and General Wolf declared victory. In the winter, there was resistance in St. Foy, now suburb of Quebec City, to try and defeat the British, but ultimately, the clearing of the ice in the St. Lawrence river in spring would seal the victors of the battle. As the ice cleared up, the first ship down the St. Lawrence were the British ships, sealing the transition of power from the French to the British in the New World in 1760. 

As the history lesson ends in Quebec, we return the car to Jean Lesage airport and boarded the short flight back to Toronto to wrap up a little historical vacation.