When I first saw the Chateau Frontenac, a grand castle perched high above the narrow cobblestone streets of Quebec City, I got reminded of Kafka's impregnable castle. Once the site of Chateau Haldimand, the official residence of the British Governor, today the castle is not as impregnable as it may look. Visitors stroll in and out of the galleries and the Starbucks located in the ground floor, while the guests of the Fairmont hotels & resorts occupy the floors above. The Chateau Frontenac, which was used as the filming location
gg of Alfred Hitchcock's I Confess, has become an icon of the Quebec City. Visitors take a stroll on the Dufferin Terrace adjoining the hotel, taking in the beautiful view of the St. Lawrence river and the basse-ville (lower town) below.
gg of Alfred Hitchcock's I Confess, has become an icon of the Quebec City. Visitors take a stroll on the Dufferin Terrace adjoining the hotel, taking in the beautiful view of the St. Lawrence river and the basse-ville (lower town) below.
A funicular bring down visitors from the Dufferin Terrace to Rue du Petit Champlain in the basse-ville. This is a quaint little road full of high quality restaurants and boutique shops. I walked into a handicraft shop and bought myself a locally made wood carving of an native American chief.
Due to Quebec's strategic location, it comes as no surprise that this city has witnessed many wars, between the Native Americans, the French, and the British. And today, the remains of the fortifications that made Quebec a walled city or "the Gibraltar of North America" in Mark Twain's words can still be seen. La Citadelle, sitting on top of Cap Diamant, remains an active military base even today.
Founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, Quebec was the capital of New France. In the Old Town (Vieux-Quebec), the oldest stone church of North America, the Eglise Notre-Dame des-Victoires, stands on the very spot where de Champlain had set up his first post. Today this area, known as the Place Royale, is full of old buildings and museums.
The tension between the English and the French has persisted to some extent in these parts. The English population has moved westward and today Quebec has a French-speaking majority. Quebec's parliament, which is open to the public, is committed towards preserving the unique culture of the region and its place in the Canadian confederation.
