Quebec City, the End of a Journey?
The transition from Montreal to Quebec City was a complete nightmare. The moment I set foot in Quebec City, I was faced with a steep slope to climb, lugging my 20-kilogram luggage and a hiking bag filled to the brim. Then another one. And one more. It turns out Quebec City is built entirely on a hill! Montreal was pretty much flat, except for Mont Royal, and the grid roads there are straight. You open Google Maps, start walking toward a point, and you can practically forget about your phone. In Quebec City, Upper Town sits atop the Cap Diamant promontory while Lower Town rests along the St. Lawrence River, creating a height difference of about 60 meters. It’s not rare that you take a wrong turn in the labyrinth-like road network, encounter a cliff that forces a massive detour, and spend the whole day fighting stairs or steep inclines. I found myself lost time and time again between every twist and turn.
My hostel didn't help either. Switching back to a dorm from a pod meant simpler bed furnishing with nearly no space to organize my belongings. The shower room had far more limited space than what I had in Montreal. Every small movement in the room hit the wall. My primary mode of transport quickly switched from the metro and bus to purely on foot. Montreal also has a much larger English-speaking and bilingual population, whereas in a Quebec City café I bumped into, the person at the counter could barely understand and speak English.
Yet, Quebec is wonderfully French in its food scene. It was so easy to find French bakeries, where I had the very first chouquette of my life. I also tracked down a top-rated crêperie and had the best savory and sweet crêpes. I finally found pâté chinois in a local comfort food spot—something I couldn't find in Montreal—along with tourtière, pouding chômeur, cretons, soupe aux pois, and baked beans.
Beyond the food, history dominates the city. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico. At the Plains of Abraham, I traced an interesting trail following the historic battle from start to finish. Athletic locals use the steep path for running and cycling practice, but climbing the long, continuous staircase connecting the St. Lawrence River to the plains was excruciating. I completely understand why the French were caught off guard by the British scaling those cliffs.
Outside Old Quebec, I explored Promenade Samuel-De Champlain, Montmorency Falls and Île d'Orléans. Promenade Samuel-De Champlain is a beautiful walking trail near Sillery. I was walking along the promenade at the sunset, after another guilty indulgence of poutine. At Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, I did a hike the first time since visiting Canadian Rocky Mountains back in the west. In the hike, I scaled a stiff cliff, just like the British, but much shorter. I also waded through a stream to capture pictures of an artificial waterfall formed by a dam. Île d'Orléans, a hilly island covered in large plots of farmland, is how New Zealand is in my imagination.
Let’s call it petit New Zealand.
I rented an e-bike and completed the 67-kilometer Chemin Royal circuit. It loops past six historic villages, local farms, vineyards, and artisan shops with sweeping views of the river. I stopped by several stores along the route and devoured three incredible ice creams: goat cheese, blackcurrant, and chocolate-dip.
Right now, I am sitting on my second commute train from Ottawa to Toronto. I am staying at a middle school friend's home tonight because I couldn't book a single hostel or hotel in downtown Toronto for under $700. The reason? Ed Sheeran is performing a massive three-night run of his Loop Tour at the Rogers Centre on August 20, 21, and 22! So this marks the end of this epic journey, my longest trip so far, running from July 8 to August 22. What will happen in Toronto? We will see.
I already miss St. Lawrence River.
