The clouds have parted here in Quebec City, at least for a while, so I may get a chance to actually SEE some of the town today.
Yesterday, after posting my last message, I walked over to the Basilique Notre Dame and, mostly to get a break from the rain, took a guided tour of the church. It ended up being one of the best cathedral tours Ive taken. Ive noticed that the Quebecois seem to favor drama and heroism over accuracy and fairness in their historical accounts, which is great if youre looking for entertainment more than education. After the basilique, I visited the Museum of French-America, which contains a number of exhibits chronicling the heroic journey of the French in North America, their trials and tribulations, their battles with the savage natives and the evil Brits. Not a bad way to spend a rainy afternoon.
After a quick nap back at the hostel, I went downstairs to the hostel bar and sipped a pint of Quebecois beer while chatting with the first sober Australian Ive met on my journey so far. After that, I went in search of dinner and ended up choosing a near-empty Moroccan place just down the street from the hostel (Steve, in response to your comment: in QC, Moroccan seems to be the new Vietnamese--cheap, friendly, reliable, and tourist-free). I chatted with my bored waitress while sipping my harira (perfect on a cold, wet night) and nibbling on lamb kebabs. At the end of the meal, she brought me Moroccan mint tea and perhaps the best baklava Ive ever tasted. After dinner, I returned to the hostel bar for another pint and had a lovely conversation with two young women from Japan (also my roommates) who had just finished an ESL program in Vancouver; this morning, while I was at breakfast (I went back to Le Petit Coin Latin for their giant bowl of cafe au lait and a fantastic ham and cheese bagel), they left a note on my pillow which read Nice to see you! Now we gonna go to Montreal. Thanks!
Now I'm off to make the most of my last day in town. If all goes well, I will be back in town tomorrow evening.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Is
"one of the best cathedral tours Ive taken"
akin to
"the finest sashimi restaurant in Grand Rapids, Iowa"?
Just asking. ;-,
All in all, sounds like you had a GRAND time. Hope I'm reading it right. Too bad you can't return by rail. < :-, again>
Post a Comment