“Je me souviens” 🍁 Unforgettable Québec
by Marla Norman & Michel Thibault
Photos by Marla Norman unless otherwise noted
Autumn is making its appearance as Michel and I drive the winding roads from Montréal to Québec. Brilliant flashes of gold, piney aromas and sapphire-blue lakes — it all seems like a dream. Eventually, we reach the St. Lawrence and follow the river all the way to the capital city.
Interestingly, the name “Québec” comes from the Algonquin word for “narrow passage” or “strait” describing this point where the St. Lawrence River tightens up. Way back in 1608, when French explorer Samuel de Champlain strategically founded Québec — making it one of the oldest settlements in North America — he assumed that whoever controlled the St. Lawrence would control the primary route into Canada itself. And his premise worked for a number of decades.
We take a quick walk through the city, along cobblestone streets wrapping around 400-year old buildings. The weather is chilly, but flowers are still in bloom, bursting from planters and window boxes. French is spoken everywhere and we feel as if we’ve been transported to a village in Bourgogne.
At Place Royale, we stop by the tiny, but quite ornate Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. Completed in 1723, it’s one of the oldest churches in North America. Exiting Notre-Dame and crossing the busy plaza, we come face to face with Louis XIV! That this bust of the Sun King survived the British conquest is something remarkable — more on that later…
Québec is filled with colorful flower arrangements. Click here to see a slideshow featuring the city’s many beautiful displays.
In Place Royale — a replica of the Bernini sculpture of French King Louis XIV.
Main altar of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, completed in 1723, making it one of the oldest churches in North America.
Our hotel is the Auberge Saint Antoine. Recently remodeled, the property is a member of Relais & Châteaux with two highly-rated restaurants and a spa. Particularly impressive is that Auberge Saint Antoine is also classified as a museum. A recent archaeological dig on site produced artifacts dating back to the 1600s. These rare historical items are now on display throughout the hotel.
Many of the rooms have fireplaces and heated floors — useful during Québec winters. Our room has a private terrace facing the St. Lawrence. After getting settled in, we break out cheeses, charcuterie and fruit we picked up earlier in the day. A bottle of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs is a perfect accompaniment to watch the sun set over the old port.
Sunset views at Auberge Saint Antoine with Château Frontenac towering overhead. Photo courtesy of Auberge Saint Antoine.
THE BRITISH ARRIVE…SORT OF
The following morning we tour La Citadelle, the largest fortified base in North America still housing troops. The fort sits at the city’s highest point, Cap Diamant, and the surrounding views are spectacular.
Québec’s early French settlers recognized that Cap Diamant was vital to protect the city and port. Consequently, initial construction began immediately upon Champlain’s arrival, then expanded in 1701 and again in 1745.
But, in 1759, in spite of strategic positioning and all the improvements, British General James Wolfe was able to land troops and scale the cliffs of Cap Diamant. After an intense battle against the French forces led by Marquis de Montcalm, both commanders were mortally wounded. (A monument to the two generals can be seen at Jardin des Gouverneurs — a 5 minute walk from La Citadelle.) In the end, the battle was a pivotal moment for the British conquest of New France.
And yet, here we are some four centuries later, and descendants of those same early settlers continue to speak French and maintain their customs — that’s in spite of past national laws restricting the use of French and local traditions. “Je me souviens” (I remember) is the motto of Québec Province. You see it everywhere, on buildings, license plates, etc. Clearly, the phrase is more than just a slogan to the Québécois.
So far as the La Citadelle military base is concerned, Québec’s French-speaking population has proved invaluable. Since 1920, the legendary Royal 22e Régiment has made its home at the Québec fort. Known as the Van Doos, from the French “vingt-deux” or 22 this French-speaking regiment is the largest in the Canadian Army. The Van Doos were particularly valuable in France during World War I and again in World War II. The units continue to serve around the world, most recently in Afghanistan.
Visitors to La Citadelle can watch the Royal 22e in a ceremonial changing of the guard. (Be sure to check schedules for times.) The troops parade in bright red coats and fur hats, accompanied by “Batisse” — a goat who serves as the regimental mascot. The original Batisse was a gift from Queen Elizabeth II — there have been over a dozen at this point.
A member of the Royal 22e Régiment on guard at the entrance of La Citadelle.
Changing of the guard at La Citadelle with Batisse, the regiment’s mascot.
The massive Château Frontenac dominates views of Québec. Photo courtesy of Château Frontenac.
ALL EYES ON THE FRONTENAC
Easily the most visible and most impressive building in Québec, Château Frontenac dwarfs everything around it. It’s said (at least by the property managers) to be one of the most photographed hotels in the world.
Aside from its imposing size, Frontenac is a significant part of the local history. Champlain himself was the first to build on the site. Later Comte de Frontenac, an early colonial governor, established his residence there. The hotel, with 610 rooms, opened in 1893 to attract wealthy railroad travelers and was considered remarkably luxurious at the time, particularly since each room offered a fireplace and bathroom.
Michel and I find a cozy spot on a lounge and discuss our trip thus far.
And here he is to share his reactions…
PARLEZ-VOUS QUÉBÉCOIS
There were two questions on my mind as we planned our trip to Québec:
1) How would Canadians react to American tourists, given the new political landscape?
2) How easily would I, as a born Frenchman, be able to communicate with people using the French Canadian language?
The first answer was delightful. Not only were people kind and friendly, never making any statement regarding their new relationship with the US, but there was a genuine good nature and sweetness exhibited by the folks we encountered. At the border, a couple questions of course, but nothing disrespectful.
In the city itself, locals seemed proud of their province and country and well they should be. The region has one of the richest histories in the Americas and clean, welcoming cities with busy streets and restaurants of all sorts. A real pleasure!
The language aspect was more surprising. Years ago, I traveled to Montréal on a number of instances to see the Formula One race that usually runs in June. The circuit is impeccable, set near the facilities that hosted the 1976 Olympics. Back in those days, I felt that it was often difficult for me to understand what people were saying, as their version of French evolved in a different fashion from the Mother Country. But, this time, I was seldom taken aback by a different accent or pronunciation. Perhaps because the world is getting smaller and people travel more? Maybe, but I sure found myself at home there.
Only when we visited Île d’Orléans, a beautiful island near Québec City, did I notice that the language changed somewhat. But then, it was truly a great experience as I found myself traveling through a landscape strewn with farms, views of the Montmorency Falls and very good wines at Saint-Pierre Le Vignoble and incredibly interesting artisans of all sorts: farmers making their own ciders, their own Cassis Liqueur at Cassis Monna et Filles (blackcurrants…you have to try it; you will never forget it). Fruit stands with fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries that taste infinitely better than the ones from my grocery store and their wineries featuring such varietals as Acadie Blanc, Frontenac Blanc, Radisson and Marquette. History in each name!
Michel sampling the Vin de Cassis at Cassis Monna et Filles.
At Saint-Pierre Le Vignoble – Delicious wines accompanied by spectacular views of Montmorency Falls.
These adorable goats (two of 160 more) also produce delicious cheeses at Ferme Audet.
Best though was Ferme Audet where one can taste the goat cheeses the farm produces, whether in a soft, young variety (week old) which is perfect when topping the Audet pizza, or in an aged style (3-4 weeks old) where just like with wine, a number of subtle flavor profiles show up such as mushrooms and hazelnuts. What a treat to sample these cheeses while watching children petting the goats in the backyard. Speaking of goats, the farm currently raises over 160 of them. Busy people!
Back to the language: Yes there was more of a country intonation in Île d’Orléans, but it certainly sounded great to me.
QUÉBÉCOIS CUISINE
Now, on to the food scene!
Dinner at Château Frontenac’ s Le Champlain was disappointing. Yes, the property is amazing, has history written all over it. However, first the bar was somewhat unpleasant with overpriced drinks and loud clients dressed in tee-shirts. Dinner was pretty standard, starting with a piece of lobster that was chewy and stringy.
This was followed by Artic Char which was good but swimming in a green zucchini sauce that did not marry well. The beef entrée was quite tasty but small with chanterelles that were so tiny it was hard to find them. The strawberry dessert was the highlight of the meal with an emulsion and a delectable buttermilk ice cream. Overall, not bad, but not what we expected out of such a storied establishment.
Elegant entrance to Château Frontenac.
Another meal was at Légende, a hip restaurant with a Michelin star. Near the harbor, the restaurant is small, but staff was kind enough to seat us at the bar — our favorite seats anyhow. Here we watched the cocktail staff preparing a whiskey and rose fusion, quite inventive, although we opted for a bottle of 2020 Jamet Condrieu — smart choice.
For the meal I chose halibut ceviche in buttermilk and dill vinaigrette – Bravo! A charcoal grilled tomato followed — Nice. Marla’s pasta dish with a morel-vermouth sauce was the big time winner!
Our waiter warned against my dessert choice, a sort of fruit mix, and I should have listened to him because it was mediocre. Anyhow, a very nice meal although once again I felt as if the chef was trying too hard.
Sooooo fresh and tasty – oysters at Légende.
At Légende – Pappardelle with morels in a vermouth sauce. Worth the Michelin star!
Conti Caffe – our favorite restaurant in Québec also had a very classy bar.
Our favorite experience was a lunch at Conti Caffe, next door to the Continental restaurant (same owners) and across the street from Château Frontenac. As it was coolish and rainy, we both opted for a soup. The Minestrone was to die for, with all the natural veggie flavors blending super well, while the cream of asparagus was a tad acidic but still good.
I had lamb as an entrée, served with a side of carrot purée, all of that on a confit garlic sauce. Marla chose a creamy veal scallop with basil and sundried tomatoes over buttered fettucine. All very good and a nice surprise while we just walked in and did not expect such a meal in a tourist area. Our wine was a Fèvre Chablis Champs-Royaux, delicious with a very affordable price. What I call a nice meal!
And a final thought: For us the Québec motto “Je me souviens” seemed especially apropos to the capital city — elegant, beautifully preserved with gracious, welcoming people. A good place to make memories. 🍁
