Tuesday.  Quebec City.  I knew that I wanted to visit Quebec City on this trip, and at first I thought I might rent a car and make a day trip or overnighter out of it.  But I found a bus tour that included a few hours of personal time, so I figured I'd leave the driving to someone else.

We left early, but on both the drive up and back - it's only a couple hours - we stopped at a combination tourist trap/restaurant for at least a half hour each way for a "break".  I think the bus driver got a free meal.  Me?  I'd rather have had the extra hour in Quebec City.

Quebec City has the Lower City, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River and place where the city was founded.  Overlooking this on a bluff was the fortified Upper City.  Modern day Quebec City sprawls out from the Lower and Upper Cities, its historical heart.  Just past the city is Montmorency Falls, which we also visited.  We stopped first in the Lower City and went on a guided walking tour.  Then the falls, and then the Upper City, where the bus drove around to various sites before dropping us off at Chateau Frontenac for a few hours on our own.  I found the city to be historically and architecturally interesting, which guided my selection of sites.  Most others on the tour apparently went dining and shopping.

Among the sites in the Lower City, we saw Place Royale, the central plaza, the Eglise Notre Dame des Victoires, the oldest church in Quebec, Rue du Petit Champlain, the city's oldest street, and Maison Louis-Jolliet, built in 1683 and home of the famous explorer who was the first European to see the Mississippi River (in 1672).  Also in the Lower City was a large mural featuring several events in Quebec City life.  A hillside tram and the steep Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Steps) lead to the Upper City.

The Upper City is the only remaining walled city in North America.  French settlers eventually built the walls to help protect them from from British attacks.  However, they weren't all that effective on September 13, 1759.  A surprise British attack resulted in the defeat of the French 20 minutes later at the Plains of Abraham, just outside the wall, putting all of New France (Canada) under British rule.

I checked out the city wall, the Citadelle fort at its edge, and the Plains of Abraham on my quest to learn more about local history.  The Citadelle is largest fortified base in North America still occupied by troops, located at the highest point in the city.  Intended to protect the city from British attack, it was incomplete in 1759.  The British would eventually complete it to protect the city from possible French retaliation.  Parc des Champs-de-Bataille (Battlefields Park) is home to the Plains of Abraham, site of the British victory.  Among its features (besides a great view of the St. Lawrence River) is Wolfe Monument, dedicated to British General James Wolfe, who died during the attack.  Quebec's parliament building is nearby.

Within the walled city, I walked a few streets just to observe the architecture.  I also visited the Jardin des Gouverneurs which features a monument dedicated to both the winning and losing generals in the 1759 battle.  Edifice Price is the city's first sky scraper, 15 stories tall.  And the Basilique Notre Dame de Quebec has the oldest parish in North America, even though the building dates only to 1922.

Dominating both the Upper and Lower Cities, of course, is Chateau Frontenac, a towering castle that serves as a hotel.  Among its claims to fame, it was the site of two meetings between FDR and Winston Churchill during WWII.  In front of the Frontenac is the Terrasse Dufferin, a boardwalk featuring more great views of the St. Lawrence River.  Place d'Armes is a nice park, and historically the site of military parades.

After grabbing a quick sandwich at the Frontenac, I headed back down to the Lower City to explore a bit of that on my own.  Finally, around 5 we boarded the bus and headed back to Montreal.  It was an interesting day, and not nearly enough time, but at least I got that initial taste of a place, enough for me to know I want to go back sometime.  Especially if I could get a bit more sunlight for pictures.