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megram - 55JulGTA - Index

Travel
Story and photos by Yvonne Jeffery
Fête Superbe
Quebec City hosts the party of the
century to celebrate its 400th anniversary
July/August 2008 • 51 • Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
PHOTO: LINDA TURGEON
Some three miles of stone walls
surround the old city of Quebec.
It’s North America’s only fortified
city north of Mexico, a place where
the atmosphere is unmistakably
French and old-world, in cuisine,
architecture and good cheer. Bistros
and boutiques line cobbled streets,
leading to Place d’Armes, where
artists paint on the Rue du Trésor and
cathedral spires soar as if competing
with the castle-like Château
Frontenac.
It all sounds impossibly perfect,
and yet there it is — reality. I discovered
the city on my first visit two
decades ago and it still entrances me,
this taste of European sense and sensibility
on the shores of the St.
Lawrence. Samuel de Champlain
picked an ideal place for a settlement
here when he arrived in 1608.
Although I’ve always thought of
the city as a place where time seems
to slow — providing ample opportunities
for relaxed morning coffees,
unhurried lunches and afternoon
strolls — this summer, there’s one
huge celebration happening, as the
city marks the four centuries between
(left) Narrow streets and stone buildings
set a historic tone — bring your
walking shoes!
(below) Taking a horse-drawn carriage,
or calèche, is a romantic way to
see Old Quebec City.
PHOTO: MTOQ/JACQUES BOURDEAU