French Canada
I walked the narrow cobblestone streets, looked at the signs in French, and smelled the aromas of delicious cooking. The sky above was pink from the setting sun. The temperature couldn’t have been more perfect: about 72 degrees, matched to my light t-shirt.
I sipped some coffee, not because I needed the warmth, but simply because it seemed the right thing to do. Drinking coffee is a time-honored tradition in Paris.
Except I wasn’t in Paris.
No, I was in Quebec, the city that is the capital of the province of the same name.
I strolled to the edge of the city wall and gazed out across the wide St. Lawrence River, 100 ft or so below. I watched the flocks of birds in the sky. I watched the ferries go back and forth and the freighters chug towards the Great Lakes. I relaxed as I saw many others relaxing on the benches, quietly taking in the spectacularly beautiful night.
A view from Quebec City at sunset
Not even the memory of the huge backlog of hockey-related writing I needed to do could spoil my content with the moment.
Something I heard about Quebec: Lots of good-looking girls going out with not-so-good-looking guys. I request your observational report.
@Matthew Kato
Sorry, let me clarify: Someone made that observation about Montreal in particular.
@Matthew Kato Haha 🙂 Well, I can say this: there was a smoking hot girl working the register at a gas station in Montreal, so at the very least it was a pleasant gas-purchasing experience. 🙂
I <3 Quebec City. And, yes, Matt…lots of redheads.
love Quebec City. Being from a small town in Minnesota (Two Harbors) our high school french trip (~1997) went to….Quebec, via a coach bus. The freedom of being able to drink legally (I was 18) hit me pretty hard. One of my favorite memories was skipping around a major street in Old Quebec City chanting “un deax trois, Quebecoise” repetez.. My saving grace when I, and my co-drunk, returned to our lodging (we were NOT supposed to be drinking, let alone a lot), as I met Monsieur Michel (our french teacher) was that our offense paled in comparison to one of the other students….who tried cocaine for the first time that evening. yay cocaine! There is a lesson here I suspect, something along the lines of: “If you are breaking the rules, be in the company of others who are breaking them harder”.
@jimbo Your high school classmate was caught doing coke in Quebec? Holy cow. That certainly trumps my story about being introduced to absinthe by a Mormon in Rome.
Hi Jeff! So that sounds like a good story I’d be interested in hearing…absinthe (a green,
bitter liquor with the flavor of wormwood and anise)…Morman…Rome??? A rather unusual
combination I’d say 🙂