The drive up from Edmunston to Quebec took us through more beautiful country, even though the first half of the day was wet again. Since we have been here the deciduous trees has really come into leaf, it was noticeable in Halifax that the trees were quite bare, but now everywhere spring colours abound.
After a couple of hours we turned west along the St Lawrence Seaway, (or river, depending who you talk to), At Riviere de Loup ( Wolf River) the river is some 23 kms wide (15 miles) and the ferry takes more than an hour to cross. We however, chose to stick to the south side, following the Route Des Navigateurs some 150 miles along to Quebec.
There are some interesting buildings along the route, this one at Kamouraska used to be a boarding school but is now a museum, housing an exhibition on the notables of the area and the traditional way of life here.
We took lunch at a tiny 50's diner in a small village along the way. I was served by Marilyn Monroe, while Elvis wandered around picking up the dirties. A Wurlitzer juke box, which really worked, played music to order in the background, and the food was 50's too!
Quebec sits on the north side of the river, so we had to cross. There are two bridges side by side, the new one was built in 1970. The old one however was opened as a railway bridge in 1917, ten years after starting construction, and two collapses of the 549 metre central span.It wasn't until 1929 that motor traffic was allowed to use it.
We are fortunate that we have found lodgings close to the old city, just 5 minutes walk away. It is the only surviving walled city in North America,
Quebec Province has kept it's French roots, the principal language here is French, although almost everyone speaks English as a second language. There is a small movement here towards secession, but it seems unlikely.
Tomorrow we will investigate this city properly, starting with a walking tour.
The Wurlitzer.
An 1845 Village Church.
Scene across the St Lawrence. It is navigable for its 1000 miles length and tidal for 400 miles
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