March Break

Last week was March Break where both teachers and students take a midwinter break from the homework, testing and corrections that go with them. So last week Mrs BB and I decided to go visit my family Québec. As you know from my previous blog my ancestors come from there, the cradle of New France. The weather was not at its best, since it rained on Thursday and Friday but by Saturday it was starting to clear up. It was cloudy but at least it wasn't raining and the temperature was a balmy 7 degrees Celsius.

As we wandered around "la Basse-Ville" with its 18th century European flavour, I took a pictures with my trusty camera to give you an idea of what this part of the city looks like.
Let me explain the topography of the city of Québec. The city of Québec was originally built on a plateau bordered by the St-Lawrence on one side and the St-Charles River on the other. To give you an idea, it kind of looks like the bow of a ship. The fortifications follow the line of the cliffs and then cross to the other side, inclosing "La Vielle Ville". "La Citadelle" a fortress built by British after the conquest towers over the city from the highest point, "Le Cap Diamand" (The Cap got its name because supposedly Jacques Cartier found gold and diamonds there. They turned to be quartz and iron pyrites... ) Now the old city is divided into two parts, "La Haute Ville" or Upper town and "La Basse Ville" or Lower Town. On the map the "La Haute-Ville is in blue and "La Basse-Ville" is in red.

The "Haute-Ville was the richer of the two parts, but "La Basse-Ville" is the oldest part and dates back to the foundation of Québec in 1608. For the longest time after the conquest, the Basse-Ville became the poor part of the city and that is probably what saved it. The docks were close by and when the emphasis of trade moved more to Montréal that part was left to itself. In the 1960's archaeologists started digging around and discovered that most of the old houses dating back to the 17th and 18th century were still intact for the most part. The government of the day then decided that instead of tearing everything down they would renovate the buildings to bring them back to what they looked like just before the British captured the city in 1759. So here are the pictures.This is the Chateau Frontenac sitting atop the cliffs above the Basse-Ville.

This is the Petit Séminaire. It is here that l'Université Laval was founded as a seminary. You'll notice the cliffs dividing the Haute and Basse-Ville.
This is the original church that dates back to the beginning of the colony. (In fact it sits atop Champlains original "Abitation") It started life as l'Église Notre Dame and when Phipps fleet was sunk in 1690 it became Notre Dame de la Victoire then in 1711 when Walker's fleet suffered the same fate it finally became Notre Dame des Victoires. Unfortunately in the final battles of 1759 the chuch was heavily damaged as were many of the houses around it by the canonballs of the British fleet. When they were renovating the houses and church many of the canonballs were found embedded in the walls.

La Place Royale

The gate leading to the Bastion du Roy an artillery emplacement. Notice the Royal Crest above the gate.

This street is called Rue Sous le Fort and it is squashed between the building and the cliff face behind.


This is the Rue du Petit Champlain and it is the oldest street in North America. There are many fun boutiques and restaurants there.


This ia a "trompe oeuil" depicting the uses that the building had in the past. There is no longer any house beside it because in the early 19th century the cliff face collapsed and buried the other house under tons of rubble. Many people were killed and the end of the house that is painted was destroyed.
A shop sign in the Petit Champlain. The shop sells bird sculptures.

Since I know that quite a few of you have bird feeders, yes you, citizen and my lil sister Jazz, I thought to include this one. I found it quite humerous. ;o)