July 13: Parlez-Vous Francais?

Parlez-vous Francais? Today’s ride took me to Quebec City in the Canadian province of Quebec. This picturesque city on the Saint Lawrence River was first inhabited by settlers from France. The center of old town is designated for pedestrians and boasts lots of little shops, historical landmarks, and tons of charm.

As I sped down the expressway from Renfrew to Quebec today, I observed a marked difference in the signage. Over the last several days I have seen road signs in both French and English and have enjoyed using them to re-learn some of my high school language skills. However, as I got closer to Quebec today, I noticed that there were no longer any signs in English. French is the official language of Quebec and many residents do not speak English. Practice time was over!

Hearing so many people speaking French reminded me of the summers I used to spend with my grandmother in Switzerland and how very much I miss her. I have so many positive memories of time spent with her, the good food, and the beautiful scenery. For this reason, I felt very much at home in this city.

After a wonderful meal and great conversation with my host family, I took the bike to the center of old town to explore some of the landmarks recommended by my host. Parking was a little dicey as the area was swarming with tourists and my app kept telling me to turn the wrong way. However, I was able to find a little spot for my bike and the person charging vehicles $30 to park told me I didn’t need to pay him.

With music playing in the air, restaurants open late, performers in the street, and colorful flags and lights everywhere the city seemed alive at night.

I was able to visit the Chateau Frontenac, reported to be the most photographed hotel in the world and designated as a historical landmark in 1981. It really did present a stunning picture with its central fortress-like tower design, twinkling lights, and the horse drawn carriage out front. I also walked to the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Quebec, the oldest church in Canada. A tour guide was explaining in French the history of the building to a rapt group of visitors.

If I were to visit this charming city again, I would most likely take an Uber as I would feel safer doing so. The number of pedestrians, tour buses, constructions signs, one-way streets, and barricades made it challenging to drive safely in the streets on a bike, especially at night.