⚜ Québec City is a Great & Inspirational Place for Bibliophiles ⚜

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"Québec City was more than an attractive anachronism, a pretty theme park. It was a living, vibrant haven, a gracious city that had changed hands many times, but kept its heart.” 

—from Bury Your Dead, by Louise Penny

Québec City is truly unique. It stands as the Francophone capital of North America, politically and culturally, as well as historically. This was the capital of what once was an enormous empire that stretched from the mouth of the St. Lawrence in eastern Canada, through the woods of the Midwest, and down to the mouth of the Mississippi River, by New Orleans. 

Québec City also looks and feels like a very different city than most other North American cities, as well. There are significantly fewer skyscrapers here, and far more prominent than most other cities on the continent is the presence of what are considered more charming relics of the Old World. This is a city of narrow, cobbled streets and sidewalk cafes, of old stone homes and churches dating back centuries, and a castle hotel perched atop a bluff, overlooking the majestic St. Lawrence River. This also is the only remaining walled city in North America, at least north of Mexico.

This small city has also been at the crossroads of history. This was the focal point of power struggles, as it changed hands between the two dominant empires throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, before the British defeated the French and took over for good in 1760. The city was bombarded by the British then, and some of the paintings of the aftermath of that bombardment look reminiscent of the bombed out buildings of post-World War II Germany, shortly after it was defeated. The Americans attempted to invade here, as well, albeit unsuccessfully. And some major world leaders met here for the Quebec Conference during the height of World War II.

Indeed, one can see the history almost everywhere in this city, and it has impressed many famous visitors throughout the centuries. It even seems like Québec has made a name for itself as a city for book lovers. Not surprisingly, it has drawn praise from some noted literary figures. This is what Charles Dickens had to say about his visit to Québec City:

"We made this excursion during our stay in Montreal (which exceeded a fortnight) and were charmed by its interest and beauty. The impression made upon the visitor by this Gibraltar of America: its giddy heights; its citadel suspended as it were in the air; its picturesque steep streets and frowning gateways; and the splendid views which burst upon the eye at every turn: is at once unique and lasting.  

"It is a place not to be forgotten or mixed up in the mind with other places or altered for a moment in the crowd of scenes a traveller can recall. Apart from the realities of this most picturesque city, there are associations clustering about it which would make a desert rich in interest. The dangerous precipice along whose rocky front Wolfe and his brave companions climbed to glory; the Plains of Abraham where he received his mortal wound; the fortress so chivalrously defended by Montcalm; and his soldier's grave, dug for him while yet alive by the bursting of a shell; are not the least among them among the gallant incidents of history. That is a noble Monument too and worthy of two great nations which perpetuates the memory of both brave generals and on which their names are jointly written."  

"The city is rich in public institutions and in Catholic churches and charities, but it is mainly in the prospect from the site of the Old Government House and from the Citadel that its surpassing beauty lies. The exquisite expanse of country, rich in field and forest, mountain-height and water, which lies stretched out before the view, with miles of Canadian villages glancing in long white streaks, like veins along the landscape; the motley crowd of gables, roofs, and chimney tops in the old hilly town immediately at hand; the beautiful St. Lawrence sparkling and flashing in the sunlight; and the tiny ships below the rock from which you gaze, whose distant rigging looks like spiders' webs against the light, while casks and barrels on their decks dwindle into toys, and busy mariners become so many puppets; all this framed by a sunken window in the fortress and looked at from the shadowed room within, forms one of the brightest and most enchanting pictures that the eye can rest upon."

It's a beautiful city, and one of the most charming and unique cities in all of North America. And indeed, it apparently now has the distinction of being the first Francophone "UNESCO City of Literature.“

Now, that's saying something. And it seemed fitting to end this particular blog entry with words from an official of the city of Québec:

“There’s a lyricism to the city that inspires writers, and a quietness that allows them to write.” Christiane Vadnais, communication advisor at Ville de Québec, says that Québec City has inspired a diverse group of authors, adding: “It’s also a great place to begin your career, with institutions and funding dedicated to supporting local writers.”

The quotes used in the blog entry above were taken from the following two sources (links and information provided) below:

Charles Dickens visit to Quebec BY CATHERINE MILLS ROULEAU PUBLISHED ON: JULY 18, 2012 - 07:04 TAGS: COMMUNITY JULY 18 2012:

http://www.qctonline.com/charles-dickens-visit-quebec






Is Charismatic Québec City the Ultimate Utopia for Bibliophiles? Take a stroll through UNESCO’s newly named City of Literature By Jeff Frenette/Québec City Tourism AUGUST 20, 2018:

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2018/08/is-charismatic-quebec-city-the-ultimate-utopia-for-bibliophiles?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&sr_campaign=vanityfair&sr_source=facebook&sr_lift=true