⚜ ⚜ ⚜ Today Marks the 417th Anniversary of Québec City ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

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I found this old picture of my son standing just inside of the Saint Louis Gate (Porte St. Louis) in Québec City, Québec, Canada. Probably circa 2008.

Québec City is one of the most beautiful cities in North America. This is the hub of Francophone culture in North America, and it is also probably the most distinctive city in terms of architecture on the entire continent. Traditional French architecture blends with English architecture, yet the city is surrounded by the open space and wilderness of North America all around it, with mountains and waterfalls and bodies of water surrounding the city. 

The city of Québec has a distinctive Old World charm to it. This is a city of old stone homes (many of them are 300 years or older, which makes them positively ancient by North American standards) and cobblestone streets. You will find tons of European-style outdoor cafes, and many street performers, all of which is very reminiscent of Europe. Plus, of course, the dominant language here is not English, which makes it feel still more distinctive and unique, since it is the only city in North America that looks and sounds so radically different than all others. 

It is no wonder, then, that this city becomes a hotbed of tourism during the peak summer months. The weather is very pleasant, and more often than not, it tends to be a lot cooler here than in other parts of the continent, where sweltering summers are more common. And Québec City, and Québec province more generally, can feel like a cheap and more easily accessible alternative to Europe, for those fortunate enough to live in relatively close proximity to it. 

My first visit to Québec City came in 1989, and I was already familiar with much of what the historical city had to offer, because I had been reading so much about it. 

Being a Franco-American family, it seems strange that we really only truly began to explore Canada - and Québec province in particular - so late. But it also came at an age for me when I was old enough, and mature enough, to appreciate it. Over the years, we have all gone back numerous times. 

Since today marks the anniversary of when Samuel de Champlain specifically founded the city of Québec, it seemed like a good opportunity to share some pictures that I have taken of it over the years. Some of these pictures are relatively new to me. Pictures which I had forgotten about, and which have not been published here on this blog before (at least not to my knowledge). So it seemed worth publishing them here and now, on this day specifically.

Enjoy.