⚜ ⚜ ⚜ Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day / La Fête nationale in Québec ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Photo courtesy of Kyle MacDonald - Quebec_flag: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kylemacdonald/66650789/in/photolist-6TAXx-6PByUt-o8KnGq-4qPhBC-5ayiie-dCfaHU-4YWgTR-6PBuWD-6PBv3k-8874k4-36C9nK-4Z1xFE-7VsSSh-5CVqmf-qnS9jk-3nYz4N-5uNoVP-8bGnfH-cqskgq-5pjedd-dfMmsL-4UK1Et-9t8Dvq-6ZxwKV-brZuEu-6zaCBc-5iPhim-9Qpwe1-4q3mX4-5Crg5U-3Da8ic-4sAr6C-8f6xSg-5hF28N-6BXydy-5huVVF-wwDQK-fwsa8H-5H9Tr5-5aCvVE-5ayg9T-5aCvBs-6Qskwq-cGmdvJ-4zYTWw-bDn7n-4qLneS-3bx179-ajGUD1-8acMDC
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Today, June 24th, is Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, which is celebrated in certain parts of French Canada, particularly in Québec. It is the feast day honoring St. John the Baptist. He was the Jewish preacher who baptized Jesus.

It is know as La fête nationale in Québec province, having been given a nationalistic flavor. For pro-independent nationalists, it is almost equivalent to Independence Day (the 4th of July) in the United States. It has become an expression of francophone pride, often taking the form of flag waving, much like in the United States. For many Québecois, it is essentially their answer to the Canada Day festivities a week later, on July 1st. For other French Canadians who want to remain part of greater Canada, it is still a holiday to be enjoyed. Businesses are closed and people are off from work, much like the rest of Canada on Canada Day, or like Americans on Independence Day. It is a day of barbecue and parades and public shows of patriotism, perhaps concerts or other festivities, all ending with a grand fireworks show at night.

I was blessed to be in Québec City once for this holiday, and it was very exciting! This was back in 2008, when that city was celebrating it's 400th anniversary. It was incredibly crowded, and we had our very young son with us. He was not yet three years old, and the crowds were a bit too much (which was the main reason that I would not fight hard to get a good spot at the Paul McCartney concert that he gave in Québec City to honor it's 400th anniversary a little less than a month later.

To any Québecois and other French Canadians out there who celebrate the holiday, enjoy this Saint-Jean Baptiste Day/ Fête de la St Jean-Baptiste/ bonne fête nationale!

Here is the de facto capital of French-speaking North America, and formerly the capital of an empire that stretched from the mouth of the Atlantic and the St. Lawrence waterway, west to the Great Lakes, and south down the Mississippi River, down to New Orleans. It is a city that compares with Europe in terms of both historical significance, as well as the aesthetics, given it's unique architecture legacy and heritage. As such, it is truly a gem. The city of Québec is probably the most unique city in North America as a result.  

Québec is a city with a strong appeal, attracting both nature lovers and those who seek architectural beauty, history, and romance in the Old World style. The name derives from the Algonquin word, meaning where the waters narrow. That is appropriate, too, since this is where the Gulf of the St. Lawrence does narrow into a river. The name is very North American, yet it blends in perfectly in the French language, which is fitting, because Québec itself is the perfect blend of North America and Europe. It has the beautiful natural surroundings and open spaces nearby, with the majestic St. Lawrence flowing past the lower city, while the upper city sits on a bluff overlooking it all. The Château Frontenac, the most famous landmark in the city, is particularly well positioned to overlook it all, perched stop the cliff overlooking he lower town and the St. Lawrence (Saint Laurent in French). There are rugged, wooded mountains and very high and powerful waterfalls surrounding the area. But there is also lush farmland nearby on the Île d'Orléans, with old farms dating back to French colonial times.  

The city of Québec is a modern, North American city, yet it also enjoys the privileged status of being the only walled city in North America (at least north of the Mexican border). Here, you will find sidewalk cafes, famous restaurants, and beautiful water fountains ranging in size throughout the Old Town (Vieux Québec). There are old churches and homes dating back four centuries, lining narrow, cobbled roads. And there are big landmarks, as well, such as the Château Frontenac, which I already mentioned, and L'Assemblée nationale du Québec and the spectacularly beautiful Fountain de Tourny (Tourny Fountain) that now resides in front of it, a fairly recent addition by Simons (a chain of stores that you find up in Canada) to mark the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the city of Québec back in 2008. The fountain always reminds me of the fountains of the Place de la Concorde, in Paris. It really is a beautiful addition to the city, and became an instant tourist destination as a result!  

Next to this, you have the famous Plains of Abraham (also known as the Battlefields Park), which is almost like Québec's version of Central Park. You will find plenty of lush lawns here, but you will also find beautiful floral arrangements, and views of the St Laurent, which you can see from up high stop the cliffs. During the summer, many concerts and other events happen here. This is one of the main places to visit for any trip to the city of Québec. Next to the Plains of Abraham, which are quite large, there is the Parc Jeanne d'Arc. a beautiful garden park with an equestrian statue of Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc) at the center. Not too far away from there, you can find the lovely gardens at the Bois-de-Coulonge.  

Between the architectural gems lining the streets within the walls of the city, and the quaint cafes and restaurants that offer some respite from visiting the man places of interest, from the narrow streets of the Vieux-Québec (the Old Town)  to the green, lush lawns of the Plains of Abraham, and the views of the wide open spaces of the nearby countryside, and from the majestic beauty of the Fountain de Tourny to the more rugged homes dating back centuries ago, the city of Québec has a lot to offer, and the city is one of the most unique tourist destination on the North American continent!  

Not far from the city, you will find some great hiking and other outdoor activities at the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier (Jacques-Cartier National Park in English). Or, you can take it a bit slower with a leisurely drive around the old, historic farms of Île d'Orléans (Orleans Island), which can also be done on bicycle, if you are feeling up to it. It offers great views of the Saint Laurent and the surrounding mountains. And, of course, there are some impressive waterfalls nearby, including at the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency, where the waterfalls there are even taller than those at Niagara! On the other side of the river, you can visit Les Chutes-de-la-Chaudière-Ouest, which are not as impressive, but which are beautiful nonetheless!  

And you may even find some things that are less well know pretty cool, too! My favorite restaurant in Québec is actually a Lebanese restaurant right by one of the gates of the walls. I have enjoyed not only getting delicious meals there, but then taking them up to the top of the walls, which offer great views of the city for free! I also always enjoyed the Casse Crêpe Breton on the rue St Jean. Nearby, there is an Irish Cross, a gift from Ireland to the people of Québec. It is done in traditional Celtic style, and it is just one of those cool things that the city has. The train station is not to be missed, either. And try and find the cannon ball lodged in the tree in the Upper Town (see pictures below). There are various stories as to how it got there, but it is definitely a unique and surprising thing to see! None of the things that I just mentioned in this paragraph are considered real tourist destinations, and yet, there are a lot of cool things like that which you run into quite a bit during a visit to Québec!  

Simply put, Québec has a touch of the best of what North America has to offer, but with a definite, distinctive European flair as well!

This is a famous painting by Benjamin West depicting the death of English General Wolfe during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Québec in 1759, which effectively marked the de facto end of the French colonial presence in North America. Montréal would fall the next year.


A similar, but much less famous painting, this one of French General Montcalm, who also was mortally injured during the battle.

The roof of the Château Frontenac peeks out over the Plains of Abraham. 

Yesterday, I published some pictures in Sepia of Quebec City during this recent trip (I was there on July 2nd, just three days ago as I write this).

I mentioned that having gone on plenty of previous trips and taken many more conventional pictures from angles that I wanted, it seemed more important this time to do something a little bit different. And so, instead of retaking the same pictures and posting them, I tried to take these ones in both Sepia and black and white.

Well, here are the black and white pictures, which also give these images a more antique kind of feel and quality. Many of them, if not most of them, are almost the same as the ones that were taken in Sepia. Still, they look and feel a little bit different, and so they it seemed logical that they were worth publishing.

Here are the pictures of Vieux Quebec in black and white:

Quebec City is unique in North America. It is rich in both beauty and history, as well as modern relevance, particularly political relevance as the provincial capital city of Quebec province.

That would make it important by itself, yet there is something else that makes this place stand apart. Perhaps it is that it blends the romance and political relevance like few cities can. Yes, there are handsome government buildings and spacious, sculpted lawns adorning these, but it is far more that makes this particular city stand out.

Walk these cobbled streets of the old downtown, and you see an open air museum that would not feel out of place in the Old World. There are stone homes dating back to the 1600's, which is positively ancient by New World, and especially North American, standards. There are old churches also dating back centuries, and all of this is tucked away inside of the walls. Indeed, this is the only walled city on the continent north of the Mexican border. The outdoor cafes confirm this Old World feel even more. 

Plus, there are dramatic views here. It is here where the wide St. Lawrence waterway narrows and becomes a river, and the view from where the city is perched on a bluff overlooking all of this reveals a wide open natural world that brings a definitive North American feel to this town that otherwise feels like it belongs in the Old World. 

The thing is, I have been here numerous times before, because I love coming here. During those years, there have been plenty of pictures snapped. So, I wanted to do something different, to take pictures that would be distinct from the previous pictures, that would stand out in some way. And so, I tried to take these pics in Sepia and black and white. 

Unfortunately, my phone was acting up, which delayed access to these photos, so more might be coming. But at least some of them came out here, and that is what I will share now.

Quebec City in Sepia:

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