Je me souviens...

First on the agenda this morning was a visit to the Collège de Mérici which is a private college that houses a summer program for language immersion. I met with the director and had a tour of the college. This program sounds excellent in many ways, and it includes a very interesting package of excursions which you can choose wholly or in part. After 2 hours of discussion and information sharing, I grabbed some documentation and felt good about the possibilities when I left. After lunch it was time to explore more of what the city has to offer. Walking along the Grande Allée which is Québec's version of Les Champs Elysées, I was amazed to see that the city had not changed substantially in the almost 20 years that I haven't been here. It made me reminisce about my days as a student here at Université Laval, and certainly about the historical significance of the streets, the monuments, the ramparts and the location. For as young a country as Canada is, there is rich history in this region. Being from the West, I often forget about all that happened here.

It was nice to see Battlefield Park, the site of the famous (albeit 10 minute long!) Battle of the Plains of Abraham - especially after seeing the museum rendition on Sunday. It is a vast expanse of green - walking trails, benches, gardens and sports fields - littered with cannons and statues of important people (including Charles de Gaulle after his visit here in the 1960s). The view is spectacular over the cliffs.

I have to say that the more I see the Château Frontenac, the more I am in awe of it. This is fast becoming the Arc de Triomphe of Québec for me and I can't seem to take enough photos of it from different parts of the city. Today we toured inside of it. Magnificent and opulent of course, but very rich in historical significance from royal visits to important summit meetings. It also marked the beginning of the era of luxury hotels in Canada. Our guide was a young man clicking his heals and dressed in a pillbox hat and burgundy uniform - it was great.

La Citadelle - here was where our study of wars and military comes full circle from the beaches of Normandy about a month ago. This fort is still an active military base and can only be visited by guided tour - well worth the $10 as there are two museums, one of the official residences of the Governor General, official royal guards and some great information to be taken in. There is also a moving memorial to the WWI battle at Vimy Ridge which was considered as Canada's "war of independance" as the country came into its own after winning this battle.

La fresque de Québec - a mural painted on the side of a building in the old city which according to locals captures the esprit of the Québec way of life. This is definitely worth a visit as you can place yourself strategically in its center and make it appear as though you are part of the mural. It is a trompe l'oeil (optical illusion) like the Cincinnatus mural in downtown Cincy.

More to come as I visit Université Laval, the Parliament and the Huron Village amongst other things tomorrow.