We decided at the very last minute to jump on a plane and take a trip. And where did we go? Well the easiest and least expensive way to see Europe (without actually going) is to visit Quebec City. It is the oldest French speaking community in North America and it was founded over 400 years ago. It is the only walled city north of Mexico with almost 4.6 kilometres of walls. Only 1.5% of the population is English but about 1/3 can speak French and English.

A base was established in 1608 by Samuel Champlain and the tides of history changed in 1759 during the battle of the Plains of Abraham - in which the French were defeated by the British. In later years the British built up the fortifications in case of an attack by the Americans during the American Revolution.

The trip began with us taking a short flight from Toronto to Quebec City on Air Canada. We left mid-afternoon on a Friday and the check in was definately different. The lack of people was the first tell tale sign. The government had also just announced that all passengers would have to undergo a temperature check. We passed all of the tests and decided to check out the Air Canada Lounge. As you would expect the AC employee behind the counter was behind glass. We found some seats in the lounge and since it was past noon, I felt that a glass of wine should be in the picture. Oops - no food or refreshments available without asking. To get food you had to take a picture with your phone of the “QR” near your chair. This would launch an Air Canada website that you could browse through and select your choice(s). A few minutes later someone would bring it to your chair - no different than ordering takeout.

The flight itself was also different. All the staff were bundled up behind safety equipment and of course everyone had to wear a mask and don’t expect a hot meal - or really any amenities. When we landed at the Quebec City airport - I looked around and wondered - where are all the people? It was very, very quiet and the wait for transportation seemed to take a long time. We managed to get a cab and headed downtown. We were staying at a Marriott Hotel which was a short hop and skip from the Old City. The check in was quick and uneventful, but as I looked around the lobby, I couldn’t help notice that nothing was open. No restaurant or bar. We were told that no one would be coming into the room to clean it -which was fine as we were only going to be here for 2 nights.

You should have a good pair of shoes because Quebec City is a city made for walking. The old city is basically made up of two sections - the Upper and the Lower City. The Lower City is older and is down by the port (water) and has a lot of beautiful old buildings that look like a number of European cities. The old city is bigger and just as pretty. There is a street life with cafes and patios where you can stop, take a picture, have a coffee or a glass of wine. It’s a climb up the hill to the Upper City and as mentioned - you really do need a good pair of shoes.

On our first night in QC, we had made a reservation at a restaurant that I had been to previously called “Cafe Du Monde.” It has a Parisian bistro style and as in the past the food was excellent. The only negative was they didn’t have an outside patio and eating inside is still something new for all of us to get used. Nevertheless, we ate well and all was good. We walked back to the hotel, taking our time to see the city at night.

On Saturday we walked and walked and walked. This was not a shopping trip! We did take the ferry across the St Lawrence to Levis but didn’t actually get off and walk around. All we wanted to do was see the city from the river. We took it easy, ate some very good food, drank too much wine (I did) and marvelled at the beauty of the architecture. The streets are narrow and many of them have cobblestones on the road.

For our Saturday night dinner we did some research and decided we wanted to sit outside but it was getting to be a bit of a challenge to find a place. There are a number of interesting “spots” that when you turn a corner you will see half a dozen restaurants - many of them looking like this would be cool place. I don’t remember the name of the place we eventually decide on but it was Italian and it had pizza. But alas….decided to go with pasta instead. I guess there is some truth that you can’t always eat pizza.

The plan as always was to leave on Sunday so we had a leisurely morning and went for a walk along the “Grand Allee”. Its a wonderful street lined with bistros and government buildings. It’s also very close to the Plains of Abraham.

After our final walk we headed off to the airport. Once we got there the check-in was quick and the place was virtually empty. Nothing was open - not even a cup of coffee.

So…that’s all. It was a good trip but travelling is still very different and there is tension you can feel as you walk around. How close is that person - are they wearing a mask etc. I think it’s best to stay home for awhile.