Exploring the Quintessence of Quebec!

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Why write about Quebec on a picture book/art blog? Because Canada is full of natural beauty, and its little French province is a wonderland of interesting sights and sounds to pique interest. For anyone who's never traveled there, I want to highlight this steady neighbor of ours and all of its unique timelessness.

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From the enormous Château Frontenac overlooking the St. Lawrence River in the upper city, to the humble first French foundations of Le Petit Champlain in the lower, this is a walking town of wonders.

And Quebec just happens to be less than a day's drive to the heart of Anne of Green Gables land in the jewel of Canada, Prince Edward Island.


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A re-enactment actress dressed as Anne Shirley from the Green Gables Heritage Place in PEI.

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If you've already visited the Old City, you know exactly why the quirky beauty of Quebec should be shared...Quebec is bursting with craftsmanship in every whimsical door-knocker, ornate lamp post, gargoyled rain gutter, and well-placed set of stone steps.

(And my family and I were there when it was frigid, this time last year, and thought it was still incredible even in the bitter cold. So I can only imagine the Old City's magic when it's abloom in late spring or early summer...)


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What did we do in Quebec for just one weekend? Well, if you like eating huge savory crêpes with mushrooms, chicken, Swiss cheese, or asparagus, then vous avez de la chance. Or if you prefer maple syrup, ice cream...or chocolate sauce on crêpes sucrées, or chocolate-filled croissants, and pâté (the kids were rather convinced we were trying to feed them cat food on crackers with that one), and then walking it off afterward, this little place, très charmant, is just about right for you. The Casse Crêpe Breton we hunted down even had buckwheat crêpes for our gluten-free constituent. Yay!

We ended up being glad the weather was frigid in April, because we hoofed the town Jane Austen-style, as one does where there are no through roadways, and every corner is loaded with eye-popping wonders to absorb. So if you visit Quebec in summer, wear shorts. We were sweating in nippy spring, and had to shed coats with so many stairs, even despite the sharp winds. It was brisk and a good workout, and absolutely fantastic! And how can someone not like a town where Tintin and wood carvings abound for kids to enjoy?

But in this delightful little village of quirky shops and things to buy, we nearly bought nothing--aside from groceries, one dinner, a bakery run for bread (chewy vehicle for said wet cat food), and breakfast out for chocolat chaud et croissants. We basically just window shopped (sorry enough to admit to Quebec's chamber of commerce, especially the cool blown-glass establishment), and yet, it was an absolute treat! My only single complaint as a mom--it was hard to find enough vegetables in the Old City.


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And look how smiley my kids were because of it! Ha ha! Now that's what my family calls a vacation--a break from steamed green beans!
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Our concierge gave us directions to the closest épicerie/supérette for groceries, and the address for a heavenly boulangerie called Paillard. Such a fun adventure just to hunt down baguettes, croissants, Mediterranean salads, and GF macaroons! Eating foreign cooking/baking other than one's own, at least once a year, should be mandatory for every cook, right?

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​Those who've already been to Quebec know that tout le monde parle Français there, but many of the natives also speak English and graciously welcome visitors. (As demonstrated by this little sign posted on the wall of the Paillard bakery..)

 

Luckily we had three French speakers in the family with us--though only one was bold enough to attempt the language amongst the Québécois.

Just walking in a place that was settled by the French four centuries ago, has a timeless sensation, and gives one a vision--of how things could be more lovely anywhere (everywhere!) if everyone was just a little more concerned about the long-term perspective--making buildings of quality to last. Crafting  utilitarian items with care makes the world a more interesting place within the pleasing details of lasting architecture and artwork--for generations to enjoy.

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​So a ginormous bird mounted outside one's front door, isn't so useful, per se, but it definitely might make your neighbors smile every time they visit. (Actually, I get the heebie jeebies whenever I see a real pileated woodpecker in our front yard. Most every other bird out there, I am wild to see--even the large hen hawks who swoop through the woods to prey on our chickens. But these gawky-necked, one foot-long-torsoed woodpeckers are unnerving and plain old cree-py!  (Woody Wood Pecker's laugh really was based off the uncanny cackle of his real-life inspiration, right?) Chills.

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One has to admit, though, that the old-fashioned signage in Quebec is so old-worldy and whimsical, that it feels as if one's entered a real-life version of Diagon Alley in a working, thriving European-flavored village. Turn any corner and you almost expect to find Zonko's Joke Shop awaiting...

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Quebec might just be the closest thing to being in Europe one can visit on the American continent. 

While in the Old City last spring, we saw this wall display of colorful heritage spoons. Creative friends, if you've never heard traditional French Canadien music, check this listen out for a spin.  Just don't forget to come back as the best gems of the trip are yet to be ahead..)
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Because we were in Quebec on our Sabbath, and would be watching a televised worldwide general conference for our church from our hotel room that Sunday...
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 ...we decided to take a tour of the​ Basilica of St. Anne de Beauprés before camping out in the hotel room for the afternoon broadcast.
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You guys. The tile mosaic work inside this pilgrimage cathedral, was astonishing. I could not get enough of its unusual, sparkling beauty--celebrating the natural world of our Creator...

I mean, I've never imagined pomegranates decorating a church before, but their simple depiction felt Early Roman Christianesque--so natural, even sacred. I've always had a special place in my heart for the tiny ruby-looking arils of this fruit (a lot of people do, right)? My gentle, farming aunt and uncle grew both sour red pomegranates, and sweet pink varieties in southern Nevada, and would gift big boxes of each of these cherished holiday treats to my family on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Pomegranates will always take me back to my extended family's joy in celebrating Christ's birth with such generosity, and of plucking juicy seeds out of their messy shells in my grandparents' sunny kitchen.

Back to the basilica, apparently, a nearly-exact marble replica of Michelangelo's Pietà is sought out by thousands of pilgrims every year in the glowing-teal sanctuary niche off the main nave of this towering cathedral.

The turquoise, aqua, and cobalt colors in this building are eye-popping--too rich to assimilate in one visit. I wanted more time to soak it all in, but my kids were roaming and ready to move on while their mother and oldest art history-loving sisters could've lingered for hours under the barrel-vaulted ceilings and mosaic treasures tucked around every column's capital. 

That lapis lazuli blue in the tiles and murals reminded me of my missionary time in Portugal as a young adult--all the azulejo blue tiles covering the city walls inside and out of Lisbon--so exotic and Mediterranean. Who had the idea for these gorgeous mosaics here at Sainte Anne-de-Beauprés, I wonder?! Try as I will to uncover who created these designs, I can find nothing online as to the mastermind behind such beauty. If you know the scoop about the mosaic's creators, message me and we'll shake those craftspeople's hands together in heaven someday.

A few more pics of the tile marvels...

​Even fungi was not considered too lowly to be spotlighted amidst the delicate little gifts of our Creator included in these highlights of the natural world...

​Well, using the word "awe-some" to describe the
art inside the Basilica of St. Anne de Beauprés would
make my Captain Literally husband pleased. (As the
word is often over-used--just maybe, perhaps,
by me. Ha ha!) But in this sense, the beauty therein
truly is awe-inspiring to the highest degree. And my
husband would have to agree. Right, Matt?)

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Lest this happy shot below (of crêpe-filled bellies after our Saturday evening dinner) deceive you into thinking everyone was happy the entire weekend, like any and every one of our family trips...at all times, at least one person was either hangry, done with walking fifteen thousand steps a day, or just needing a break from the rest of us.
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So on Sunday evening, half of us relaxed in the hotel, while my daughter Micah lead a few of us through a secret tunnel (she and my husband discovered on her senior year French class trip) to the plaza de Le Petit Champlain. 

This little square (below, right) marks the spot of French explorer Samuel de Champlain's first habitation/fort/trading post, and French settlement in 1608.

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Being in that cobblestoned plaza was like walking into Van Gogh's painting of The Cafe Terrace at Night. The luminous lights, the starry sky above as the night deepened into cerulean blue...we felt warm tinglies just to be there. If you long to walk back in time, go--visit this Place Royal at dusk. So stunning.
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In that expansive cobblestoned center, you can see
the oldest stone church in North America (above,
right), the Notre-Dame-des Victoires--like stepping
into a fairytale on our very own young continent.

If you've already experienced the magic of
dear Quebec, we'll understand each
other completely when I say the Old City is a
maze of magic. And if you have yet to travel
there, bon voyage when you take the adventure! 

To close this fan mail for our cherished neighbor,
the Great White North of Maple Syrup Land,
O Canada, we do love you!
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Tell the rest of us what part of Canada you think we should visit in the comments below. When you do, your name will be entered into a drawing for the artist's proof of my bluebird linocut print (12"x12," top right), or my gouache postcard of a Maine sunrise (3"x5," bottom right). 

I'll announce the two winners on my HOMEPAGE on Weds. April 9th, 2025. (My kids will randomly select two numbers from the total of commenters.) 

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So I invite you to share this post with a Canadian friend to let them know they are loved...And comment below to enter the drawing for original artwork. Happy spring, dear creative friends!

Hopefully yours,
​Emily