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8 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | NOVEMBER 2018 By Berkie Harris, Resident For Francophiles who find the flight across the Atlantic rather daunting the perfect solution lies just across the Canadian border in the province of Quebec. Situated at the confluence of the St. Charles and St. Lawrence rivers, Quebec City was established as a trading post by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608. As pioneer settlers poured into North America it quickly became the economic, religious and political heartbeat of New France. Built in the fashion of a French village and surrounded by a wall, Quebec City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985. The Quebeçois take pride in this designation and go to great strides to preserve every building and landmark as well as the language, food and culture. Because of that pride, Quebec City has earned the reputation of being "more French than France." In early September Charlie and I visited Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston as well as Quebec City on Gate 1's Eastern Canadian Cities Tour. It was an ideal time to go. The summer crowds were gone, and six hours of flight time got us there. The leaves had just begun to change but the weather was still mild. Our tour included a cruise around the islands on the mighty St. Lawrence River and a trip to Niagara Falls as well as several other huge waterfalls. Canada holds 25% of the world's fresh water so water features are plentiful. I loved each location but having been in France last year, Quebec City really caught my attention. Perched high atop the City is the spectacular Château Frontenac, often called the world's most photographed building. As grand as any European castle it has always been a hotel. Street musicians perform along the boardwalk in front of the Chateau and you can take a short ride on the funicular that links the boardwalk to the lower town. French restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops line every street especially the Grand Allée, the tree-lined boulevard described as the "Champs Elysées" of Quebec City. All the signage is in French, but the people are bilingual. I had no trouble conversing with the locals and everyone was very nice. After an elegant day soaking up French culture in the Old City and learning about the 1759 battle on the Plains of Abraham that gave New France to the British, we went to nearby Montmorency Falls and across a bridge to the Ile d'Orleans. This is a treasure chest of century old houses, mills, barns and churches. I loved the gentility of the quaint countryside dotted with red roofs and black and white cows. Many cruises of the northeast coast sail down the St. Lawrence and dock in Quebec City. However you get there and no matter what time of year you go (they have a very celebrated winter carnival in early February) you won't be disappointed with this jewel of a Canadian city. More French than France L I V I N G T H E B U C K E T L I S T

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