Quebec City - Day 3
The third day of our vacation was a long one, and we kicked it off by heading to the Petit-Champlain area of Quebec City, in the heart of the historic Old Town, for breakfast at Le Petit Dep. This location is indeed petite, and the seating inside can accommodate only two or three people.
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Luckily for us, we arrived at the right time and were able to sit at their only table, which looked out onto the street.
If you’ve read any of my other posts about Quebec City, you know I took every chance I could to stop and have a chi latte and a pastry. Unable to stop at only a cinnamon roll, I went back for a pistachio New York roll, and I’m glad I did! Breakfast was lovely, the staff were very friendly, and everything was delicious (and the light coming in through the window was perfect for photography)!
Shortly after we arrived, foot traffic picked up, and the benches outside began to fill. As we were leaving, a delivery van arrived and parked in front of the cafe for quite a while, so I was glad I grabbed a shot of the storefront as soon as we arrived.
With my need for pastry momentarily satisfied, we strolled through the narrow streets, window shopping as we went. There were plenty of Instagram-ready places to stop and take photos.
Not nearly ready for lunch, we passed Le Lapin Sauté, one of the restaurants we had debated going to. While I would have been up for the adventure, Jen wasn’t too keen on the idea of eating rabbit.
Trying to keep photography gear on the lighter side, I chose a 35mm lens, as it is my widest prime, but some of the side streets were so narrow that even 35mm was a challenge. To get the photo below, I was pressed against the far wall, as flat as I could, and there still wasn’t quite enough room to fit the sign and the door in a single frame. (This seems to be a theme of mine. The same thing happened when attempting to get a couple of photos of the BakeBox in Galway, Ireland.)
After leaving the “tourist path,” things were less colorful.
And if you get a little lost or turned around, the Château Frontenac is always there to help you get your bearings.
To get down to the Petit-Champlain area from our hotel, which was on the same level as the chateau, we took a steep flight of stairs. You can always go back up the same way, or you can take the funicular. But before you do, check the pricing and make sure you bring cash. No credit cards are accepted, and they do not give change.
The mural below is painted on the building that houses the “Aire Publique,” located at 29 rue Notre Dame, the home of the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA), and serves as a gallery for other exhibits.
When we visited, one of those exhibits was “Follow the Leaders” by Isaac Cordal, a commentary on the destructive nature of modern Capitalism.
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Connected to this exhibit is Isaac’s “Cement Eclipses” (see photos below), where sculptures cast in cement are installed in public spaces. Before we even knew about Aire Publique, MOBA, or Isaac’s exhibit, I noticed at least one figure as we were walking around town and wondered if it was some kind of prank.
After leaving the exhibit, I immediately spotted the figures above.
To learn more about Isaac and his art, and its meaning, you can view his website: https://cementeclipses.com/exmuro-quebec-canada/. You can also watch this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EabLusifQ4g&t=155s.
Caught this gentleman out of the corner of my eye, while photographing Isaac Cordal’s “Follow the Leader.” I was almost quick enough to get him framed correctly.
At this point, we were tired and ready for a quick and light lunch. Heading back to the more touristy area, we stopped at Madame Gigi Confiserie. Sandwiches and cold beverages hit the spot. After a quick rest and a cool-down, we headed back out to see the sights, passing a busker along the way.
By this time, the sun was high in the sky, and I didn’t bring a hat, so we stopped at Ibiza, a fantastic little hat shop. And yes, I did spend tourist money on a very stylish newsboy-style cap.
Not too long afterward, we decided we were done with the Petit-Champlain area, so we took the funicular back up and were drawn to Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, a small park near the Town Hall and the Basilica Notre-Dame de Québec, by the wonderful music of Det Ent Ument, a busker couple from Argentina who were absolutely fantastic. For many of their songs, they could perform them in English, French, or Spanish, depending on the crowd’s preference. We found a comfortable bench, and it was time to rest in the shade and listen to good music.
We spent a long time soaking in the music and the shade. While I recorded video and took photos, Jen read a book. After a very long day already, it was an excellent way to wind down the afternoon.
To learn more about the many buskers we encountered, read my Busker Culture in Quebec blog post.
On our way back to the hotel to change before dinner, we stopped to view a local church. I honestly wasn’t paying much attention to which church it was, and it wasn't until we were inside that I realized it was a Protestant, not a Catholic church. Even though it was beautiful, ornate even, compared to Protestant churches that I’m accustomed to in the US, after visiting several Catholic churches in Quebec City, the difference was obvious.
The pipe organs in every church we visited were located near the entrance, but opposite the altar or podium, and were absolutely stunning! It’s always a good habit when you’re done taking the photo you think you wanted, to turn around and see what is going on behind you.
As we walked about Quebec City, I fell in love with all the open-air seating at restaurants.
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We didn’t eat at any of these, but when we finally settled for Chez Victor, I enjoyed playing with reflections through the open window sashes while we waited for our food.
This was our last day in Quebec City. After dinner, we had one last stroll and then headed back to the hotel to prep for tomorrow’s train ride to Montreal.
