While studying French during my early days in community college, I began my journey traveling abroad in 2017. During my first trip out of country on this study tour to Québec with other classmates & my girlfriend at the time, I fell in love with the joy of exploring the world and…caught the travel bug. I’ve been sick ever since with it as well!
A historical anecdote: Québec is a unique region with a distinct culture set apart from the rest of Canada. The French & English-speaking province sustains much of its’ French heritage. In fact, the original settlers of this region migrated from different regions of France before the English slowly integrated into the area. During “Le Grand Expulsion” or The Great Expulsion between 1755-1764, the French catholic settlers, known as “the Acadians (Les Acadiens)”, of this historic region of Canada were forced out of the region by the Protestant-based English. These Acadians would soon migrate South from most of Eastern Canada across the waterways of The Saint Lawrence River & The Great Lakes. (CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE HISTORICAL ANECDOTE ON MY BLOG “THE FRENCH IN NORTH AMERICA” & EXPLORE NEW ORLEANS IN THE BLOG AS WELL)!
These French Speaking roots, cultures & traditions never got lost however in the Québec region of Canada and the Québecois became a historical stronghold of the old French Canadian practices.
Some Highlights on the trip included:
- Visiting Montréal (or the “Royal Hill”) which has the largest underground complex of shopping malls in the world as well as many well-preserved old French monuments and sites.
- Québec City – An even more well preserved old French American city with sites such as La Citadelle de Québec where you can watch “the changing of the guard” which is an ode to a time in which the British heavily kept a reign over the now sovereign Canada. Other sites in Québec City include architectural masterpieces such as Le Chateau Frontenac, a site worth seeing!
- Driving further North into the French – Canadian countryside – This is the part of the trip that got really exciting! As we moved further North from Québec City up The St. Lawrence River in the Québec Province, there was a shift in the English to French speaking in which there were many places where locals no longer knew English well and we had an opportunity to immerse ourselves in the culture by trying to speak the native tongue. (A pro tip: always try to speak the native language of a country when visiting. Even if you butcher it, they’ll often respect your for giving it a swing!)
- Tadoussac – A well kept secret? Well… it at least seemed that way. This small remote French-Canadian town is a whale watchers haven. After a few days in Tadoussac, none of our Group wanted to live this quiet and peaceful escape of a town. From the shore, one could watch whales breach the water during the Warm August mating season in which we visited (75 degrees Fahrenheit Average). THE BEST WAY TO VISIT TADOUSSAC is by taking a whale-watching boat cruise. Cover your ears though, as the French world for “a seal” is “a phoque” and yes…it sounds a lot like the other word. We all got a huge kick out of this
- A bonus mention: “La Cabane à Sucre St.-Mathieu-du-Parc” or “The Sugar Shack at St. Mathieu Du Parc” is a wonderful place to experience the authentic French-Canadian old hardy “Acadien” diet. Portions are severed in a series of successions and everyone sits together (even strangers) as the portions are brought out round after round. This traditional Nordic French-Canadian family-style of eating may even be accompanied by the traditional sounds of Zydeco or Blues music played in the fashion that one maybe have heard in the 19th century or early 20th century. Maple syrup is served on almost every food item & you will most likely be served a drink combination of wine, bourbon & maple syrup at one point. Don’t pass up the historical site on the map – You may gain 20 lbs., but it’ll be the most enjoyable Canadian dining experience you can handle!