Life, As I Live It: I Am A Road Scholar - Visiting Montreal and Quebec

When Jay and I retired, we hit the road as world travelers. We traveled independently, drove cars in distant lands, rented apartments in little villages, rode foreign public transportation and felt energetic and safe in the world. As years passed, we found ourselves taking shorter trips, using hand-carry only suitcases, considering options like cruises and group tours, where all the details like purchasing museum tickets and finding a tour guide are arranged for you. It just became easier and we didn’t have the reserves of energy like before. But we also found that we do not like to be herded and we missed the sense of discovery on our own. Yet, unless we have a guide with us, we often don’t know what we are looking at!! We needed the best of both worlds, and we found it in Road Scholars Independent selection of small group tours that build in lots of free time for exploring on your own.

We just returned from a 9 day Independent Quebec City and Montreal: People, Places, Culture tour and are so happy with our experience.

We spent the first 4 days in Montreal. Each morning we met in the lobby of our hotel to discuss the day and then head out for a guided walking tour to some aspect of the city.

Lobby of the Montreal Westin...Julie our animated tour director!

And we went, rain or shine!

First morning walk of Old Montreal.

In the spirit...

Urban sculpture...The Illuminated crowd.

We were armed with a 3 day metro pass and taught how to use the city’s fantastic underground to get from point A to point B.

One access to the underground pedestrian walkway.

The metro

We also were given vouchers for entrance into various museums in the city to use whenever we chose.

Old Sewer passageway in the Pointe A Callier

Portrait by Marisa Portolese in McCord Museum

We enjoyed typical food of Montreal with the group or own our own.

Our Tasting Walking Tour - Schwartz's Smoked Meat

Montreal Bagels...

Amazing food market...the Marche Jean-Talon

One of many beers! Molson!

Highlights in Montreal were

Private Organ presentation in the Bascilica di Notre Dame.

On the 5^th day we took the train to Quebec City and began our days there.

Boarding the train

Countryside

We actually seemed to have the city to ourselves because tourists were avoiding the G7 Conference that was occurring in the area.

Some shops were boarded up...

Organized demonstrators near the Parliament

Notice from Manoir Victoria left on our bed.

But our tour director stayed on top of the impacts, altering the day’s activities to ensure that we still saw all the important sites. Our guided walks took us to the upper town and the lower town. European streets and awesome murals.

One of many wonderful murals.

With Marie outside the Ursuline School for Girls

Upper City Street

Petit Rue Champlain

One day we escaped to the Ile D'Orleans which was a wonderful experience!

The Tide is Out on the St, Lawrence River...Quebec City in the distance.

It was a brisk walk along the river...followed by hot chocolate!

Montmorency Falls

Highlights in Quebec City were a luncheon at the Chateau Frontenac

Sylvie talking her way past the G7 security!

Wonderful luncheon and Kirstin's birthday.

and a visit to the Governor General's residence at the Citadel and the Plains of Abraham.

Alexander explaining the three main role of the government - I was Trudeau.

Very impressed with Champlain's Notebook

The Plains of Abraham...it was a sad day for Quebec!

The take-aways for us:

We were in a group of 20 like-minded tourists – Road Scholar attracts Seniors who enjoy learning and discussing pertinent topics, have active minds and bodies, and share our interests.

Our “cocktail hours” every evening before we headed out to dinner on our own were always fun!

The food is amazing!

Enjoyed a delicious Rabbit dinner here.

Typical Canadian Meat Pie

We love the French Canadian people and culture. They take pride in their history, their language, their food and do all they can to preserve it. We learned how to correctly pronounce Montreal (don’t say the “t”) and Quebec (It is Key-bec’…not Kwee’-Bec).