La Villa Bagatelle

Students were finishing up their first week of classes and later enjoying some free time on Friday.  I decided to explore la Villa Bagatelle, a mansion and gardens located very close to the school which I had not previously had a chance to visit.

Villa Bagatelle was built by Englishman Henry Atkinson in 1849 on his property on the Bois-de-Coulonge  park modeled after a Parisian mansion owned by a fellow Englishman.  The park reminds us of the now infamous Bois-de-Boulogne in Paris.

The villa was destroyed by fire in 1926 and was rebuilt only to fall into neglect and ruin during the period of 1973-1983.  It was then acquired by the Québec suburb of Sillery who turned it into the cultural centre and museum that it is today.

The villa and its garden is one of the best representations of the influence of the English country garden in Québec and in Eastern Canada.  The garden is beautiful and boasts hundreds of exotic and indigenous plants.  There was even a waterlily pond which was reminiscent of les nymphéas de Monet!

The art exhibition currently on display at the Villa is Les Prisons de Piranèse by a Venetian artist, Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), whose gothic, neo-classical charcoal and pencil drawings of imaginary prison scenes in Venice are hauntingly beautiful.  The detail, the imagination and the sombre subject matter fascinated me as I stood looking at each image for more time than I usually do before a work of art.  I found myself thinking of the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Victor Hugo (and maybe even my own dark demons...).  This collection is on loan from the National Gallery of Canada until the end of the summer.  I highly recommend a visit.

Les Fantômes de Québec

On Thursday evening, we took a promenade des fantômes and were treated to 90 minutes worth of ghost stories and mysterious circumstances on a behind the scenes walk about Old Québec.  We heard true tales of murder, mayhem and revenge and saw the original sites of executions, hangings and public beheadings.  The tour ended with a visit inside the Cathédrale de la Sainte Trinité - the most haunted place in Québec.

Avez-vous peur des fantômes?

Le Grand Château Frontenac

We had a busy day on Thursday with two excursions in Vieux Québec.  We visited the Château Frontenac, the iconic image of Québec and one of the most photographed hotels in the world.  Its magical presence can be seen and felt throughout la haute et la basse ville de Québec.

Named for the most prominent and longest serving (1672-1698) Governors of New France, the Comte de Frontenac, the hotel was built by the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company as a luxury hotel in 1893.

Its luxurious halls and ballrooms have played host to several important events including:  Will and Kate's visit to Canada last year, a 1953 Hitchcock film Confess, and the Québec Conference in 1943 which saw the meeting of Churchill, Roosevelt and McKenzie King to plan strategy for WWII.

The Hotel boasts 618 rooms and 18 floors which have had many additions and renovations throughout the years.  In fact, because of renovations this year, the costumed guided tours were suspended and we had to do our own tour and exploration of the hotel.

La Citadelle

Today we visited La Citadelle.  A very important landmark in Canadian history and one that continues to impact the Québécois today.  The Citadelle was built by the British in 1820-50 and is the largest British fortification in North America.  The Citadelle is also an active military base as home to the Royal 22e Regiment, the only Francophone Regiment inthe Canadian Forces.

We took a guided tour through the grounds and inside the two museums:  the Regiment museum which houses a military history of Canada and the ancienne prison which displays an impressive collection of medals and weapons.  The view of the St. Lawrence and the Terrace Dufferin is exquisite from the top of the ramparts.

Le Village Huron

We had a special field trip this morning to the Huron Village.  This is an historical site that represents a traditional village and lifestyle of the Huron Indians.  Our tour guide showed us a sweat lodge, transportation, sacred masks and food preservation.  We were also treated to a folkloric dance.  Students made some comparisons between Native Americans and First Nations of Canada.  Souvenirs were plentiful, but unfortunately we weren't able to taste the local cuisine as the restaurant wasn't open and we had to leave to get back to the College for afternoon classes.

Everyone did well on the first day of classes.  We walked down to Vieux Québec and got our bus passes.  After some bureaucratic delays, we were on our way and finished the day with a nice dinner on Rue St.Jean.

Bienvenue au Québec!

We all arrived safely in Québec City this afternoon and had an orientation at the school.  It's wonderful to be back in a French speaking region and for me it's great to be Canadian again!  Students are settling into the residence, buying groceries and getting used to the first day of French immersion.

Classes start tomorrow afternoon.

Bon Voyage!

Today we had our official Bon Voyage party with a picnic at UCBA with a wonderful potluck of food, cakes and good camaraderie.  The final details wrapped up, documents for the border crossing in hand, transporation confirmed and meeting time and place confirmed, we are all set!  We will all meet in Québec at the school on Sunday, June 17 at 5:00 to settle into the residence and have our orientation.

Special thanks to Lee and Maddie who came to the party to wish us bon voyage and to share their insights and recommendations from last year.   We will miss you this year!

Safe travels everyone.  Enjoy your drive and flights.

A bientôt à Québec!