Traveling at home

Quebec parliament

Who said you can't be a tourist in your home country? It's true we usually feel ridiculous to get lost in Québec or Montréal, while we wouldn't care in Paris or Rio. It's also true that we'll wait to retire to explore the land around our house. And it's also true that we travel more around our country to visit friends than to pay interest to the particularities of some of its cities. Most of the time, I mean.

It's while welcoming an austrian friend that I started to wonder what there was to do in Québec City. Of course, there is the parliament, the Plains of Abrahams, the Old Town, but what more?

I then consulted tourist guides, and to make sure I would get the total experience, I booked a bed in the Hi-International hostel in Québec, on Ste-Ursule street, in the old town. It's also because that is where my friend would sleep.

In two days, walking through the old town, going down in Petit Champlain and the lower part of town, going around Orléans Island and climbing the steps to the top of Montmorency Falls, I found the outside of time freedom of the tourist in me. The same relationship with strangers in the hostel, same relationship with the waitresses in the restaurants, the employees of the shops or the museums.

Which proves there is no need to go far to feel you're away, free.

And there is a little something about feeling the usual atmosphere of a hostel... with something totally québécois. Felt like the average hostel... with nothing to be too impressed about.

In other countries, I was told it's hard to communicate in english in Québec City. It seems like it's getting easier. At least, most of the people tried politely to communicate and to be understood with the non-francophones.

Finally, there is something really interesting about getting the opinions of the other travelers about our cities and our culture.