Friday, 20 September 2013 Day 4 Montreal To Quebec

friday, 

We began our journey from Montreal to Quebec. We drove past lots of farmland where the main cops were apples, corn and livestock feed. It was harvest time so it was interesting to see some fields already harvested while others were in full growth. Some of the trees were beginning to turn the beautiful colours of autumn.

We stopped at Danny's Sugar Shack for lunch and after a talk on the production of maple syrup we enjoyed a country style lunch where everything had maple syrup on it including the bacon and baked beans. We enjoyed the down home country atmosphere and the country band.

Our next stop was a lookout near a small town. We noticed the French allegiance rather than a general Canadian allegiance and they flew their own flag rather than the Canadian flag. We became aware of the difference in the English style buildings and the French style with their mansard style roofs which includes the roof as an  integral part of the design which exaggerates roof height on structures with greater depth. Slate is the preferred roofing material for this design, but is in short supply so the 'Canadian style' sheet metal covering is used extensively in an attempt to evoke the slate tiles in staggered rows of the roofs in France. 

It was here that we had our first good look at the mighty St Laurence River.This evoked memories of Dad who regularly used to sail along it before and during World War 2.

We travelled on Quebec stopping at Battlefield Park, the Plains of Abraham and the Citadel an amazing underground star shaped fort. We again had stunning views of the St Laurence River.

The Citadelle of Quebec (French: Citadelle de Québec) is a military installationand official residence of both the Monarch of Canada and the Governor General of Canada located atop Cap Diamant, adjoining the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City,Quebec, Canada. This citadel is part of the fortifications of Quebec City. The city of Quebec is the only one in North America that is still surrounded by fortifications. The Citadelle is a National Historic Site of Canada, and also forms part of the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site of Canada. The fortress is located within the "Historic District of Old Québec", which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985.

The first protective wall (enceinte) was built in the 17th century under Louis de Buade, sieur de Frontenac. A plan of fortifications was developed by the French military engineer Jacques Levasseur de Néré (1662–1723) and approved by Louis XIV's commissary general of fortifications Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban in 1701. Considerable work took place on the fortifications after the fall of Louisbourg in 1745 under the direction of military engineer Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry.

The existing star-shaped fortifications were built by the United Kingdom between 1820 and 1831 under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Elias Walker Durnford of theRoyal Engineers, and incorporated a section of the French enceinte (enclosure) of 1745. Their purpose was to secure the strategic heights of Cap Diamant against the Americans and to serve as a refuge for the British garrison in the event of attack or rebellion. The preservation of much of the fortifications and defences of Quebec is due to the intervention of Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, Governor General of Canada 1872–1878, who also established the Citadelle as a vice-regal residence.

The Quebec Conferences of 1943 and 1944, in which Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and William Lyon Mackenzie King discussed strategy for World War II, were held at the Citadelle of Quebec.

The Citadelle has been the home station of the Royal 22^e Régiment of the Canadian Forces since 1920. In addition to its use as a military installation, it has been also an official residence of the Queen in Right of Canada and the Governor General of Canada since 1872,^] who by tradition resides there for several weeks out of the year. (The Governor General's primary official residence is Rideau Hall in Ottawa.)

Battle of the Plains of Abraham Part of the Seven Years' War French and Indian War
Date 13 September 1759 Location Quebec City Result Decisive British victory; British occupation of Quebec City
Belligerents
Great Britain	France
Commanders and leaders
James Wolfe † Robert Monckton	Louis-Joseph de Montcalm †
Strength
4,800 regulars	2,000 regulars 600 colonial army 1,800 militia and Aboriginals
Casualties and losses
60 killed 600 wounded	200 killed 400 wounded

·          Seven Years' War in North America: The French and Indian War, St. Lawrence and Mohawk Theater

The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, (Bataille des Plaines d'Abraham or Première bataille de Québec in French) was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War in the United States). The battle, which began on 13 September 1759, was fought between the British Army and Navy, and the French Army, on a plateau just outside the walls of Quebec City, on land that was originally owned by a farmer named Abraham Martin, hence the name of the battle. The battle involved fewer than 10,000 troops between both sides, but proved to be a deciding moment in the conflict between France and Britain over the fate of New France, influencing the later creation of Canada.

We continued on to Quebec City driving through the old city and eventually arriving at our stunning destination The Chateau Frontenac in the new city . We settled into our room which had views to the river and then went out onto the boardwalk with panoramic views of the river and the old town which is connected to the new town by funicular. We then walked around the new and old towns and grabbed a snack as we weren't hungry after such a large lunch.