Publius

I posted earlier about visiting Montreal. We have modified our plans to visit Quebec City.

Can anyone recommend nice towns to visit in the Triangle from Toronto up to Quebec City and down to either Sherbrooke or St. Georges - we still need to decide on a route toward Boston. This trip is intended as both a family vacation and a chance for my daughter to use the French she is studying in school.

Any preference on the nicer route from Quebec to Boston? Is it better to travel through Vermont and New Hampshire on the way to Boston or down through Portland, Maine?

Thanks,

tovarich

From Toronto on you have Kingston.We did a great boat trip from Ivy Lea.It's a one hour round trip along the islands with Boldt castle. Some ten miles from Quebec you have a great waterfall (higher than Niagara).I would prefer visiting Vermont and New Hampshire to the coastal road.Paul

Publius

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll check it out.

Cranachin

I think the route from Quebec City to Boston that goes through Portland, ME, is more attractive than the one that goes through Vermont and New Hampshire. Certainly the Canadian portion of the first is prettier than the Canadian portion of the second.

But going through Portland is an extra hour of driving time.

zootsi

The drive from the Canadian border, down I-91 in Vermont, then down I-89 in New Hampshire to I-93 is quite easy, and very scenic, at least until you hit I-93. Most of the drive is very rural, quintissential Vermont & NH scenery. As for towns in Quebec, as I mentioned previously, Magog, which you will pass by, is a very nice resort town. There is a small but lively downtown, and a very pretty, European feeling lakeside prominade and park. There is a nice swimming beach with great mountian views, and a winery and vinyard you can visit just outside town. North Hatley which is a smaller somewhat upscale lakeside resort is also close by. Sherbrooke is the 'big city' in this part of Quebec. It has a small but pleasant historic district, and a scenic lakeside park. There are some nice bike trails near and thru these towns. Very few English speakers in this area!

Daniel_Williams

Publius,

I second the recommendation of Magog. The historic part of Trois Rivieres I also found quite interesting.

I think the idea of an immersion opportunity in French is terrific; looking at signs, listening to surrounding conversation, etc... will make the French language seem more real and not as simply "academic" as it might seem living in a sea of English.

However, tell her not to be too frustrated though trying to communicate with Quebeckers. In my over 15 years living in Quebec, I've noticed that those practicing their French as a new arrival find it more challenging here than than they might have thought. The cadence, accent and even at times idioms and vocabulary used in Quebec can be quite different from the European variety taught in US schools. And even these vary depending on region and social class within Quebec.

As an example, my mother was an elementary school French teacher and my Dad diligent in his French studies. When they visit me from Northern Virginia, they really want to use their French and I have to "rescue" them sometimes when they're even asked ordinary questions by service folk. My Mother has an unfortunate habit of liking to pretend she understands when she doesn't and has in the past has thrown the question asked by the waiter to my Dad, "Mais qu'est-ce que tu penses, Papa?". Now since Papa had even less of a clue as to what the waiter said, I inevitably have had to intervene.

Radio-Canada news is a good start, but spoken in a more "international standard French". Radio-Canada shows such as "Tout Sur Moi" or "les Bougons" would give an idea of more colloquially spoken Quebec French.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut5p7-icdYw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk4BLu1j1cY

Have a great trip! Daniel

Publius

Thanks,

I love the idea of asking "What do you think?" Maybe a dirty trick but more clever than simply admitting you have no idea what they're asking.

I've always heard Canadian French is much different than European French. The YouTube videos remind me of Mexican vs. Spanish. It will be interesting to see it first hand. I'm much more conversant in Spanish and German, but have been using Rosetta Stone French for the last few months (and a couple of French textbooks) so I'll at least have a clue.

I think we'll plan on Magog on the way down. It sounds like a nice stop.

NorthwestMale

Is that "triangle" really meant to entail "<b>Montreal</b> to Q.C. to Sherbrooke" ??

If so, I can't say enough about my once random decision to drive from Trois-Rivieres to Q.C. along the smaller highway #138 passing through various towns along the St. Lawrence River.

I was alway awed by the <i>churches</i> (of all things) which seemed so prominent and central to each of those towns. I'm not even religious.

And my vibe is that you will do very well for yourselves if passing through any small towns within your mentioned triangle. Just choose unique routes and resign yourselves to go the slow way so you can immerse yourselves somewhat. The path I took, along the river, always offered the option of going to the bigger, faster highway if I wanted to save time (never did so).

I like the vision of <i>controlled environment</i> in which your daughter might go and shop at a small store in one or more of those places, and be caused to rely on her French while interacting there.

Also, while I'm thinking about it, there is an area in Quebec City (NOT "old Quebec" in this case - though it must be pretty old)... which has interesting, narrow streets, lined with shops, and I can imagine an American tourist there perhaps needing to wield her familiarity with the French language for the smoothest of transactions.

(note: Old Quebec is up on a hill, with a great view of the St. Lawrence River below, and Le Chateau Frontenac Hotel very nearby) (I'm thinking of an area what I PERCEIVE to be immediately west of the underground/shopping/bus mall, in an area at or very near to river/sea level... and a couple/few miles (what I THINK is) northwest of "Old Quebec")

Anyway, I would suggest that in merely exposing grandma to the new area, and doing all it takes to get around peacefully, your daughter will be initiated to plenty of French. I recall my having had the most simple conversation with a young girl working in Q.C. at the most basic job, <b>and having her tell of how useful (and unique) it was for her to converse <I>in English</i> with somebody outside of a school setting.</b>

So if that was unique for her, then I can imagine your daughter will find what she would gain most from, in Q.C..

I don't think you'll have to <b>DO</b> too much, aside from just going through these motions, to create a trip quite suitable for your daughter.


(I wish I knew the exact streets which kind of border the area I remember - but when the word "Rue" is as unique to you as are the other words, then those other words aren't as prominent in your memory years later)

This is a total guess at the borders of my area, from the map:

"Rue du Prince-Edouard" "Boulevard Charest Est" "Couronne St" and "Rue Saint-Dominique" ... just, NARROW streets, and quite different from much of what one sees in the U.S.

Publius

NorthwestMale,

No a bigger triangle. We enter Canada at Niagara, leave somewhere pointing toward Boston, and the top is now Quebec city (originally only Montreal), but are primarily interested in experiencing French Canadian culture.

I like the idea of going on smaller routes and interacting with the people we meet.

My daughter turned 8 in Vernazza, Italy. She knew how to say "I'm hungry" and "I'm thirsty" (which is all an Italian friend said one needs to visit Italy). On her birthday there, her mother and I watched with amusement as she had an hour conversation with two middle-aged Italian women who spoke no English. Somehow she was able to communicate that it was her birthday - so they each gave her a small gift.

Hopefully being a teenager won't ruin her.