Being a
great lover of mysteries, I had just finished the latest in a series of
mysteries set in Quebec, and suddenly found myself with a burning desire to
visit. A trip to Quebec immediately went
on my bucket list! So when we were on a
one day bus tour recently and saw that the tour company was offering a summer trip
to Quebec, we signed up. We just
returned from what was one of the most enjoyable, plus relaxing and refreshing
vacations, we have ever taken.
The first
pleasure was not having to drive the eight or so hours it would have taken us
to make the trip in our car. On a bus,
we could nap, read, do crosswords and play games to pass the time without
having to think about navigating the traffic.
Someone else made the hotel reservations, planned the meals, and the
places we would visit. It was glorious!
When we
arrived in Montreal we were delighted to find such a large city with so few
people. As we age, we don’t do as well
dodging crowds of people. Here we could
walk on big city streets with few pedestrians, and it felt safe. What a delight to look out our hotel window
and see the huge dome of a church right next door in the foreground, ringed
around by the stone, metal and glass modern skyscrapers!
While in
Montreal we visited two huge cathedrals.
The grandeur of these churches was breathtaking, yet the guide said
there were perhaps only a few hundred people there on Sunday in a cathedral
that could hold thousands. It made me
sad that no expense had been spared on such opulence, yet few visited it
anymore to worship God.
It took a
little time before I realized something that made its presence felt by its
absence! The noise level was lower! Everywhere we went in Montreal and Quebec
City there was music, but not the blaring, loud rock music we so often hear in
the US in shopping malls, elevators, hair salons, and restaurants. In this part of Canada we noticed street
musicians everywhere. In the town
square, next to an outdoor restaurant, at a street market – all playing soft
music. It was absolutely delightful,
creating an atmosphere of culture and quiet that we loved.
We’ve never
been to Europe but being in Quebec City felt as if we were. The walled city has horse drawn carriages,
street after street of outdoor restaurants, and narrow cobblestone streets to
walk, flowers in window boxes, street performers, and beautiful parks and town
squares. Everywhere I looked there was
something beautiful to see.
I found
myself thanking the Lord over and over for the beauty, the quiet, the wonderful
time together with Jim, the sunshine, the modern and the old side by side, the
food, the grandeur, the sound of the French language being spoken, and the
chance to rest and be refreshed by it all.
All that He has made brings Him glory.
