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Montreal-Quebec City on VIA Rail First Class! By
George Medovoy, Editor (In the photo above, visitors check out the menu at one of Quebec City's wonderful French restaurants). My love for trains goes back to when I was child living in Canada. Our home was in a little town outside of Montreal on the way to Quebec City. On weekends, my parents and I would take the train to visit relatives in Montreal. It was pretty simple stuff: you bought your ticket, took a seat, and off you went. I don't remember a dining car, but there was a fellow who came through selling sandwiches. On my most recent visit to Montreal, I decided to sample Canadian train service again, but this time I took VIA Rail Canada's first-class train to Quebec City. Needless to say, everything was more than a few notches up in terms of service when compared to those earlier trains, but I could still enjoy the thrill of the train pulling out of the station, and I loved watching the scenes passing in front of me on the other side of the window. At Montreal's imposing Central Station, you await your train in a comfortable VIA Rail first-class lounge with complimentary drinks, newspapers and magazines. Just before departure, someone comes to get you and escorts you to the escalator, which transports you down to the boarding platform Then, ahh, the on-board service begins, including the comfortable, reclining seats and a courteous steward, who serves you a warm breakfast right at your seat. Our menu offered three choices: Skillet of Scrambled Eggs topped with salsa and Monterey Jack Cheese, served with sun dried tomato gnocchi, sautéed mixed peppers and grilled pork sausage; Ricotta and Orange Crepes with peaches and blackberries, served with smoked ham; or Fresh Fruit Casserole served after yogurt and roasted muesli. On the ride back to Montreal, there was a menu of meat entrees and plenty of wine. When we told the steward that we had had a big dinner in Quebec City and asked if there was perhaps something a little less filling, he accommodated us with delicious sandwiches. Of course, we did enjoy the wine! If you give VIA Rail 48 hours' notice, you can also order a choice of dietary meals. As we left Montreal, things had a familiar North American look to them, like Toys 'R Us and Costco. But once outside the city, the rural nature of Quebec became a reality, as the train passed small towns with houses all in neat little rows. And there was the ever-present central church spire, a reminder that this very French province is also very Catholic. Now and again we would pass a small farm…with laundry hanging out to dry in the morning sun. As we made our way to Quebec City, I considered the differences between train travel and airplanes. Like the spaciousness of first-class, there's a kind of spaciousness in time…time to think, time to reflect, time to get your bearings squarely on the ground. As Art Garfunkel once said: "You need a little space in time to break away." The broad expanse of the St. Lawrence River suddenly came into view as we crossed the bridge at Cap Rouge. Every Quebec school child learns that French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence close to 400 years ago on his voyage of discovery for the king of France. We would soon arrive at the Quebec City VIA Rail station, whose exterior has the appearance of a small castle. And thanks to the train, we arrived relaxed -- ready to go exploring this very quaint capital of Quebec province, which is the only fortified town north of Mexico City. Outside the station, two elderly ladies walked by. We asked them in French if they could tell us where to catch a bus to go up the hill to the center of town, near where the famous Chateau Frontenac Hotel is located. (This is the hotel where Roosevelt and Churchill met during the war). "Oh, goodness," they exclaimed, "you don't need to take bus. It's a nice walk in the sun." Well, we wouldn't want to do anything so silly as take a bus, especially if two elderly ladies were walking themselves, so off we went up the hill. Between wondering how much more we needed to walk and stopping to catch our breath, we finally made it up the hill to the Quartier Petit Champlain (Little Champlain Quarter named for the French explorer Champlain). This is a crowded area of narrow streets filled with many boutiques, restaurants and artist workshops. Occasionally, a horse-drawn caleche goes clip clopping by, ready to have you climb aboard for a tour. Of course, we didn't miss the Chateau Frontenac. Just walking through its massive lobby is an experience, as is having a drink at the bar. Later we strolled along the wide boardwalk below the hotel, where we bought an ice cream cone and marveled at the mighty St. Lawrence River. We listened to a street performer do, oddly enough, whistling! Our day ended on La Grande Allee, a boulevard lined with wonderful restaurants, where it's lovely to sit on a terrace and watch the crowds go by. (And even better with some wonderful French onion soup!) Less than 30 minutes from downtown Quebec are many places to enjoy the outdoors, including Montmorency Falls Park with its spectacular views of the St. Lawrence River; Cote-de-Beaupre, with its patchwork of rural landscapes; and Ile d'Orleans, an emerald green paradise with many historic sites. For information on VIA Rail, visit www.viarail.ca, and for Quebec City, visit www.bonjourquebec.com or call (877) 266-5687. Another good source for Quebec City information is www.quebecregion.com. P.S.
Don't worry if you don't speak French - most everyone speaks English here. And
if you do try your high school French, don't be surprised when hear Quebec French,
which is spoken in a singsong you may not recognize at all! (Click below for more travel).
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