This is the 5th of a series of posts dealing with my 2025 trip to Quebec Canada. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification. These are indicated by “NOW”.
I need to kill time without getting too sweaty (heading to Quebec City in a few hours) hence this morning report. Forgot to mention: one of the straps of my camera bag started detaching around Station Place-d'Armes. Then as I was returning to Station Lucien-L'Allier I saw a constable police car. After I entered the metro I almost caught up to them but they were headed to the waiting area for trains going the other direction.
When I opened up my laptop last night I saw an alert about a possible tornado and the winds did howl enough to wake me up, though I eventually went back to sleep. I think I might be through the worst of the storm but the forecast is worse for Quebec City than Montreal. I took some inside shots. I also walked outside but it was raining and when I went to get my umbrella the wind kept turning it inside out. Otherwise would have tried to figure out the best route now that I have heavier luggage than I started. Will head out soon even if it means a longer wait than usual at the Gare d'autocars. Even as I typed this I heard the rain increase in intensity so I might have to forego some photos at least until I reach the metro station.
[NOW: The above was written in the morning at ZUM Residences, University of Montreal / Université de Montréal. The rest was written in the evening.]
It was rainy as I found a road that I could use to get my luggage to Station Edouard-Monpetit. I took a Blue line train (both trains today STM/STM/Société de transport de Montréal) from there to Station Jean-Talon, realizing too late that I left my umbrella on the train. I switched to an Orange Line train to Station Berri-UQAM. I ate breakfast at a nearby McDonald's. Normally I keep in in a pants pocket with a zipper but it kept triggering buttons even on the oyuter side of pocket so I switched it to my raincoat where it still did it but the sound was more muffled. I found an umbrella at Le Gare d'autocars de Montreal. However after using the washroom I noticed my cell was gone. I tried using a payphone in case the phone was nearby which cost me $12 but I didn't hear it and there was no time to search very far.
[NOW: The Blue Line is Line/Ligne 5 and the Orange Line is Line/Ligne 2.]
I took an Orleans Express Coach to Gare du Palais, Quebec City and walked to Old Quebec. I ate lunch at McDonald's and then dropped off luggage at Auberge Internationale. I visited Librairie Pantoute, and Librairie Premiere Issue. Sorry I know the latter is comics but I'm so stressed that I don't recall which of the others are bookstores and which are comic shops. Leaving Old Quebec I bought DVDs from a store I remember from last year but can't recall the name of. I visited Librairie Laforce. I think Librairie Saint-Jean Baptiste now requires buzzing in and might be appointment only; that one was a bookstore. I visited Librarie Nelligan. I bought a DVD at CD Mélomane. Bouquinerie 4 Saisons is bookstore tinier than an office cubicle. On that street it and another bookstore I visited, Libraire du Quartier were on, Cartier, were lights(s) with giant lampshades. Someone around there I lost one copy of my itinerary and list of places to visit.
[NOW: Other than Librairie Premiere Issue, all stores with Librairie in the name above are bookstores. The store I forgot the name of was Comptoir du Livre. Librairie Saint-Jean Baptiste was open the next day.]
I returned to the hostel and got my other copy. My next route took me from the biggest construction area for a street that I had ever seen; by the time I reached the construction the rain had stopped. Vidéo Eclair turned out to be a convenience store so I'll skip the other one on my itinerary for tomorrow. I bought some DVDs at Vidéo Centre-Ville, which had lifesized figures of Leatherface and Michael Myers. I walked to the Plains of Abraham. I had dinner at the same McDonald's as earlier. I explored a bit more randomly, though I included a few favourites from last time like the narrow street Montague and Artillery Park/the Fortifications.
[NOW: The narrow street is actually Petit-Champlain. The full name of the Fortifications is Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site / Lieu historique national des Fortifications-de-Québec.]
I checked in at the hostel. Unfortunately I couldn't charge my batteries in my room because both plug outlets were spoken for, one by the person above me, one by the room's fan. So I had to go downstairs. Luckily I have extra batteries in the event of an emergency. Downstairs was noisy when I arrived but quieted down. My laptop moving text around as I tried to type added more time again.
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