During Winter Break, over 40 French students traveled to Quebec City along with several students from Central Square. We arrived around midnight and were up at 6:30 a.m. for a full day in the city.

The first day we went to the Old City, which is the oldest section dating back to the 1600s. The architecture you see there is incredible and our tour guide informed us that you could not build anything like that today. We walked around the city seeing the various shops and historic sites, and we even got to go on a toboggan! The day ended with the Winter Carnival where we saw snow sculptures and had the option to participate in activities such as ice skating. It may have been cold and a lot of walking but it sure was fun!

The next day we started by visiting the Copper Museum where we got to create our own piece of copper art as well as view some amazing pieces of copper art. Afterwards, we went to Saint Anne’s Basilica which is a famous church in Quebec where miracles are said to occur. Inside, there are hundreds of crutches hanging up that people left after being healed. The church also contains what is thought to be the arm bone of Saint Anne, the grandmother of Jesus. After that interesting tour, our group headed to the Montmorency Waterfall, which is higher than Niagara Falls. There we got to see the waterfall and, after taking pictures, had lunch at the restaurant there. After lunch, we got to go tubing! We carried our tubes around with us as we went down the different slopes, which had varying degrees of difficulty. Luckily, there was a machine to take you back up the hill. However, as I found out, you had to be quick to get on or it would take off without you! After a fun three hours of this it was time for dinner. That night we went to the Sugar Shack where they make maple syrup products.Upon arriving, we had a quick lesson about the history of maple syrup production in the area, were able to sample some maple butter, and shop around the store for a little while. Then we went into the restaurant area where we were served a traditional lumberjack meal and participated in live music and dancing. At the end of the night we headed back outside to enjoy some maple candy made in the snow.

On our last day in Quebec City, we started by touring the Ice Hotel which is an amazing structure made entirely of ice and snow. People actually stay there at an average cost of $200 a night per person, and there are bars, sitting areas, and even a wedding chapel all made out of ice! Afterwards we went to a mall for lunch and a little shopping before heading to our last activity: dogsledding! While there we were able to go snowshoeing,  visit with the dogs, and actually drive the sleds. You have to pay close attention and know when to start breaking to avoid the dogs getting tangled and fights breaking out. Around 3  p.m. we said goodbye to our tour guide and headed for home.

All in all, this trip provided a unique opportunity to witness the French language in use which is nearly unheard of in our area. When asked why it is important important for students to go on trips like this, and Quebec specifically, Madame Brown said, “Experiencing a different culture and country first hand broadens a student’s outlook, while engaging them intellectually, physically, and emotionally in the learning process. With 87% of Quebec’s population speaking French in their daily lives, it is the ideal French- speaking destination in North America. A trip to Quebec is an excellent way to recognize that French is not only in our textbooks, but also a daily living and working language used only a few hours away!”