QUEBEC CITY'S OBELISK

Quebec City Obelisk Meaning

We took the train from Montreal to Quebec City and spent the first day wandering around on our own seeking out the sights on or to see list. The next day we took a walking tour of the city secured through the tourist office.

 Governors’ Park is small and just south of Chateau Frontenac. With a knowledgeable docent we headed for the 50-foot obelisk which we had seen the day before but didn’t know much about. Standing in front of the obelisk she told us, “This is unique as it pays tribute to a winning British general and a losing French general from the 1759 battle on the Plaines of Abraham.

 “General Wolfe, the British general, is honored on the south side, and General Montcalm is honored on the right side because that is the direction each approached the battlefield. General Montcalm was awaiting a supply shipment from Montréal. General Wolfe also knew this. There were several Scot soldiers in the British army who spoke French. General Wolfe stationed warships at both the north and south ends of the area. Thinking no one could scale the cliff in between, the French anticipated attack from either the north or south.

“BUT, the Scots did scale the cliff and when asked, who goes there, they answered in French. Thinking the supplies had arrived, the French let the Scots into the fort. British soldiers were professional, well trained and disciplined. Many of the French soldiers were farmers, inexperienced and ill equipped and many simply ran off.

“The battle was over in 15-20 minutes but both generals died, Wolfe on the field and Montcalm the next day. Three days later Claude Ramezay signed the treaty and the English ruled for the next hundred years.”

            The previous day we’d seen and walked by the house where the treaty had been signed. Good docents can add a lot to a trip and often can relate information not found in general tour guides/books.

A BIT OF RUSSIAN INFO

Russian Primer

In Moscow a local guide told us, “You may have noticed that the old red flag of the USSR with the sickle and hammer is gone. Our flag now goes back to the days of Peter the Great. He was quite taken with the Netherlands and this flag reflects the colors and style of their flag. The flag of the Russian Federation has three equal stripes, one each of white, blue and red in that order from top to bottom.”

Russia, the largest state of the former Soviet Union, spans two continents, Europe and Asia, and is the largest country in the world. On the west it is bordered by Norway, Finland, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Black Sea. On the south lies Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. The Northern Pacific Ocean is on the east, and the Arctic Ocean borders the north

Our 30-story Moscow hotel was the second tallest building in the city. Stalin built the seven large buildings to show the mighty power of the USSR. The locals dislike these Gothic buildings, which they call wedding cakes or seven sisters.

 The Moscow River runs nearly 50 miles through the city. The city has five airports and nine railway stations to accommodate Russia’s 93,000 miles of railroad. That might give you a bit of an idea how large Moscow is. Two and a half million people arrive or depart the city every day. The city runs 25 miles north to south and 19 miles east to west.  Like Rome, Moscow is built on seven hills.

After a few days in the dynamic capital city of Moscow we boarded a river boat for the rest of our Russian stay. Cruising between the inland waterways we had a chance to discover the unknown Russia where daily life has remained virtually unchanged for centuries. Along the canals, waterways, and lakes we glimpsed and often visited ancient monasteries, shimmering forests of silver birch, thriving street markets, and churches filled with the sound of chanting voices. And all too soon we arrived in St. Petersburg where we experienced the opulent splendor of the once imperial capital city.

The difference between the two large cities was also a marked contrast to the lovely countryside and its friendly people. It was a remarkable trip full of surprises, wonders, and lots and lots of education and information.

Everywhere we went we noted that WW II was always referred to as the Great Patriotic War.