I have always enjoyed train trips, and this one was no different. At the end of October 2021, my friend Sue and I took the train to Quebec City, and I was not disappointed. From beginning to end, everything went so right, despite all of the pandemic requirements that we had to follow.
This trip has no voice diary. I have told it from what I wrote on my blog afterwards and from the photographs we took over three lovely autumn days.
Packing for a Pandemic Trip
I made sure to pack enough hand sanitizers, masks and hand wipes, and to put them where I could reach them quickly and easily. I packed carefully so as not to forget anything.
As someone who is blind, I believe it is even more important for me to pack everything I need and, most of all, to stay alert, so as not to be a burden to my travel companion. Sue is a wonderful travelling companion. She makes suggestions, she helps out so much, and she is always there to oversee my activities.
Our First Day in Old Quebec
On October 25, our first day, we had lunch at a restaurant in Old Quebec, including a big platter of nachos, and then we strolled along the streets of the old city. Old Quebec is beautiful and quaint, full of stone buildings, cafés and little shops.
The next afternoon, we walked to one of the great stone gates in the walls of the old city, with its tall tower and its green copper roof.
Quebec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 1600s, and it is the only city in North America whose old ramparts, gates and bastions still stand around the historic district. The old city sits partly atop a cliff, the Upper Town, and partly down by the harbour, the Lower Town. That history is beautiful, but it also means hills, walls and a great many steps, which I will come back to.
A Morning at the Nordic Spa
On the morning of October 26, we visited the Sibéria Spa. I love spas and I enjoy them: the hot tub, the fresh autumn air, and a comfortable chair beside a warm outdoor fire, wrapped in a big white robe. Staff at spas like this one are super helpful, welcoming and friendly.
I will admit one thing, though. I am always so very intimidated by the stairs at these outdoor spas. Will I keep visiting spas? Most definitely.
The Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré
On October 27, we visited the Sanctuary of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. The basilica is enormous, with high arches, colourful stained glass windows, mosaics on the ceilings and patterned floors. I stood in front of the main altar, and in front of the altar to Sainte Anne. The shrine has been a place of pilgrimage dedicated to Saint Anne since 1658. Seven months later, I would visit another great shrine, Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal.
Outside, the autumn sun was shining on the great white stone church, and the trees had nearly lost their leaves.
That evening, we ended the day in style, with a five-course meal at a quaint inn with stone walls, white tablecloths and wooden floors.
It Was All About the People
What made Quebec City so wonderful for me? It was all about the people: their friendliness and their welcoming manner. It was all about how they went out of their way to help me as a blind person, how they listened, understood and acted.
They sure made up for their city being one with so many steps to climb up and down. That is definitely not their fault, but those challenging steps made this beautiful and quaint city quite trying, and at times inaccessible. At the end of the day, it was the people of Quebec City who made it all worthwhile. Accessibility comes in so many different forms, and this is what Quebec City is all about!
From Curb to Cabin
I love travelling by train, and I have had some wonderful experiences. In early February 2017, I took the train from Toronto to Ottawa on a very cold and wintry morning. It was a typical Canadian winter’s day, but I was as ready as I could ever be, and I was pleasantly surprised by my journey. Courtesy of the Canadian Council of the Blind, I travelled first class on VIA Rail to receive an award, and it was first class all the way. The staff members were so aware of my needs as a vision-impaired person. They read the breakfast menu to me, told me exactly what was on my plate, assisted me to the washroom whenever I asked, and helped me with my luggage on and off the train. During the four-and-a-half-hour trip, they stopped several times to check on me. Thank you, VIA Rail, for making my trip a super one.
My podcast, Curb to Cabin Canada, is about what actually happens to blind and low-vision passengers when they fly, and each episode follows one part of the air travel journey, from the curb outside the terminal to the seat in the cabin.
Looking Back
Quebec City gave me a wonderful autumn trip: a train ride, a spa, a basilica and a city full of kind people. Seven months later, I was off again, this time to Portugal.
Previous trip: Hawaii 2020
Next trip: Portugal 2022
All of my trips: Travel Diaries
Donna J. Jodhan, LLB, ACSP, MBA
Global Leader In Disability Rights, Digital Accessibility, And Inclusive Policy Reform
Turning policy into progress for people with disabilities.
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