Exploring Saint-Roch

Another view of the back staircase. I'm in the first apartment at the top. In warmer weather I'm sure it will be a great way in and out. The stairs were shoveled last night, so it was much easier to use. Thank you neighbor!

The little door in the lower right goes to the laundry room in the basement. That is a bonus! Old equipment, but it looks like it works.

The neighbor also has a little table outside and what looks to be a fridge carved out of snow for his/her pop (or whatever)

Went back to the grocery store yesterday (I can only carry so much at one time) and then back out to explore the area. St. Joseph street has so many different shops and restaurants.

The area used to be fairly run down but in the last twenty years or so, the district has been revitalized. I spoke with one shopkeeper who said when he and his wife moved in the area in the 90's it was a dangerous place to be. No longer. Investors started buying up the property and refurbishing the buildings.

So it has gone from this:

To this:

I am definitely going to like this place. Butcher's shop (boucherie), fish monger (poissonnier), bakery (boulangerie et patisserie), Quebecois deli (local cheeses, meats, delicacies), coffee shops (café/bistro). For restaurants I saw Thai, Lebanese, Mexican, Quebecois (of course), Sushi, Pizza - all within a few blocks.

Saint-Roch parish is only a couple of blocks from here. It is the largest church in Quebec City. The current building was constructed between 1914 and 1923. The marble inside comes from Saskatchewan (really). They say you can see some fossils in the stone. The original Saint-Roch was a hermitage chapel built by the Recollect missionaries (Franciscan Friars) in 1692. (Saint-Roch was a saint from the middle ages who was invoked to ward off sickness.)

I went to the 10:30 Mass. My smartphone app got me through many of the prayers and all the readings (en Francais, s'il vous plaits - sorry I haven't figured out how to do the accents yet). Handy. We celebrated the Epiphany. It takes a lot of money to keep up these old churches, so Saint-Roch has rented out its basement:

 

Yep, that's a women's fashion store. I didn't go in....this time. I'll do another blog on the inside of the church later.

 

I also walked to the old city for the first time. I figured it would take me 20-25 minutes to get there. What I didn't count on was the fact that it was all uphill. Mon Dieu! The walk was worth it though. Soft snow, lots of people walking the streets. Shops all open. I will take more pictures on other trips, but here are a couple.

 

I had no filter on the camera - that's what it looks like. It a little dreary this time of year. I can tell you that those first settlers would be in great physical shape climbing the steep hills back and forth.

 

Tomorrow I start classes at 8:00 a.m. I can't wait! More later.