My husband and I were in Quebec City this past weekend to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary – yes, 50 years together, an amazing and wonderful accomplishment! So now, dear readers, I might as well come clean and tell you that I’m 69 years old. Still a youngster at heart, of course.
Quebec – the city not the province – was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain, a French colonist, explorer, navigator and military man.
Carefully maintained remnants of the past make the city feel European: fortifying walls, enormous stone gates, old houses with shuttered windows, cobblestones, and streets that twist and turn for no apparent reason.
We stayed at the Chateau Frontenac, a celebrated hotel which opened in 1893. The man at reception upgraded us to the Alfred Hitchcock suite – thank you, Rodolpho – where the famous director stayed while filming I Confess in 1952. The suite is in one of the chateau’s towers and the walls are round – definitely charming.
Quebec was cold and occasionally rainy while we were there, just like our honeymoon. Nonetheless, we bundled up and walked around, finding places that sparked long ago memories including the Hotel Clarendon where we stayed for $11.50 per night in 1969.
Like France, food is a passion in Quebec and we had two absolutely delicious dinners. Sensible eating resumes today!
50 years and still in love! How lucky is that?
FOR MORE ON READING & WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION – AND OCCASIONAL PERSONAL POSTS – FOLLOW A WRITER OF HISTORY (using the widget on the left sidebar)
M.K. Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, TIME AND REGRET was published by Lake Union. Mary’s other novels, LIES TOLD IN SILENCE and UNRAVELLED are available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. She can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or on her website www.mktod.com.
16 Responses
We have “family of choice” at Wendeke and have visited the area a number of times
How interesting, Andrea. I haven’t heard the term “family of choice” before. Sounds like an important decision.
Congratulations, Mary! Great pics. Chris
Many thanks, Chris! A big event.
Happy Anniversary!
Thanks, Sandy!
Happy 50th Anniversary! How wonderful to be able to share so much over such a long time. And thanks for sharing your trip to Quebec City with us. It’s a lovely place and your photos are right on. Enjoy many more years together!
P.S. I tried to leave a comment, but the software wouldn’t accept it. It didn’t like my URL.
On Tue, May 14, 2019 at 7:32 AM A Writer of History wrote:
> M.K. Tod posted: “My husband and I were in Quebec City this past weekend > to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary – yes, 50 years together, an > amazing and wonderful accomplishment! So now, dear readers, I might as well > come clean and tell you that I’m 69 years old. Still ” >
Many thanks for your good wishes, Pamela.
Such a lovely post. We have celebrated many times in Quebec City, my husband and I of 44 years. It’s one of our favourite places. You saw all the highlights! But you can never have enough of this beautiful city. My family heritage goes back to 1623, the first 100 families in New France. When I go to Quebec City, I sense a feeling of belonging like nowhere else in the world, though I was not born there. I’m so glad you saw this wonderful city!
In 2013 I self-published a book of historical fiction, loosely based on family history, spanning 400 years from New France in 1623 to Canada, 2011. Entitled Becoming Sand, it deals with a family losing its roots and heritage over time. It’s sold out, but is still on Kindle and Kobo. The historical documentation of the Huron people, the Voyageurs and the early French-Canadian pioneers in Western Canada is factual.
I love your blog and have learned a lot from it!
Lise Mayne
Nanton, Alberta
Hello Lise … many thanks for your lovely reply. Your self-published novel sounds fascinating and I’m sure the research was intriguing. I’m delighted to have followers like you!
Happy Anniversary Mary! TK
TK Thorne TK@tkthorne.com
>
Many thanks, T.K.
Quebec City is one of my favorite cities, been there a few times. Stayed at the Chateau Frontenac. We hit the 50 mark as well, I call it a bloody miracle (haha). Congratulations joining the bloody miracle club 🙂
Definitely something to be proud of. Congratulations to you too!
Congratulations to you and your husband.
Many thanks, Theresa.