Outside the City Walls: Saint-Roch

Day 4 was one in which we needed to find a real grocery store so we left Vieux-Québec for greater shopping options and different sights.

One of Québec City's oldest faubourgs (a faubourg is a district located outside city walls), tucked in between the cliff that leads up to the Upper Town and the Saint-Charles River, Saint-Roch remained a working-class district for a long time. Today, that's where tech businesses have their headquarters and where young professionals set up shop, all while preserving the social diversity that defines the area.

Our first discovery was a delightful one- Jardin Jean-Paul-L'Allier. After a long period of decline, Saint-Roch had trouble getting back on track. The creation of this special garden, in 1993, marked a turning point. The City’s revitalization strategy would finally bear fruit. Beautify the neighborhood, invest in quality of life, tap into the district’s creative resources—all these values came together in this city park and would spread far and wide.

It's amazing the power a garden can have on a community!

A special treat was Steve's discovery of the Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul de Québec Friperie (thrift store). I love charity thrifting and I had no problem finding the perfect dress for just 5$CAD ($3.69 USD).

Refueling happened at Le Croquembouche Pâtissier et Traiteur, a pastry shop right in the heart of Saint-Roch.

While they didn't have my desired almond croissant, the Danoise aux fruits was an excellent substitute.

More murals were discovered on overpass towers and temporarily on the sides of buildings.

I was intrigued by this building. L'Impérial Bell, which had multiple purposes since 1912, is rich in history. The magnificent venue on rue Saint-Joseph, with its distinctive architectural style, is the only one in Québec City whose exterior façade still evokes the golden age of silent cinema.

The Église Saint-Roch is the largest church in Québec and was constructed between 1914 and 1923. Interestingly, the church lost its visual dominance of the city after the construction of a mall in 1974. The mall has since been demolished and today the church is supposedly at the heart of the revitalization of the neighborhood. We didn't see this as there was graffiti on the church doors and a police presence out front. Hmmm.

This is just a 1905 building that I liked.

How about this Québécois version of an e-bike? It could be yours for CAD $8495. Very, very cute.

Quartier St. Roch had its share of characters, as well.

Our final destination was Metro Plus, a well stocked and reasonably priced grocery store. We were definitely happy shoppers.

I delight in finding things that are unique and not necessarily something I would purchase. Dill pickle hummus was definitely not on our shopping list.

This Nibble & Dribble: Adult Clothing Protector & Dining Cover-up did not make it into our shopping cart either.

This is our life in Québec. Each day offers something different. Jean-Paul Sartre said it best, "The adventure: an event out of the ordinary, without necessarily being extraordinary."

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