Quebec

I learnt quite early in the piece how to drive in Quebec City. It involves pushing your accelerator flat to the floor for the whole time and barging into other lanes at seemingly random times and places. No-one honks their horns, shakes their fists or even seem to notice this behaviour so I must be right.

Driving in Quebec City also requires you to ignore EVERY speed sign. As I hurtled along a 50km/h zone doing 70 km/h I was overtaken by EVERY other car on the road who probably though that I was an old lady - except for the old lady who also overtook me!
Quebec city is such a strange place. The people there speak French, claim to be Canadian and all because they were defeated by the English hundreds of years ago. At least that's my understanding of it all. Actually the claim to being Canadian is secondary to their claim of being Quebecoise. While most of Canada proudly fly the national flag to show their confederated spirit, Quebec resolutely reminds everyone of their particular heritage and independence.

This adds to the attraction of Quebec city along with it's surprising age – one building showed a plaque that dated it to 1677 and it's in a central part of town.
 The old garrison section of the city reminds you of how war was waged way back when. High walls, open cannon placements and a commanding view were apparently enough to stop all attackers – unless of course as the defender you decide to come out of that fortress and attack on open ground, which is what the French did as the English approached.
I found the history of Quebec fascinating – a 30 minute battle in which both the opposing generals were killed and the colony of Canada was changed from French to British. That is probably why Quebec province steadfastly maintains their Frenchness – they haven't forgiven the English yet.

The people of Quebec City rarely speak any English or do they bother to learn it, unless they are in a job requiring both languages. But the effect of that insulated French in Quebec is felt throughout much of the rest of eastern Canada. So many people in bordering provinces are bilingual and so effortlessly so that you cannot see the "switch" in their language brains flicking from one language to another.

So physically the city has plenty of historical buildings to show its French heritage and culturally it reminds you with every word spoken and written.

All of this in a former English colony. The strangeness of the place really comes from the behaviour of the people – they act European. The supermarkets sell alcohol, cars are driven at light-speed everywhere and there is an attitude of indifference that could be misconstrued as arrogance if you were arrogant about your own culture.

In short, visiting Quebec is like visiting another country without having to cross an international border I felt that I needed my passport while we were in the province of Quebec.