The stairways of Québec City
While everyone (well almost) in Quebec was absorbed by the Hockey tournament, something very interesting happened, a sort of competition that did not however hit the medias. Early on Saturday morning, a group of people raced up and down some of the many stairways found in Quebec City.
To fully understand the interest of this activity, it is essential to know that the city has a particular topography dividing it in two sections: the upper and the lower city: the upper part, at first essentially residential, the lower part essentially commercial, industrial (Québec was once an important port of entry into North America).
There were and are still up and downhill winding slopes allowing for vehicular access, but the need for more direct ways for pedestrians to go from one part of the city to the other led to the construction of some twenty two stairways. Initially built in wood, at the end of the nineteenth century, at the initiative of the architect Charles Baillairge, many were replaced by ornate cast iron structures, a modern material at the time. These stairs are still in existence today and widely used. In 1986, because they are considered essential pedestrian means of access, they were given names just like streets and avenues.
If you care to do some cardio while you are visiting, try going up any one of them. It's an excellent exercise.