The Funicular And The Cathedral Of The Holy Trinity

I had never seen or even heard of a funicular until I went to France. They have one at Monmartre, the highest point in Paris. So I was thrilled to discover one here as well. For anyone (like me) who did not know, it is a tram-like railway with cars on a cliff attached by cable which move them up and down the steep slope. The freaky part is the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other. Sometimes I think ignorance really is bliss. Its name is derived from the Latin “funiculus” meaning “rope”. We got to the bottom and discovered a whole area full of art galleries, restaurants and shops. I loved seeing Native American things and spray painted on a wall in blue we read “Québec libre” (free Québec). They still remain part of the British Empire but they are so French personally the American in me would like to see their ties with England cut. In the next breath I will tell you the Episcopalian in me was thrilled to discover the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the first Anglican cathedral built outside the British Isles. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Québec nestled in the heart of the Old City (Vieux-Québec) and was modeled after London’s Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. It proudly houses eight change-ringing bells which date from 1830; the oldest in Canada. They were made by the same foundry that cast London’s Big Ben and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. We loved the little church and a large stained glass panel depicting the Annunciation of Mary, which was quite beautiful, is among the pictures I took that day.