Every trip has a story, I am pretty sure our arrival in Quebec City will be ours.
After a leisurely start to the day, we completed the drive from Ottawa to Quebec City quite uneventfully. We were cruising on four-lane freeways - a treat after all the two-lane roads in Northern Ontario. We successfully navigated through Montreal with very few traffic snarls. Colin had a minor bout of car sickness, but nothing too bad. Google maps had the path to our hotel clearly charted, and we were enthusiastically progressing to our destination. We were a block from the hotel, and then...
...we were detoured. The street was blocked off with police officers waving traffic in a different direction. The detour was taking us further from the hotel, and not providing any options to get back to the area or even stop as more streets were blocked and traffic was extremely heavy. As Jay and I were panicking about where to go, Colin responded by puking in the back seat.
As we rounded a corner following the only available path, it became clear that the street was blocked for a festival, and there would be no way to get to the hotel by car. On an impulse, I hopped out of the car to walk to the hotel and find out what we should do. Owen, excited by the festivities followed me - leaving poor Jay to navigate the chaos with a sick child in the back seat.
Owen and I made it to the hotel on foot, and as I was explaining our situation to the valet, I got a call from Jason. He had been re-routed to a one-way street with no turns (as the surrounding streets were being closed), and now was hopelessly lost and at least 5 km from the hotel. Unable to help, I handed the phone to the valet.
After a few minutes of conversation, the valet took off down the street with my phone to try and intercept Jay. About an hour later, the valet and Jay had managed to triangulate their positions and find each other. The valet then drove the Jeep through alleys and backstreets, negotiating with police to get access to restricted areas - all the while, Colin was still throwing up in the back seat. Finally, they arrived safely at the hotel parking lot.
The valet at Le Grande-Allée Hotel & Suites, went more than the extra mile for us that day, and I can't tell you how appreciated his efforts were. As it turned out, the festival (Festival d'ete) was on every evening we were there, and Grande-Allée was the epicentre. Fortunately, we were within walking distance of everything we wanted to see and didn't need to move the car again until it was time to leave.
Day One
Discombobulated from our stressful arrival, the change in language, and the new locale, we took advantage of the festival outside our door. We ate on one of the lively patios a few doors down from our hotel, and then explored the festivities, listening to the Arkells play live on one of the nearby stages as we went.
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| Festival d'ete on Grande Allee, Quebec 2017 |
The next morning we headed down Grande-Allée again - this time it was decidedly more sedate - as we made our way to the old city. Grande-Allée is itself quite scenic with the Provincial Parliament and many historic buildings, but is also contains Brutalist buildings, neon lights and other modern additions. When you cross through the gates of the Fortifications surrounding the old city, however, you can't help but feel transported back in time. Well, at least until a big truck drives by. None the less, it is beautiful to walk through Old Quebec, and I was riveted by each street we walked down.
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| Rue St-Louis in Old Quebec, 2017 |
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| Samuel de Champlain Monument, Quebec 2017 |
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| Chateau Frontenac, 2017 |
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| La Promenade des Gouverneurs, Quebec 2017 |
Fortunately, our route had taken us back to a couple of blocks from our hotel. After a change of clothes and a rest, we ventured back out - and though overcast, the weather remained rain-free for the rest of our stay. This time we wandered over to Rue St-Jean, and to Le Billig Creperie-Bistro for authentic French crepes. After lunch, we continued exploring Rue St-Jean. Before re-entering the Old City, we came to St. Matthew's Cemetery, where an estimated 6000 to 10,000 Anglophones were buried between 1772 and 1860.
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| St. Matthew's Cemetery, Quebec 2017 |
Entering the Old City on Rue St-Jean is much like walking down Banff Avenue - retaining some old charm, but bustling with modern shops and chain eateries. We enjoyed the energy for a few blocks, then began exploring the side streets again. We were really just wandering aimlessly, taking in whatever we came across and enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. We saw the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec, Montmorency Park, Petit Champlain as well as many other interesting areas and buildings, artisan markets, and street performances.
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| Petit Champlain, Quebec 2017 |
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| Petit Champlain, Quebec 2017 |
After several hours of exploration, the kids had had their fill of statues and old buildings. So we took a detour to the waterfront, where they could splash around in the fountains before heading back to the hotel. We capped off the day by heading back to the Old City to Le Chic Shack for gourmet burgers and poutine, and another pass through the festival.
Our third day in Quebec City was similar to the first, but with a bit more structure. This time rather than wandering aimlessly, we were more targeted in visiting specific sites. We started the day with a tour of the Quebec Citadel. Because it is still a working military base, the Citadel is only accessible via tour; but even without the requirement, the tour added a lot of interest and context to what we were seeing, and was definitely worthwhile. In addition to seeing the Citadel itself, the Citadel offers some of the best views of the entire city.
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| Quebec Citadel National Historic Site, 2017 |
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| Quebec Citadel National Historic Site, 2017 |
After the Citadel, we found a great farm to table restaurant - Tournebroche - for lunch. In addition to having a great meal, we enjoyed learning about the garden on the roof of the adjacent hotel that supplies the restaurant's veggies, and sampling the fresh honey that comes from their rooftop beehives.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent at two more National Historic Sites. The Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux takes you through the archaeologically excavated remains of the original fort and chateaux beneath the Terrasse Dufferin. It was fascinating to see the ruins, particularly in contrast to pictures of what they would have looked like in their prime, but also to learn a little more about day to day life in the 18th and 19th centuries. The last stop was a walk around the top of the Fortifications of the city, which, in all honesty, was a bit anti-climatic, but a calming way to end a busy day.
Just before dinner, the boys and I took a stroll to Musee National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec, which was a few blocks down from our hotel. We didn't actually go into the museum, but the boys had spotted hammocks outside the building when we drove into town, and had been asking to check them out since we arrived. I went as a concession, but actually quite enjoyed it - while they goofed off, I got to chill in a comfortable spot with interesting views.
Afterward, it was back to Petit Champlain for dinner. This time we took the Funicular (or as the kids called it - the Funky Layer). Originally designed to transport logs, it now provides easy transportation between the Terrasse Dufferin and Petit Champlain for only $3 per person. After dinner, we walked around Petit Champlain, which is almost magical at night, before retiring back at our hotel.
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| Petit Champlain, Quebec 2017 |
