We made it to Québec City on Wednesday of last week and stayed there for a few days. There were many great things about this mini-break:
- as it was completely out of season (winter festival finished, summer season a long way off) we got a really good last-minute deal on a beautiful hotel right in the old town. The rooms weren’t as luxurious as the foyer (well, ours weren’t) but it was such a lovely place to be and the location meant we could forget the car for a couple of days and use some more old-fashioned modes of transport (feet, a somewhat over-priced horse’n’carriage/calèche combo). We took the funicular up and down the steep hill too (once each way). Great views.
- the city is just precious to look at – real chocolate-box stuff, especially with all the ice and snow and fairy lights at night. The look and city walls reminded me of York in England, if York up on a hill. We did quite a lot of wandering about in the dark (as you’ll see from the photos) and yes, it was cold, but warmer than Ottawa!
- it is soooooo French. And in this city I could even understand the accent and be understood back (harder for a European around Montréal, n’est-ce pas?). Being so French the food was all formidable, the young women were (almost) all disgustingly pretty and thin and effortlessly chic and the men just looked, well, so French.
- there is a ferry over the magnificent icy St Lawrence river to Lévis (about a ten minute trip) and that is how we left Québec City at the end of the few days. What great views! What impressive ice! How damned cold up on the outside deck! Truly a beautiful part of the world.
We’re back in Ontario with family now for a week or so. Here are some Québec City photos though, mostly Mark’s.
R
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9 comments:
Can't get the photo viewer to work - all blank (inc. me!)
The city at night looks gorgeous though - I imagine lots of pain au chocolat and um hot chocolate, and those leetle coffee bean shaped chocolated that taste of, er, coffee...mostly I imagine throwing my three stock French phrases around willy nilly!
Oh shame - dommage! Anyone else having same problem? It's ok on other computers here. You need 'adobe flash' apparently.
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It's probably my end! Viewed the last pics ok. Will get HOM to tinker this eve. x
Never knew cold could look so colorful!
Seems like you're having a wonderful time...good for y'all! :)
It does look like a lovely city. I love all the Christmas decorations still up (there was a huge wreath on one of the buildings). I would feel so intimidated because I know NO French at all.
I've been to the National Gallery, but never to Quebec.
Have you tried poutine yet? (I've never had it.)
Now I really HAVE missed the window. Sorry about that, but I'll be able to hand you a copy in person!
Kat
It sure was pretty.
Saw 'poutine' on menus but didn't try it... it looks a bit British (chip'n'gravy we have... chips'n'cheese we have... but altogether..?). We did however have sloppy fries on the road in Ontario (chips and bolognese sauce!).
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Yay - finally got to see the pictures - very dark and twinkly pretty in many of them. It was my pop up blocker being a pain! Love the funny cute bus!
Yes, the buses are dinky... and for those of you who don't do French they say "I run on electricity" on the side. We were only on the centre so don't know how much they are used in the city as a whole.
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