Travel

Québec City in the Snow

December 30, 2025 Beth DeFriesLeave a comment

On our previous visit to Québec City, in the summer of 2022, I remember walking with Mike along the boardwalk of Terrasse Dufferin one night, looking in the windows of one of the restaurants inside Fairmont Le Château Frontenac thinking maybe next time. I remembered the ornate and sprawling castle-like structure that had served as a north star by which we could navigate the city while exploring, a guiding beacon perched high above the old town and the St. Lawrence River, a constant reminder of where we were and just how magical of a place it was.

This December, when our taxi turned onto Rue des Carrières, the reality of where we’d be spending the next few nights finally started to sink in and I could feel a little smile lifting my cheeks automatically. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac towered above and all around us with its collection of towers, gables, dormers, and turrets. We hurried across the snow and slush-coated road to reach the covered, revolving doors that would lead us out of the biting winter chill and into the hotel’s inviting lobby.

Fairmont Le Château Frontenac

An identifying symbol not only of the Québec province, but of Canada itself, Le Château Frontenac had been the backdrop to so many of our pictures from our previous trip to Québec City. Throughout its history, the hotel has played host to the likes of royalty such as Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Grace of Monaco, world leaders such as Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, and Dwight Eisenhower, celebrities such as Alfred Hitchcock and Céline Dion, as well as many a visiting dignitary. This time, it would play host to us- just a couple of explorers from New Jersey.

As a little girl, I wasn’t above dreaming of becoming a princess one day, despite my overall lack of grace, responsibility, and fashion sense at the time, but let’s just say that walking into the lobby of Le Château Frontenac felt about as close to a real deal princess experience as a regular girl from New Jersey could hope to stumble upon.

We checked in with the help of the welcoming hotel staff and afterwards, waited by the gilded elevator doors to head up to our room on the 10th floor. Our room was pleasantly appointed and more than decent in size, with a lovely view of the hotel’s westerly towers. There was a gift of chocolates, a bottle of Acqua Panna, and a little card on the desk to welcome us, upon our arrival. We felt grateful for the deal that we had gotten through our credit card that allowed this magical experience to become a reality. All the princess dust around me just kept on sparkling, mes amis, even if only I could sense it.

With a little time before our dinner reservation for the evening, we decided to bundle up to brave the below freezing temperatures for a stroll along the snow-covered Terrasse Dufferin. Stuffed in our layers and our snow boots, we wandered back outside. The packed-down snow on Terrasse Dufferin glimmered in the warm glow from the hotel’s up-lighting and the triple globe lamp posts that lined the promenade. We walked to the Au 1884 toboggan slides to get a glimpse of what our future had in store for us on this trip and turned back around to be greeted by a beautiful view of the hotel all lit up and a Terrasse Dufferin covered in snow, all to ourselves.

Terrasse Dufferin and Le Château Frontenac

La Buchette

It was difficult to narrow down restaurant options from this city’s plethora of enticing culinary offerings. In the end, for our first night, we opted for a dinner spot just a few minutes walk from our hotel called La Buchette. The restaurant exuded an elevated rustic ambiance, influenced by traditional Québecoise cabanes à sucre, or sugar-shacks. The decor featured a ceiling made of natural wood, chandeliers comprised of antlers and warmly-lit flame bulbs, steerable wooden sleds, buffalo check table cloths, and the side of a classic car mounted on the wall, because why not? We enjoyed some drinks as we waited for our dinner, happily taking in the cozy, quirky surrounds, a welcome respite from the cold.

At the end of our delicious meal, we ordered La Buchette’s signature dessert, a cake designed to emulate McCain’s Deep’n Delicious Cake, a Canadian past-time that, according to our server, inspires a sense of nostalgia and childhood for many Canadians. The restaurant makes “Le Bûcheron” from scratch and even serves the cakes in specialty packaging that they designed in order to best pay homage to the original inspiration source and to evoke the nostalgic experience for customers of eating the cake straight out of the packaging, just as they might have eaten the McCain cakes at home in their youth.

Old Québec

Descending from Terrasse Dufferin to the winding streets of Vieux Québec on foot took a little skill in balance. The path down had us navigating winding staircases, sloped walkways, and Québec’s steep staircase, L’Escalier Casse-Cou, the Breakneck Stairs, many of which were covered in layers of ice and snow. The journey on foot was worth it, however, as we gazed down upon the glowing streets of the old town from the top of the Breakneck Stairs. For those looking to minimize treachery on their vacation, there is also the Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec, a small tram that travels the steep slope between the upper and lower towns via rail for a small fee.

We wandered through the snow-covered streets, past old, stone buildings, their windows adorned with piled evergreen boughs and glimmering ornaments here and there. Snow-flecked Christmas trees twinkled outside closed storefronts and residences, mesmerizing and magical with their lights. We turned a corner and caught our first glimpse of the beautiful Christmas trees in Place Royale, the spot where Samuel de Champlain is said to have founded the city in 1608. The square is surrounded by stone buildings and presided over by the picturesque Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church. In the cold and the muffled crunch of snow beneath our boots, there was quiet and calm.

Pub L’Oncle Antoine

We popped into this cozy little haven of a pub looking for a pint. Inside, a fire roared hot and bright in the stone hearth and animated conversations in English and French filled the arched, stone space. We shed our fleeces, our down coats, our hats, and our gloves. As we sipped locally brewed beers, we talked about Québec in the snow versus Québec in the summertime as well as of our other trips from this past year of adventure.

Breakfast at Le Château Frontenac’s Place Dufferin

I think I will spend the rest of my life dreaming about the crêpes with butterscotch sauce that I indulged in each morning at the Place Dufferin breakfast buffet, a service included with our stay. I am not sure if this is a service included for all guests of Le Château Frontenac or if it was simply part of the package that we got through our credit card, but I will admit that it only added to my sense of princess-y-ness and I may never be quite the same again. Please accept my apologies for this and direct any annoyance towards the crêpes, themselves.

All I thought I’d eat before Mike let me try his crêpes…

Breakfast was delicious each morning and it’s very possible that we both came home a little heavier than we would have liked to be, but somethings in life are worth bending the rules for and when there are croissants and those magical dream crêpes on the table, there’s no telling what a not-princess might do.

The Place Dufferin restaurant overlooked Tarrasse Dufferin and happened to be the restaurant that we had seen through the windows of on our first trip, back in 2022. I enjoyed sipping my tea and savoring my magical crêpes while watching the passerby, all bundled up in their winter layers, as they drifted in and out of our view. I wondered if any of them were thinking, maybe next time.

Ice Skating in Place D’Youville

Mike and I took up ice skating as a hobby last winter. It was an activity we had enjoyed while living in New York and we invested in some new skates last year to marginally improve our limited skills in more comfort. I missed my Jackson Ultima Mystiques as soon as I slipped my feet into the rental skates at the Place D’Youville’s skate shop, but the rentals would simply have to do.

As we skated around the rink, snow drifted down in heavy, wet flakes and collected upon the surface of the ice. A Christmas playlist serenaded us through the rink’s speakers, projecting familiar melodies, the songs alternating between English and French. The backdrop of the old city wall and the closed stalls of the Christmas Market in the park enhanced the cozy, festive ambiance.

Q-de-Sac Resto Pub

Inside, Q-de-Sac Resto Pub looked nothing like it had on our last visit. The place had been a bit modernized and no longer had the same cozy decor and ambiance that I had remembered and been expecting prior to walking in. That’s on me, so no fault to them, of course. We shared an onion soup and a stracciatella pizza, both of which were delicious and the service was friendly and fast. Afterwards, we headed back to Pub L’Oncle Antoine again to satisfy my craving for ultra-cozy surrounds.

Terrasse Dufferin & Au 1884 Toboggans

The next morning, we caught some of the sunrise from Terrasse Dufferin. The ice floes in the river were plentiful and the ferries would have to carve their way through them later in the day. The Château beamed in the morning light and my stomach was already rumbling for breakfast and from nerves at the sight of the toboggan track that stretched out along the terrace.

As we waited to ride the Au 1884 toboggans later that day, our layers kept us comfortably warm. The only uncomfortable part about the waiting was the knowing that we would actually be following through on this activity, ourselves, in just a short while. We’d scoped out the toboggan run the previous night and decided that we would ride it as it seemed like too unique a Québec winter experience to pass up on. It was fun to watch the people as they glided to a stop on their sleds at the end of the track. It was obvious that the more people per sled, the faster the ride. We saw two sleds, each packed with four adult men, zoom by faster than any of the others had. Mike and I looked at each other and decided that, yes, we definitely should have eaten more at breakfast in order to make the ride even faster when our turn came. Eep!

My nerves kicked into high gear the moment I nestled into the toboggan at the top of the sled run. As instructed by the Au 1884 staff, my boots were wedged into the front curve of the sled, my knees splayed out to the sides like a frog’s- but, very graceful and princess-like; I know🙃. Mike sat behind me and held onto me tight, his boots balanced on top of my knees, as instructed. There may have been many an “Eep!” uttered at this point as I looked down from the top of the track.

“Vous êtes tous prêts?” said the staff member at the top of the toboggan run, “Are you all ready?”

“Eep!“

“Un. Deux. Trois! Have fuuuun!“

And just like that we were off, sliding down our lane much faster than it had appeared from our earlier recon mission. It was scary and fast and lasted longer than I expected it to, but it was also a thrill and tons of fun!

Marché de Noël Allemand de Québec

Québec’s German Christmas Market is comprised of five market locations that are freckled about the upper town. The market stalls are typically open Thursday through Sunday during the holiday season and are a fun and festive way to explore the offerings of locally made artisan products and foods. We were in the market for some hot chocolate, a warm pretzel, and some gingerbread and along the way picked up some other little samplings of potato and vegetable stew, mulled wine, churros, and macarons. This was such an enjoyable way to grab lunch at Christmastime in this city and despite the crowds and the touristy areas, this did not seem like an attraction that was exclusively targeted toward tourists. We heard mainly French as we walked around the markets and interacting with the people running the stalls was a fun way to put some of my own French to use. C’était très amusant pour moi!

1608 Bar

With a late dinner reservation at a nearby restaurant and a credit to use at our hotel that was part of our reservation package, we decided to pay a visit to Le Château Frontenac’s 1608 Bar. We checked in with the host and waited to be seated at the bar, a spectacle of a tower set inside a circular bar within library-like environs. I ordered a Jameson Old Fashioned and Mike ordered something called 1943, a scotch-based cocktail similar to an Old Fashioned, but with hints of smoked cinnamon and cinnamon-anise. Yum!

Bello Ristorante

For our final dinner of our trip, we decided on Bello Ristorante. We were seated at the bar with complimentary prosecco, as our table was not yet ready, and we were happy to remain there and let the host know we would. As with all of our other culinary experiences in this magical city, Bello did not fail to impress. I ordered some red wine and we shared a Caesar salad. I opted for the half portion of Linguini al Pesto for my meal and was so content there eating my pasta in the glow of the warm, pizza oven, sipping my wine, and talking to Mike that I forgot to take any pictures. You’ll just have to try it for yourselves someday, I guess! 🙂

Final thoughts

Mike and I decided pretty early on into this trip that it was our favorite destination out of all of our trips this year. Maybe I’ll do a post with my ranking of all the places we visited this year. Maybe not. That remains to be determined. Still, if you are looking for the ultimate Christmas-y destination for your future winter travels, I can’t recommend Québec City enough. From the snow to the lights to the peaceful streets of the old town after dark to the flavors and cozy environs all around, we were enchanted the entire time.

A note on dressing for Canada in winter:

Leading up to our trip, I watched many a YouTube video trying to figure out how to pack for Québec City in winter and came across a very useful video from a channel called Must Do Canada that really helped to determine our travel wardrobe for this trip. As Matt and Karla explain in their video, the key to enjoying Canada in winter is to be prepared with the appropriate layers for all of the activities that you plan to do.

At the very least, you’ll want to make sure you have a set of base thermals that are lightweight and close-fitting, a breathable, moisture-wicking mid layer, a proper winter coat, and waterproof snow boots. As we live in a climate that reaches below freezing temperatures in the winter, we knew we would use any pieces that we invested in beyond this trip, so we did some research and bought some pieces that we were very glad to have when it came time to walking around in the cold for hours at a time in Québec. If you do not live in a climate that reaches below freezing temperatures and do not want to purchase special gear, there are also services available in the city where you can rent winter gear and have it delivered to your hotel so it is ready for you when you arrive.

Polyester, wool, and down or down-alternative products are great materials for keeping you warm and dry in cold, snowy conditions. Pair these with accessories like a wool hat, waterproof gloves or mittens, and wool socks, and you’ll be comfortable despite harsh winter conditions.

Happy New Year!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this post as well as my other posts from this year! I wish you all a very Happy New Year full of health, joy, fulfillment, and peace. Always remember, it is enough to be you without bells and whistles. Success appears in different ways to different people and I think that was a big learn for me this year. Be good, be kind, be happy if you can and know that you deserve that whether you accomplished your 2025 goals or not! Sending love and positivity your way as we close out this holiday season! Thanks again, all!💖

Travel

Montreal Travel Journal

August 28, 2025September 14, 2025 Beth DeFriesLeave a comment

Bonjour / hello, friends! We returned from a long weekend trip to Montreal on Monday and I’ve really got to hand it to Canada again; the country’s just been a wonderful place to visit every time we’ve gone. We have enjoyed every trip up to our neighbor to the north and will definitely be heading back sometime soon for another little adventure that we’ve got planned.

Our drive from New Jersey to Montreal took just under seven hours, not counting a stop to refill on gas and eat some dinner that we brought along from home (Anybody else find PB&J sandwiches to be a great road trip treat?).

As we approached Samuel De Champlain bridge, the blue glow from the bridge’s up-lighting guided us across the St. Lawrence River and into the sparkling city. We navigated some road work to reach our Airbnb which was situated in a duplex on the edge of downtown, nestled in between Chinatown and Old Montreal. Our travel companions for this trip, Mike’s brother and sister, had arrived a few hours before us and so we called them and asked them to open the front door as we unloaded our stuff from the car. Somehow, though we know how to travel light for flights, car travel is a different story. We (I) have a tendency to look like we’re (I’m) moving. I know I’m not alone in this practice, so I feel no shame in it.

After moving in, we went off in search of parking as our Airbnb only came with one included parking space, which I told Mike’s sister to take. While researching for our trip, I did a Reddit deep dive on parking safety in Montreal and was surprised to find that car theft seems to be a significant cause for concern in certain sections of the city. Per the Reddit angels’ advice, we opted to park in an Indigo underground parking garage a few blocks away from our Airbnb, where we wouldn’t have to move or worry about our car. It came at a steeper price tag than I had hoped, $38 CAD/day, but peace of mind is worth a lot to me, especially while travelling. Besides, that price is actually much cheaper than what you’d pay for surveilled parking in New York.

We climbed the widely-spaced wooden steps up to the front door of the apartment and I imagined what doing so would be like in the snow and ice, thinking it could only be treacherous. Inside, the Airbnb was bright, clean, and inviting. We got settled in and went to sleep, tired from the long drive and eager to be ready for an early start the next morning.

Day 1: Mile End & Mount Royal Park

My plan for our first full day in Montreal was to sample Montreal’s staple culinary offerings: bagels, smoked meat sandwiches, and poutine. The rest of the group got on board with this plan and we headed off toward the Mile End neighborhood to get started.

The walk to Mile End from the Chinatown area was long, but it was fun to get a better feel for the city by taking it slow. There’s no better way to do that in my opinion than by walking. Our walk to Mile End took us past Chinatown and through Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. We strolled St. Laurent Boulevard, taking in what I thought of as “urban cozy”. St. Laurent Boulevard was reminiscent of South 2nd Street in Philly and Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles for me. I am always fascinated to find a sense of familiarity in a place that is entirely new to me.

Montreal’s artistic identity shone through in large, colorful murals that adorned the sides of buildings along our route. The art had life to it, a funk and swagger that would have fit right in in Asheville, NC. I’m smiling thinking about it. Montreal had an undeniable personality, like any city worth its salt does.

According to this Youtube video that I watched in my research for this trip, “When it comes to bagels in Montreal, there’s actually two institutions. There’s not three. There’s not one. There’s two… There’s Fairmount Street with Fairmount Bagel and there’s St. Viateur Street with St. Viateur Bagel. Which one is better? That’s a pretty heated debate.”

Having lived in Brooklyn, I am no stranger to good bagels. New York bagels are boiled and baked, similar to Montreal-style bagels, but New York bagels are larger-than-life bread monstrosities, whereas Montreal bagels are not. In my opinion, a good New York bagel is approximately the size of your face with a bad bee sting reaction and has a slightly crispy outer crust with a fluffy, doughy inside that has a little stretch to it when eaten fresh out of the oven. New York bagels lean neither sweet nor savory. Montreal bagels are different. I will not partake in the debate of whether New York or Montreal bagels are better, because for me, they are too different to compare in that regard and both hold their own ground, so to speak, in their own ways.

Montreal bagels are smaller, more manageable sized bread rings than the New York variety. They are boiled and baked, not in just any old oven, but in a wood oven. The traditional style comes coated with sesame seeds, which adds both texture and flavor to the finished product. To my palate, Montreal bagels are slightly sweeter than New York bagels. They still have that crispy outer crust which acts as a great partner to the doughy inside without being overwhelmed by it.

We tried Fairmount Bagel and then St. Viateur bagel. I had read that Fairmount Bagel’s bagels were on the more dense side and I was expecting to prefer St. Viateur’s bagels. I was surprised to find that I actually preferred the Fairmount bagel, noting a slightly more pronounced sweetness in them than in the St. Viateur bagel. Don’t get me wrong, both were delicious and worth trying. If you find yourself in Montreal, get both and be sure to bring some cash along with you for these two cash-only establishments.

In want of somewhere to sit down after our long walk to Mile-End, we strolled through a residential neighborhood that reminded me of a mixture of South Williamsburg in Brooklyn and Savannah, GA, towards Parc Outremont. The park was a pretty oasis tucked into the sprawl of the city and had public restrooms and a plethora of benches overlooking a serene pond. We spent a good little chunk of time there, resting our legs and feet to prepare ourselves for even more walking for the next step in our day’s adventure.

We picked up some light picnic fare on our way over to Mount Royal Park and began the climb up to the Mount Royal Chalet and Kondiaronk Belvedere, which promised excellent views of the city. We wound through the pretty woods of the Olmsted Trail on our way to the “Grand Staircase”. In French, “grand” means big and trust me, this staircase was “grand” indeed. We climbed and climbed and climbed and reached the top of the stairs and climbed some more until Olmsted Trail led us out onto the terrace of the Chalet.

We enjoyed our little picnic in the shelter of the Chalet. Inside, the Chalet had a rustic, lodge feel to it, with many heaters bordering the walls and a large fireplace in the center of the back wall. I imagine it would be a very cozy respite from the cold for outdoor enthusiasts and visitors in winter. The Chalet also has convenience amenities like a café and public restrooms and water fountains, located downstairs. After our little picnic, we headed out onto the terrace to check out the view.

Whenever we visit somewhere, I like to look up places to take in the view of the city. For Montreal, the Chalet at Mount Royal was said to be one of the best viewing opportunities and I can see why now. Obstructed only by a few high-reaching branches and other spectators, the view of the city is excellent and expansive.

View acquired and tired as hell, we made our way back down the grand staircase and through Le Plateau-Mont-Royal and downtown, deciding to delay the next two stops on our barely-begun food tour until dinner. We passed by Schwartz’s Deli along the way and even got in line, thinking we might order a smoked meat sandwich to go, but we abandoned that idea pretty quickly after assessing the length of the line, ready to be off our feet.

Later in the evening, we ordered a Schwartz’s smoked meat combo that came with rye bread, pickles, and slaw to make our own smoked meat sandwiches and had it delivered to our Airbnb, along with some poutine from Frite Alors! The smoked meat from Schwartz’s reminded me of the “mile-high” pastrami sandwiches from Katz’s Delicatessen in New York. The meat had a salty tang and peppery crust and just melted in your mouth with each bite. So good! From Frite Alors! we ordered a regular poutine as well as “La Tunisienne” which had lamb merguez and onions in addition to the regular fries, cheese curds, and gravy. Both were excellent. With full bellies, our self-guided Montreal food tour for the day was complete.

Day 2: Old Montreal

Okay; I’m ready to go back to Old Montreal already! Old Montreal was like a smaller version of Old Quebec, in my opinion. The charming stone facades of the old buildings, some dating as far back as the 17th century, were dotted with storefronts, shop windows, and restaurants that curated a very inviting atmosphere for tourists like us. While it’s probably not the place to go to get the most local experience, we were not locals, and we shamelessly enjoyed the experience of strolling Rue Saint-Paul.

After perusing the cozy street’s offerings and visiting the plaza outside Notre-Dame Basilica, we were ready for some brunch. We opted to go to Maggie Oakes and sat outside, taking in the lively ambiance and live music of Place Jacques Cartier. I ordered a traditional breakfast platter of scrambled eggs, ham, potatoes, and toast and a Boréale Blonde to go with it. The food was delicious and the beer took me back to memories of sitting at the bar at Q-de-Sac Resto de quartier in Old Quebec.

We headed back to our Airbnb, stopping to admire the impressive City Hall building on our way. After a nice, generous break to play some boardgames and take advantage of some much needed down-time after the previous day’s walking extravaganza, we headed back out for dinner at Jacopo, off of Place Jacques Cartier.

Inside, the restaurant was cozy and dark with exposed stonework and low lighting. The Italian menu had something to please everyone in our group and even made for some tough decisions when it came to deciding what to order. I opted for the Ragù a l’Agnello which was a dish with fresh pappardelle, braised lamb, and a flavorful tomato based butter sauce. Anybody else hungry?

After dinner, we brought our leftovers to the Airbnb and headed right back out to see Rue Saint Paul at night and seek out some dessert. A street performer danced to Volare in Place Jacques Cartier as we made our way down the gentle incline, beckoned by the glow of the lanterns affixed to the stone walls of the buildings flanking the street.

We walked past the shops and around the corner to Café Olimpico where we bought a Nutella horn, pistachio chocolat, and some pistachio gelato to share and devoured them immediately in the street, to our tastebuds’ content. We strolled a little more along the glowing Rue Saint Paul and past a statue of three gossipers tucked away in a corner, before heading back to our Airbnb to call it a night.

While we didn’t get to wandering around McGill University’s picturesque campus or the Olympic Stadium on this trip, I think we did just enough to get a taste of the city without trying to pack too much in to our short visit there. I imagine we’ll be back someday and can work around those unseen things then, but in the meantime, the travel bug in me is satisfied.

On our way home, I pumped gas for the very first time (New Jersey is currently the only US state where it is illegal for drivers to pump their own gas) and we stopped in Saratoga Springs, NY for some lunch and a brew at Druthers Brewing before perusing my favorite bookstore, Northshire Books, to stock up on some cards for upcoming birthdays and weddings. With our little Saratoga excursion and my new skill acquired, our trip felt complete, and we continued on home with fresh memories of Montreal in our heads and future travel plans and new experiences on the horizon, awaiting us.

Bonjour, hello!

August 28, 2023November 21, 2024 Beth DeFries2 Comments

During the early days of the pandemic, I missed travel intensely. I grew stir crazy in our home and craved to be transported to places outside our walls. The uncertainty about if that would ever happen again just made me crave adventure even more. Without a vaccine on the horizon and since traveling anywhere beyond the front door risked exposure to Covid-19, we stayed inside our home as much as possible, unless it was necessary to go outside.

The first virtual walking tour video that I watched on YouTube during the pandemic was of London’s West End in the rain. It was refreshing to see a landscape that was new to me and to hear the sounds of a city again, albeit subdued, and to hear the patter of the rain on the sidewalks and streets. Everything shone in the water and the light and I “walked” around London for a while.

My favorite walking tour video that I came across since then was of a snowy walk through Québec City at night. This is a video that I will still just put on in the background sometimes and Mike and I have nicknamed it “The Montreal Crunch Crunch” because I kept accidentally thinking it was Montreal and the “crunch crunch” comes from the sound of the videographer’s boots in the snow. The video takes you on a tour of Vieux Québec and slightly beyond the neighborhood’s borders around Christmastime. When I first watched it, I made a mug of hot cocoa and got cozy on the couch on a gray day and it was just exactly the right thing to do. I wandered the winding streets of the old stone city, climbing stairs and inclines in the snow, and my teeth didn’t even chatter once!

A year ago, Mike and I got to experience Québec City in person and though it was devoid of snow in August, it was no less magical. We stayed at the coziest hotel, Hôtel du Vieux-Québec. When researching this hotel, I was drawn to the sturdy, gray, stone walls and liked the idea of sleeping soundly in a fortress of coziness. Some rooms had fireplaces for that added layer of warmth, but we didn’t need that in the summertime so we opted for a more basic room. Each morning of our stay, we woke to a wicker picnic basket hooked on our door, filled with freshly baked croissants, fresh fruit, and freshly squeezed orange juice. We’d eat at the little table by the window that looked out over the side alley and then prepare to start our day of wandering the old city.

Vieux Québec, or Old Québec, is a multi-level city with an “upper” and “lower” town and quite a few steep inclines and staircases between them, but even if you are not comfortable with such terrain, there is a funicular cable car that goes between the terrace of the impressive Fairmont Le Château Frontenac down to lower Vieux Québec and vice versa for a small price. We did not end up riding the funicular, but let’s just say everyday of our trip was leg day.

Having watched the virtual walking tour of Québec so many times, I felt familiar with the geography of the upper and lower towns, but did get thrown off by a few twists and turns. We really enjoyed wandering around the city and to Mike’s annoyance, I found myself frequently stopping to photograph buildings and murals. We stopped into many of the cozy bars and restaurants and ate hearty meals and beaver tails and decided our favorite place was Resto-Pub Q-de-Sac. We enjoyed sitting at the bar, sipping on Boréale Rousse, a delicious Québec brewed amber ale, and snacking on cheese encrusted soupe a l’oignon (onion soup). Inside, the pub was reminiscent of a cozy chalet and I can only imagine what a respite it would be from icy cold evenings in the winter.

We are hoping to go back in the winter sometime to see the city under a blanket of sparkling snow, but before doing so, I learned that I really should brush up on my French which has been rusting over for fourteen years- sacré bleu! Mike and I made a rule that because my French was too rusty to be conversational and Mike does not speak more than a few words, we would walk into restaurants and say “Bonjour, hello” to the proprietor or the host to make them aware from the get go of how poor our handle of the language was. Having taken French for years in middle school and high school, it was definitely embarrassing to not have the confidence to carry out a two way conversation. I found I would ask a question or order in French, but I did not have a strong ear for a local’s fluent response and would get very flustered and turn into a Jersey tomato in the headlights immediately.

“Bonjour, hello” was necessary for us in making our way around the city, where the local language is French. The locals were very friendly and patient with us for which I am so thankful, but I am going to try to get a handle on French again, at least to the point where next time we go, I will have the confidence to have a basic conversation, check into a hotel, or order a meal.

If you enjoyed this post or are interested in reading more about travel, check out my friend Katherine’s new blog, Dear Jane Travel. And until my next post, au revoir, goodbye!