Bonjour, Québec! --- SATURDAY, September, 17, 2022

Awww! Quebec City. Canada's most charming little gem. 

It's so nice to be back here after more than two decades - I visited it once, when I first came to Canada. 

We started the day walk in Old Quebec. 

It definitely feels like Europe.

The crew up high.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: The ramparts of Quebec City is a city wall that surrounds the western end of Old Quebec's Upper Town in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The ramparts date back to the 17th century, with the ramparts having undergone a succession of modifications and improvements throughout their history. The city walls extend 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi), with the southern portions of the ramparts forming a part of the Citadelle of Quebec.

The ramparts were first built in 1690 in order to defend the Upper Town of Quebec City. In 1745, the walls were rebuilt further west, modelled after designs created by Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry. The ramparts withstood several sieges during the mid-18th century, with British forces holding out in the walled city during the French siege of Quebec in 1760, and the American siege of Quebec in 1775. From the 1820s to 1830s, the British expanded and improved the ramparts and the rest of the city's defensive network. However, by the late 19th century, several deteriorating facilities associated with Quebec City's fortifications were demolished, although the primary defences remained. 

The city's defence complex, including its ramparts, were designated as the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site in 1948. In addition to the ramparts, the national historic site also includes the Citadelle and the Lévis Forts. The ramparts, alongside the rest of Old Quebec, were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985; with the area serving as the only intact example of a fortified colonial settlement in North America north of Mexico.

How cute is this building?

Traditional horse and carriage for tours.

The magnificent Le Château Frontenac

FROM WIKIPEDIA: The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, commonly referred to as the Château Frontenac, is a historic hotel in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The hotel is situated in Old Quebec, within the historic district's Upper Town, on the southern side of Place d'Armes. The Château Frontenac was designed by Bruce Price, and was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway company. The hotel is managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts.

Opened in 1893, the Châteauesque-styled building has 18 floors; its 79.9-metre (262-foot) height is augmented by the 54 m (177 ft) elevation it sits at. It is one of the first completed grand railway hotels, and was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981. The hotel was expanded on three occasions, with the last major expansion taking place in 1993.

The view of the St. Lawrence River.

Sister love.

Walking down from the Frontenac, there is probably the cutest street in Canada: rue de Petit-Champlain, with little French stores, restaurants, cafes and street artists. A delight!

FROM WIKIPEDIA: Rue du Petit-Champlain (English: Little Champlain Street) is a street in the Canadian city of Quebec City, Quebec. It is located in the Petit Champlain commercial district, at the foot of Cap Diamant, and contains many boutique shops. Quartier du Petit Champlain is claimed to be the oldest commercial district in North America. It is named for Samuel de Champlain, who founded Quebec City in 1608.

Rue du Petit-Champlain is around 0.16 miles (0.26 km) long, and runs from its convergence with Rue Sous-le-Fort in the north to Boulevard Champlain in the south. A popular viewing point of the street, the Breakneck Stairs (or Breakneck Steps), are located at the northern end of the street.

Around halfway along the street, on its western side, is Parc Félix-Leclerc.

The western side of the street contains frontages of buildings, in the shadow of Cap Diamant to their rears, whereas the rears of the buildings facing Boulevard Champlain occupy the eastern side.

A fresco painted on the side of the building at number 102 is a trompe-l'œil measuring 100m² (900 ft²). It represents the history of the district, the bombardments of 1759, the landslides, and the fires which have occurred in the district.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: Just beyond the steps is the lower entrance of the Funiculaire du Vieux-Québec, an electric cableway established in 1879. It takes passengers up and down Cap Diamant to and from Dufferin Terrace, beside the Château Frontenac. It climbs at a 45-degree angle, covering a total distance of 64 metres (210 ft).

Sofia took the opportunity to feel like a real French Girl. 

She finally got her so wanted French beret in a local shop, with the nice help from a local business woman. 

THIS is happiness!

Le Château Frontenac at night.

We took the ferry to the other side, to Levis. Although there was absolutely nothing happening in this sleepy town, it was nice to have a view of Old Quebec at night. 

It's a nice little trip to do in a warm evening.

  Good night, Quebec City!

Emerging into French: Quebec City --- FRIDAY, September 16, 2022

We started the day with a quick breakfast (made by me!) at the AirBnB. 

Our first stop of the day was the famous By Ward Market, right downtown. 

It's a friendly, but small market with some food and lots of art crafts. Cute.

FROM: https://www.byward-market.com

The ByWard Market is Ottawa’s number one tourist attraction, and is the premier destination for shopping, dining, arts, entertainment and professional services for residents and visitors. This area averages 50,000 visitors per weekend in the summer months. It is home to both a local farmers’ market and artisans with many stands, as well as over 600 businesses.

View of the ByWard Market from the second floor. 

While in Ottawa... you must eat one of the most famous Canadian treats: Beaver tails. 

Don't worry, it's just  the name! No animals are hurt or killed in this food experience. 

Sofia was crying, though, when I told her about Beaver Tails. She really thought it was the real thing. 

The tears dried up pretty fast when she tasted the chocolate on it.

The Beaver Tail is a fried-dough pastry made with whole wheat flourand pulled by hand to resemble the long, flat tail of a beaver. It's then topped with a myriad of delicious garnishes — anything from the classic cinnamon and sugar to whipped cream and Nutella are fair game.

FROM: https://www.foodbloggersofcanada.com/beaver-tails/

THE SHORT TALE OF THE LONG BEAVER TAIL

In the late 1970s, Grant and Pam Hooker began selling the iconic Canadian dainty west of Ottawa at the Killaloe craft and community fair. Grant Hooker asserts the recipe they use is third generation, handed down to him by his German-Canadian grandmother. She called the deep-fried pastries she made for breakfast keekla, German for “little cake.” The Hookers used this very recipe for keekla, but it wasn’t until their daughter likened the long flat pastries to beaver tails that the name was coined and quickly trademarked.

But the roots of this tail also go back well before the Hookers’ ingenious daughter named the pastries. Before the arrival of European settlers, Indigenous peoples would cook beaver tails on an open flame in order to access the meat inside the thick tail skin. New arrivals were later inspired to cook their fried dough in the same manner.

After the sweet treat, we talked around downtown towards the Rideau Canal. 

This is also a must visit place in Ottawa during all year round. 

In the winter, the canal freezes turning into the world's largest skating rink: 7.8 km. 

The canal is 202 kilometres long.  

FROM WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rideau_Canal

The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States. It remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating, with most of its original structures intact. The locks on the system open for navigation in mid-May and close in mid-October. It is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America. In 2007 it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our niece Carol and nephew Guigo - travelling partners.  

Us.

Afternoon... On the road again: Ottawa to Quebec City. 

It took us about 6 hours to get there, with traffic and stopping to charge the car. 

It's French land now and we barely listen to English. 

We got a HUGE three bedrooms AirBnB right in Old Quebec. Sweet!

The little French girls...

...and the English gang, ready for dinner out. 

We were staying at the fourth floor of an Art Deco old building.

We already loved Quebec City. 

FROM WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_City

Quebec City, officially Québec is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459,  and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is the eleventh-largest city and the seventh-largest metropolitan area in Canada. It is also the second-largest city in the province after Montreal. It has a humid continental climate with warm summers coupled with cold and snowy winters.

The apartment had a fun Arcade machine right in the living room.

 

ROAD TRIP! Heading to the capital --- THURSDAY, September 15, 2022

 

ATTENTION:

I APOLOGIZE FOR SUCH A LATE POST. 

THIS TRIP HAPPENED FOUR MONTHS AGO, IN SEPTEMBER 2022. 

BUT HERE IT IS!

We all love road trips! 

Having our niece and nephew here gave us a chance to hit the road and explore Canada. 

First destination: Ottawa, the capital city.

This is only possible thanks to the new car - which can fit 6 people. 

My lovely kids - two borrowed. :)

A little stop in Perth, Ontario, on the way there. I've always heard about it but have never stopped by. 

It's a cute town, just before Ottawa.

"Perth is a town in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Tay River, 83 kilometres southwest of Ottawa, and is the seat of Lanark County." WIKIPEDIA

OTTAWA!!
There it is! 

We arrived in the city just in time to run to the hills and visit the majestic Canadian Parliament. Unfortunately we were not able to get a tour of the buildings because everything was fully booked a couple of weeks before. Still, the kids saw it for the first time. It felt like a school field trip. 

FROM WIKIPEDIA: Parliament Hill (French: Colline du Parlement), colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa Riverin downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their architectural elements of national symbolic importance, is the home of the Parliament of Canada. Parliament Hill attracts approximately three million visitors each year. Law enforcement on Parliament Hill and in the parliamentary precinct is the responsibility of the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS).

Originally the site of a military base in the 18th and early 19th centuries, development of the area into a governmental precinct began in 1859, after Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital of the Province of Canada. Following several extensions to the parliament and departmental buildings and a fire in 1916 that destroyed the Centre Block, Parliament Hill took on its present form with the completion of the Peace Tower in 1927. Since 2002, an extensive $3 billion renovation and rehabilitation project has been underway throughout all the precinct's buildings; work is not expected to be complete until after 2028.

FROM WIKIPEDIA: The Centennial Flame (French: Flamme du centenaire) is a monument on Parliament Hill commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. First lit in January 1967, the Flame worked with natural gas and as of 2021 uses biogas, presenting a fountain that does not freeze in winter. Money thrown into it is a donation for people with disabilities, some of whom have received over $5,000.

Every trip has to have a rare family photo. 

Ottawa is a big city in importance, that feels small when you walk around the downtown court.  

FROM WIKIPEDIA: Maman (1999) is a bronze, stainless steel, and marble sculpture by the artist Louise Bourgeois. The sculpture, which depicts a spider, is among the world's largest, measuring over 30 ft high and over 33 ft wide (927 x 891 x 1024 cm).^] It includes a sac containing 32 marble eggs and its abdomen and thorax are made of ribbed bronze.

The title is the familiar French word for Mother (akin to Mummy). The sculpture was created in 1999 by Bourgeois as a part of her inaugural commission of The Unilever Series (2000), in the Turbine Hall at London's Tate Modern. This original was created in steel, with an edition of six subsequent castings in bronze.

Bourgeois chose the Modern Art Foundry to cast the sculpture because of its reputation and work.

A towering stainless steel tree put down roots in Ottawa in October 2010.

Note to myself: Please come back to really enjoy Ottawa's architecture and art scene. I could tell just walking around that the city has lots of arts option to offer in museums, galleries and outdoors, but two days are NOT enough to really appreciate it. I must come back. Preferentially alone!

The best thing about visiting a different place is to meet locals. Well, they are not from Ottawa but Falice and Ian and so well settled here and it's always a pleasure to meet them. The whole family enjoyed their company and this fun burger join. We love you!

Good night, Ottawa!