For anyone who lives in the North, for anyone who knows long winters, there is a point in the middle of the month of February when thoughts of the warm season ahead of us start to feel justified and realistic. It is not that the weather has changed considerably in the previous days – the
Are you looking for the perfect way to spend a summer evening during your stay in Québec City?
A couple of weeks ago, just in time for the holiday season, the association that represents the milk producers of the province of Québec came out with a hilarious commercial to promote its product. The stars of the 30-second ad are a pair of sincere and determined parents who use their limited English skills to
Milk for Santa Claus Read More »
There’s nothing like a pandemic to remind us of all the things we take for granted in normal times. For me, one of those things is Maine. I miss Maine. Maine is a mere 1 hour and 48 minutes from the Château Frontenac. But today, it might as well be the moon, worlds away and
Maine and the other things we miss Read More »
Old Quebec hasn’t been itself lately. Streets usually teaming with people are nearly empty. Restaurants that would normally be full every noon and every night are struggling to stay open. Hotels that should be at capacity have occupancy rates that are a small fraction of what they were this time last year. COVID-19 has caused
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As the snow piles higher and the cold air conspires to keep it there, Quebecers head to their summer chalets for winter warmth. It might be a cottage by the icy and windswept St. Lawrence River; it might be a cabin by the lake; it might be a family farm with a kitchen and bunkhouse.
One of the most basic things to know about Québec City is that it has an Upper Town and a Lower Town…Haute Ville/Basse Ville. It is a question of altitude; the streets surrounding the Chateau Frontenac are the better part of a football field above the cobblestones of Place Royale. As any tourist in Québec City
A Staircase into the Trees Read More »
Laval University was founded in the 1850s by the Seminary of Québec. And for a hundred years its students lived and studied in the Old City. By the 1950s, the university had grown too large for the buildings it occupied – too large for Old Québec, in fact. It was then that the university moved
Old City Architecture Read More »
And the winner is…Québec City, of course! Last month, at a ceremony in London, England, Québec City was crowned Culture City of the Year by the jury of the Leading Cultural Destinations Awards. Recognized for its fine museums and interpretive centers, Québec City beat out fellow finalists Los Angeles, California, and Lyon, France. There can
Culture City of the Year Read More »
Here in Québec, where winter is nearly seven months long, you have to savor the fleeting sweet of summer. And Québecers certainly do. On that first occasion when the temperature hits 65°F – usually a day in mid-April – they emerge by the thousands for a drink in a sidewalk cafe. The snow is not entirely gone,