Quebec City

Visiting French Canada had been a dream of mine for some time. The architecture and vibes of small Parisian neighborhoods is what I was most excited for and Quebec City did not disappoint.

The flight to Quebec was one of the easiest flights I had in a while. We took a red eye to Montreal and from Montreal we had a short flight to Quebec City. I usually get anxiety on planes but this time I was okay. Learning my anxiety triggers definitely helped. I need to sleep the night before, eat (which I sometimes don’t do before an international flight because of nerves and time), and avoid caffeine. The flight wasn’t full either so I didn’t feel claustrophobic and was able to lay down. I didn’t sleep much on the plane, so when we got to the hotel I took off my layers of warm clothes and fell asleep for a few hours.

The hotel we stayed in was the Hôtel Marie-Rollet. I found it on Orbitz the month before for a decent price. The photos made it look like a French apartment which I really liked. It was also located in the center of the city near some of the most famous spots. Location is always important when I am looking for a hotel. I like to be able to walk everywhere in a city.

As soon as we stepped out of our hotel there was a view of City Hall Park. At night, we got to witness a light show they had using the fountains. It was like a mini World of Color. If you are unfamiliar, World of Color is a nighttime light show put on by Disney’s Adventure Park.

Our hotel was lovely, but I couldn’t not mention the world-famous hotel in Quebec. The Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is a beautiful old hotel that could be spotted from miles away. In 2018, the hotel celebrated its 125th anniversary.

The hotel had a cool haunted feeling when we saw it. Probably due to the overcast skies and pointy architecture.

I didn’t get the chance to splurge on afternoon tea at the Chateau Frontenac, but I did get to try the famous Canadian poutine at a nearby restaurant. I’ve been to Canada twice without trying poutine. I wasn’t going to not try it a third time.

I ordered La Classique and my mom ordered La Braisée. I would recommend La Braisée only because it’s more unique in taste.

While walking around the port, we came across a market. Markets are always nice to explore because it gives you a chance to practice a foreign language and see the local fresh cuisine. Also, the souvenirs inside markets are usually handmade or unique finds. 

If you’ve read some of my other posts, you probably know my favorite thing to do in a new city is simply walk around. I have fond memories of discovering the unexpected beauty behind every turn. Quebec City has a lot of streets and neighborhoods that are perfect for this and not too far from each other. Still make sure to bring a map with you incase you get too lost or want to have the names of what you are photographing.

Quartier Petit-Champlain

Once a small village in 1600’s, Quartier Petit-Champlain is now cobblestone streets where mainly tourists go to shop and dine. You’ll see beautifully restored houses that are now galleries, boutiques and bistros. It’s probably my favorite area of Quebec City.

Place-Royale

Other great streets to walk down in Quebec City are Rue Saint-Jean, Rue Saint-Joseph and Rue Saint-Louis.

On the very last day of our trip to Quebec, we walked through Battlefield Park towards our cruise. The park was MUCH larger than I was expecting. It was a nice place to stroll, but if running/hiking/biking is a hobby of yours, I would definitely recommend going to this park for a little exercise.

-Ayla♥