Quebec City by zipline

Adventure of the week.   Exploring Quebec City.

Of course you have to explore the old city when you are in Quebec. First settled and fortified as a colony of New France, the cobblestone streets, old brick buildings, and original fortifications remain intact, giving this city an old world European feel and world heritage site status.

Rather than just driving to the city and parking, we drove instead to Levis (on the south side of the st Lawrence).  Here we got on our bicycles and went 3-4 km down the paved Transcanada trail to the fountains and ferry terminal.  We locked our bikes there and crossed the st Lawrence by ferry (1 km, 10 minutes, $3) which arrived at the old wharf near the funicular and downhill from the imposing Chateau Frontenac.  Because of Canada 150, we had free entrance to the archeological finds located in the historic site of Governor Frontenac's original residence.  The ruins and artifacts (such as dishes and golden bejewelled hatpins) are located beneath the Dufferin Terrace on the site of the famous hotel.  We were also proud to tell our kids that we had stayed at the hotel with Meritt when he was 5 months old.

chillin' on the ferry 

The food in Quebec is (of course) great.   Although we didn't eat at the many restaurants in the old city, we've been exploring regional foods in our own way.  So far we've had crepes (twice), poutine (shared as a family for a snack), eclairs, strawberries from ile d'orleans.  We also went to the grocery store and bought ingredients to make a meal modeled after a prix-fixee menu at aux anciennes canadiens restaurant:
- Glass of red wine
- Baguette with Cranberry Black Pepper Boursin (Gournay) cheese
- Split Pea soup
- Tortierre, (classic French meat pie)
- Roasted Vegetables
- Maple Sugar Pie

Wish we had pictures of this great food, but we don't.  You'll have to trust that it was delicious.


We also tried to explore places where locals like to visit.

Les Loupes hiking trail with a view of the Jacques Cartier River

Cedar maze at domaine les maizerets

Time for studies at camping de la joie - the fall colors and red maples at our campsite were stunning,