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Post by imec on Nov 12, 2009 21:07:41 GMT
Just arrived in Quebec City - beautiful pink colour over the St. Lawrence and the hills beyond as the sun is just setting. Overlooking the port - a ship just came in - not sure it was mine though.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2009 21:24:58 GMT
Any port in a storm...!
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Post by lola on Nov 13, 2009 0:42:29 GMT
Someday, certainly, your ship will come in.
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Post by lagatta on Nov 13, 2009 1:28:19 GMT
I'm glad to hear you have arrived. How is Mme Imec taking it? And your in-law who'd never been east of Tranna?
By the way, another Vietnamese byow with good reviews is La Campagne: La Campagne
Category: Vietnamese
555 Rue Saint-Jean
Quebec, QC G1R 1P5
(418) 525-5247
it is also close by where you are staying. But just play it by ear!
And the gourmet destinations?
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Post by cristina on Nov 13, 2009 5:36:27 GMT
Was the sun setting at 4pm?  Have a fabu weekend Mr and Mrs! |
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Post by lagatta on Nov 13, 2009 12:19:57 GMT
Yes, since we went back to standard time, the sun is starting to set here at 4pm, and Québec is north (as well as east) of Mtl, so their sunset is earlier in late autumn.
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Post by imec on Nov 13, 2009 23:42:37 GMT
I'm glad to hear you have arrived. How is Mme Imec taking it? And your in-law who'd never been east of Tranna? By the way, another Vietnamese byow with good reviews is La Campagne: La Campagne Category: Vietnamese 555 Rue Saint-Jean Quebec, QC G1R 1P5 (418) 525-5247 it is also close by where you are staying. But just play it by ear! And the gourmet destinations? Everyone's having a fantastic time, thanks lagatta! And thanks so much for the Vietnamese suggestion! We actually saw La Campagne today and thought it looked llike a good bet - we'll go tomorrow night. Last night we had great pizza at Pizza Mag. Poutine for lunch today. Pushing the boat out at Toast! tonight. |
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Post by lagatta on Nov 14, 2009 0:28:31 GMT
I'm glad you got out to pretty Sillery for Pizza Mag - I've never been to that restaurant and will keep it in mind as the pizzas sound very good indeed. Hope Toast! lives up to its exalted reputation.
How does your almost-travel-virgin relative react to Québec?
I'm happy to be a travel helper - travel helpers go to travel heaven! - and I know you have enough acumen to sort out what sounds good. You'll see which of the little byow Vietnamese places sounds nicest. (For people from afar - Québec City has a little Mafia (in the benign sense) of small, unpreposesssing Vietnamese restaurants that are all "bring your own wine" places. This is important because we have a Gallic love of wine but non-Gallic "sin taxes" that make the divine grape far more costly than in mother France.
None of these places are what one would call gastronomic destinations (as Toast! is and other places are) but they are generally decent, provide healthful food with a lot of veg and not too much nasty grease at prices similar to fast-food place, and are congenial meeting places. And can be a respite from too much rich food of Québécois and Northern French origin...
I'm so happy that the imecs have had such nice weather for their trip! Of course there could even be snow - but that is true in Winnipeg too. The weather has been divine this week.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2009 11:31:00 GMT
I saw the menu for Toast and it looked fantastic,not to mention the fabulous garden which this time of year may well be dormant. I'll be curious to hear more on this place.
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Post by lola on Nov 14, 2009 13:39:13 GMT
Bonjour. Thanks, imec. Sounds fun.
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Post by imec on Nov 14, 2009 15:24:50 GMT
lagatta, we went to the Pizza Mag right here in Quebec City (on rue St. Paul). Will probably take a drive out into the country tomorrow. Mr's I's sister and husband are delighted with Quebec - they feel as though they are in a different country. They're going off to do the horse drawn carriage thing this morning (not my scene).
casimira, Toast! was outstanding (I dined here earlier this year so I was pretty confident it would appeal to the others). Some fantastic Torchon of Foie Gras, the best rabbit I have ever eaten... I took pics of every course and will upload as soon as I find a USB cable. The garden was indeed closed but it's a very pretty space and I'm sure would be a magical spot to enjoy a meal.
We're going to head over to a little creperie recommended by lagatta for our brunch this morning.
Love Quebec City!
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Post by lagatta on Nov 14, 2009 17:47:11 GMT
One lovely drive is l'Ile d'Orléans - lots of heritage country houses and farms. www.iledorleans.com/ Or if you don't mind a dose of religious kitch, you could head up to Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré! www.bonjourquebec.com/qc-en/routenouvellefrance0.html - as the drive site indicates, there are many other things to see besides the shrine. If you ever return for a slightly longer trip - even a day or two more - you'd want to continue on to the Charlevoix region, which is very beautiful. I'm not really interested in the horse-drawn carriage (calèche) either and it is not really any faster than walking. The central parts of Québec (Old City, St-Jean-Baptiste, Old Port, St-Roch, St-Sauveur) are very compact. The shamelessly touristy thing I'd recommend in lieu of a calèche ride is a ferry ride to Lévis on the South Shore and back. The setting is spectactular. This appeals as much to Europeans for the scenery as it does to North Americans for the historic architecture. Glad to know there is a good pizzeria in the Old City - there are some good restaurants there, but a lot of crappy tourist traps as well. |
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Post by imec on Nov 14, 2009 21:55:03 GMT
Thanks lagatta - I definitely need to visit the Charlevois at some point as we just bought a beautiful oil painting of that region! I saw the ferry and thought it might be worth a go - will try to fit that in.
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Post by lagatta on Nov 14, 2009 22:42:39 GMT
How was Le Billig? Charlevoix is very beautiful. I'm sure you'd love a visit there, and it isn't terribly far downstream from Québec. I didn't advise it as a daytrip by car or bus as while it is technically doable, you aren't on a marathon. The ferry is an easy do - and real people actually take it to commute every day. Imagine there are fewer on a Sunday for that reason. But fit in what you can. French-speakers outside Québec (or other French-speaking Canadian regions) "Traversier" is a regionalism. Much prettier than "bac"! www.traversiers.gouv.qc.ca/en/index.phpThere is I suppose nostalgia value in taking a horse-drawn vehicle around Old Québec, but as you can easily see, most people of any social class simply walked, as it is so compact. Horses, Mules and Oxen were mostly used to transport goods. But they did have to take a boat across the river, until bridges were built, and for many it is still the most convenient way. Note that motor vehicles are not allowed on the ferry right now because of some kind of works, but you can easily cross by bridge if you should rent a car. |
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Post by imec on Nov 15, 2009 0:30:26 GMT
Le Billig was great! Quaint and very friendly. Buckwheat crepes with ham, cheese and mushrooms - local cider was the perfect accompaniment.
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Post by fumobici on Nov 15, 2009 4:22:23 GMT
I'm now regretting getting as close as Montrèal and not taking the extra trip to see Quèbec I have a feeling I'd love it outside of tourist season. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2009 6:18:58 GMT
Actually, the word that most people use in France is "ferry." |
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Post by lagatta on Nov 15, 2009 12:49:42 GMT
Yes, I have heard that too.
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Post by imec on Nov 15, 2009 14:44:00 GMT
Great, relaxed meal at la Campagne last night. Imperial Rolls, Shrimp Rolls, Lemongrass Beef, Ginger Chicken, Shrimp with vegetables and some sort of mixed seafood dish - washed down with some cold beer and a french rose which we brought with us. Afterward we stopped to peek in the window of this interesting looking place - very quaint and casual and packed with people who looked like they were enjoying themselves. As we were reading the French only blackboard menu a gentleman and his wife were just leaving so I asked him if it was any good. His reply spoke volumes: "Get in there - NOW". We have a reservation for this evening. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2009 19:37:36 GMT
The menu looks good and mmmmmm, they have andouillette.
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Post by imec on Nov 15, 2009 21:54:49 GMT
mmmmm, tripe in disguise. Strangely enough, that's not what attracted me to the place.
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Post by imec on Nov 17, 2009 5:46:54 GMT
Well, we're back and we've had a wonderful time in Quebec. Many thanks to lagatta for her research and advice - it made the difference between a good vacation and a great one!
Will try to post some pics tomorrow.
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Post by hwinpp on Nov 17, 2009 8:33:03 GMT
Looks like Fam. Imec had a nice long weekend. I'm loading the links now.
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 17, 2009 15:17:04 GMT
What I love about reading your travel posts, Imec, is how you convey that wonderful, expansive feeling of enjoyment you and your family take in new places and experiences. This thread just glows with that -- thank you!
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Post by imec on Nov 17, 2009 15:26:11 GMT
Thanks. Well, it was just a quick trip but I did end up with nearly 400 pics so I'll see if I can bring some of it to life for you - stay tuned.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2009 18:16:38 GMT
But was this your first trip to Québec city?
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Post by imec on Nov 17, 2009 18:20:18 GMT
No, I first went 27 years ago (while on our honeymoon) and have since been several times for business (once earlier this year). This was however, the longest I've spent there just for fun.
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