We Went to Quebec
"Your French is better than my English." said the taxi driver to me as he drove my family to Jean Lesage Airport to catch our flight back to Edmonton. I hadn't put much thought into the quality of my French on our family trip to Quebec City, but I did feel a sense of gratitude for my parents' decision when I was five years old to put me in a French immersion school program. I was in a French immersion from kindergarten until I graduated high school. It's now been well over twenty years since I've had to speak French regularly, and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to manage in Quebec City. As it turned out, I gave my concern more weight than it merited. Most of the people we encountered on our trip would have been happy to speak English for us, but they seemed genuinely pleased to converse in French with a prairie-raised Albertan. While I would not be able to give a grand speech, I could comfortably manage this visit to a region of Canada where the language of the majority is French.
Why Quebec City?
We knew we wanted to take a vacation this year and had a few ideas of places to go; however, when Flair Airlines announced a new low-cost direct flight to Quebec City, we were presented with an opportunity we could not pass up. We have a young family; our boys do well on a plane, but we don't want to push them beyond their limits. Direct flights work well for our kids, and at this point in our lives, it does help our decision-making process when looking for a place to visit. The second opportunity we wanted to seize was to experience something new in a different culture. It's easy to forget how big Canada is and that traveling to other regions can often feel like traveling to a foreign country. Quebec City is just over 3,800 kilometers away from Edmonton. To put that into perspective, that's about the same distance from London, England, to the Syrian border. The opportunity to visit Quebec opened a door for us to experience a culture far away enough to be different yet with enough familiarity to make it easy for our kids. Flair Airlines would help us cross this distance for about $150 each return.
We stayed at the Delta Hotel near Old Quebec, which was about a ten-minute walk to almost everything we wanted to do over the four full days we would spend in the historic city. The boys helped me select the hotel beforehand, and they insisted that we had to book a hotel with a pool. The Delta worked well for us for this trip, and I'd book it again if we were all traveling again as a family. And yes! They enjoyed the pool. Hotel aside, Quebec City stands out for me for a number of reasons.
History
We spent most of our trip in Old Quebec, surrounded by beautiful buildings, forts, and roads dating back to the 17th century. I enjoyed walking along the Citadelle Fort, hiking through the Plains of Abraham, and strolling along the Terrasse Dufferin with the towering Chateau Frontenac in view. These sites helped bring to life some of my old social studies lessons from high school. Seeing these sites in person added flavor and nuance to my understanding of Canadian history. I now better understand the strategic importance of the St. Lawrence River for the French and English empires and how those colonial influences continue with us today.
Food
We love food and enjoy great, unique dining experiences. Are there restaurants that will work for kids and help Mom and Dad have a great culinary experience? Yes! Our trip was brief, but we were fortunate to find some restaurants that kept us all fed and happy. Our family was blessed by having a great dinner at Le Lapin Saute, a small, beautiful French Bistro. Their kitchen served our kids a nice plate of salmon with some potatoes and steamed vegetables. My wife and I shared the Quebec "Découvertes du Terroir" experience with smoked ducked, country pâté, Quebec cheese, salmon gravlax, rabbit rillettes, and some extra duck foie gras. We loved the food, the ambiance, and the friendly hospitality.
Let me also tell you about La Buche. How should I describe the experience at La Buche? I'll try with a few adjectives: fun, whimsical, and generous! This family-friendly experience featured a lot of food that found creative opportunities to add beautiful, crispy bacon and maple syrup into most of their dishes. I'm here for that party! This restaurant and team also worked well for our kids. The boys enjoyed some famous Quebec poutine and an upside-down Pâté Chinois, where the potatoes were on the bottom with the vegetables and braised beef on top. The kid's meals also came with some "Tire Sur Neige," maple taffy rolled over snow, an experience I had many years ago in kindergarten where my teacher introduced us to her Quebec roots. I also had to chuckle when I ordered their signature Old Fashioned, and it came to my table with a generous chunk of smoked maple bacon.
The signature Old Fashioned at La Buche
We love diner food and had a great lunch at Le Chic Shack. Another excellent opportunity for Poutine, but the restaurant also delivers immensely satisfying burgers, milkshakes, and fries. I should also add that this day featured a lot of walking for us to balance out our calorie intake!
One of the best ways to experience a culture is through the food. Based on our limited experience with the restaurants, we enjoyed food that had an all-or-nothing approach that was tasty and generous. Humans can't eat like this every day, but it's fun to go all out occasionally when you're on vacation.
Of course, we did much more than eat on our trip to Quebec. Our adventures will continue in "Part II," coming soon. Adventures that involve toys, waterfalls, manta rays, and a beautiful, peaceful island. Most importantly, I will share the best advice I can give on how to enjoy a vacation away. Thank you for reading, friend; I hope you'll consider exploring what we offer here in Canada.