Husband read my blog entry Wilder Days, in which I ruminated about our disenchanting experience with the French on our honeymoon, and he suggested we go ahead and visit Quebec to wipe the slate clean and start anew. We’re just wrapping up our Canadian vacation as I write this, and bravo to Husband because this trip and everything about it has been terrific.
To begin with, Husband signed up years ago as a rewards member of a major hotel chain so we could accumulate points for visits and get a free night here and there. So when he made the reservation for Quebec, he entered a request for any upgrade available at the time of check-in at no extra charge. Unbelievably, we got assigned to an upper floor, corner deluxe room with panoramic views and executive lounge privileges, including complimentary breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres, and free Internet. Jackpot.
Quebec City is GORGEOUS. It’s a stunning, walkable city, with exquisite architecture, friendly people, and a bustling street life. I have to give the Quebec Hilton its props for service, which began the moment we arrived. There was a fierce wind blowing, and when I asked the concierge outside if it was always this windy, he opened his arms wide, placed himself between my back and the wind, and protectively ushered me into the lobby. For a moment I thought he was going to scoop me up and carry me inside. I mean I like to think I’m a delicate flower, but wow.
It’s a good thing there’s lots of walking because those almond paste, chocolate stuffed croissants are murder. You’d think pairing one with a double-shot cappuccino would be overkill, but you’d be wrong. Caribou is a frequent entry on bistro menus, along with oysters and succulent steaks, but the item we chose to share at a sunny outdoor café was smoked duck pizza with melted gruyere and sprigs of rosemary. Oh God. Then we climbed up the 310 outdoor steps known as L’Escalier Casse-Cou (Breakneck Stairs) to the Jardins des Gouverneurs (Governors’ Gardens). You can take the motorized Funiculaire, but we decided on the hike. The entire walk was probably less than a mile, but it was all up and down steep escarpments. By the time we reached Battlefield Park, I was dragging one foot behind me like The Fly.
Canadian money is cool, with the pastel-colored bills sporting a holographic silver band down the side. The one-dollar coin is called a loonie because of the bird depicted on the back, a loon. That makes the two-dollar coin a toonie, simply because it makes sense. The toonie is the neat bi-color coin with the brass circle inside surrounded by the silver border. It’s very easy to spend because it all feels like Monopoly money and I’m sure that’s the whole idea where tourists are concerned. Husband was flipping toonies to any hotel employee who smiled at us.
Unbeknownst to us, we arrived for the Festival International De Musiques Militaires De Quebec, a yearly event featuring military bands from all over the world, the nightly climax of which was a spectacular fireworks display happening right within our magnificent view. There aren’t many things that ratchet up the excitement quotient for me than fireworks. Unless of course, it’s breathtaking, Top Gun-style aerial acrobatics by military fighter planes moving faster than the Internet, and upside down to boot. All right outside our windows. I was afraid I’d under packed for this trip, but it turns out all I really needed was my camera and pajamas.
Look for my amateur action pix next time. Today we have Daughter’s Foto tribute to Bold Statements
toes
cans
growing
waving
chomp
stable