Quebec Trip Diary

Arrival : Sunday 15 July
Hot and humid. Largely uneventful drive up from Central Massachusetts. Stopped at St. Johnsbury, VT at Anthony’s Diner, for lunch. Border crossing uneventful. Drove through Canada toward Quebec; encountered significant delay just outside Quebec due to fatal accident on A20. Checked into Auberge St. Antoine around 5:45 (very nice!) and then did a little exploration around the local area (Petit-Champlain area). Unfortunately, the roof of the Chateau Frontenac is being replaced, and the exterior of the Price Tower is also covered in scaffolding, so photos are blemished. Ate dinner at Le Cochon Dingue (the Crazy Pig), which was quite good (Salmon two-ways salad, Lobster roll). Thunderstorms came through in the evening.

Monday 16 July
Warm with a little rain. Woke up around 8:30. Went to Le Petit Cochon Dingue (which is the pastry shop cousin of the restaurant from last night – chocolatine w/ hazelnuts!). Walked over the the Musee des Civilization (excellent Samurai exhibition, then a general historical exhibit on Quebec, Quebec’s natural features, and a good First Nations exhibit.) Taxied over to Musee Nationale des Beaux Arts Quebec, ate lunch at the excellent restaurant (gazpacho – Mexican style pork – chocolate mousse cake; duck confit salad). Excellent exhibition on US/Mexican Women Surrealist artists, including Frieda Kahlo and many others. Good exhibits on Quebec modern artists, and Riopelle. Excellent exhibit on Inuit artists. Dinner at Patente et Machin tonight (same owners as L’affaire est Ketchup) – really inventive, excellent food (appetizers: Guinea fowl wings with local BBQ sauce, a charcuterie plate; mains: Vietnamese-style duck broth soup with scallops, soft-cooked duck egg, wood ear mushrooms, and fresh bamboo shoots; gnocchi with lamb, morel & wild mushrooms in a cheese/cream sauce.)

Tuesday 17 July
Cooler, but heavy rain most of the morning. Left the hotel around 9am, and walked to Paillard for breakfast (brioche natur, brioche apricots and figs) – very good. Walked down St Jean, and stopped in a sportwear store to look at Quebec Nordiques and Expos stuff. Walked down St Jean outside the walls for a few blocks, then turned back. Went back into the walls, and visited the ammunition factory / barracks part of the fortifications. Walked down to St Paul to find Brynd’s smoked meat (smoked meat sandwich, with coleslaw and poutine; smoked meat sandwich – quite good). Cabbed back to hotel as we were both soaked by then. Once the rain stopped around 3pm, we walked around and did a little shopping – Debby bought a necklace from a shop on the Escaliers Casse-cou. Walked up the rest of the way to upper town, found a second sports shop at corner of Tresor and Buade (slightly lower prices, different selection). Decided to try to find a tour of the Chateau Frontenac, but they have been completely discontinued as of last November. Walked along the Terrasse Dufferin, then walked back to hotel. Went out to dinner at Le Pizz (shared a tomato-smoked sausage-onion-emmenthaler pizza – very good). Stopped at the Petit Cochon Dingue for chocolate nut cookies (very good), and came back to hotel. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and cool.


Wednesday 18 July
Sunny, started cloudy, got drier and sunnier. Started with breakfast in the hotel (poached eggs, spinach, duck, potatoes, and sausage; brioche). Took the ferry to Levis, to get photos of downtown Quebec. Rode Funicular to Terrasse Dufferin, took some photos. Grabbed a hot dog. Walked up to the Citadel, and took a nice hour-long tour. Walked back down to the Musee du Fort, and saw the sound and light diorama (OK for what it is). Came back to hotel around 3:30, to relax and cool off. Dinner at Panache tonight - Amuse : oyster, crab jelly, blueberry lime sorbet, key lime sauce; App: beef tartare, strange vegetable leaves and purée, raspberries and air dried beef. Shrimp ravioli soup (wonton soup); Main : piglet flank, chop, leg, sausage w/ berry BBQ sauce, ff onion rings, potato chips and home fries. Lobster w/ tomato and parmesan; Cheeses; Dessert green apple monardo w/ lemon sable and hop ice cream.

Thursday 19 July
Partly Cloudy / sprinkles. Drove out to Baie St Paul, with a short stop on Ile d’ Orleans (stopped at Poissonerie Joseph Pacquet for some great smoked salmon spread for lunch). Bought a loaf of bread and sodas to have a picnic lunch. Walked the main drag of Baie St Paul, looking at several art galleries (some were the same as those in the Lower Town in Quebec, as it turns out.) Drove back, and did a bit of souvenir shopping (Nordiques shirt, Expos jersey).