I’ve been craving some travel lately. I enjoy where I live, but I’ve felt pent up for a little too long. With Thanksgiving break approaching, my brother and I tossed around ideas: Montreal or Quebec? Quebec won. Randomly, we decided to explore Quebec. Montreal will be my next trip. Just prior to the trip, my French tutor questioned my reasoning for choosing Quebec. Part of it is a connection to my ancestors, and part of it is… why not?!
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Quebec City is about three hours from Carrabassett Valley, Maine. That time is enough for one solid Spotify playlist, which involved Indie Québécois – a mix of English and French music. It finally snowed, of course, on the morning I left. No snow in Quebec, but at least an inch in The Valley when I left. The driving was slow at times, and my tires definitely didn’t enjoy the slush on the roads. Aside from the blue truck I saw in a ditch, this was a drive without incident. Well, I did pee in a bottle for the first time. That was exciting.
More exciting was entering Quebec, where I picked up Will at the airport. It was 11:45 am and check in to the Airbnb wasn’t until 3 pm. After four attempts at finding parking on Rue du Roi, I found a spot in a nearby lot. Our first experience with the exchange rate was a touristy gift shop. I found some spoons and bought them to play with the harmonica. Well, those spoons were about $50 CAD. But that’s perhaps $40 USD. Still expensive for a piece of wood, but c’est la vie!
Both of us were pretty hungry. We found Restaurant Asia. The food was good, but we were surprised to hear they cost $25 each. The owner talked constantly, even coming over in the middle of Will’s story. She had been in the restaurant industry 35 years, but was also a chemical engineer and spoke five languages. She claimed to use no oils, salts, or sugars in her stir fries. No MSG too. But when Will asked what was on the dried spinach, she said sugar. Not an ideal first experience in Quebec, but the rest of our dining experiences have been swell.
After eating, Will and I took a few more passes around the Airbnb to find parking. It was our last attempt before using a parking garage when we found space directly in front of the apartment. We unpacked and ordered an Uber into Old Quebec. There’s an entire section of Old Quebec filled with art galleries. I’m not a fan of art, but Will would have checked them all out if it hadn’t been closing time for most. He did find a couple that he enjoyed. And I decided I’m going to throw some paint on a canvas, call it “Untitled,” and sell it for $8,500.
Prior to supper, we walked practically the entire Old City. Despite being in a car for three and a half hours, I was getting my steps in. We found the Christmas markets set up in various spaces. This was our only experience with a crowded area. Quebec is primarily a space for families. We didn’t find any nightlife. That’s jumping ahead. The crowd surrounding stalls of mulled wine and tacos reminded me of Munich, where I had a similar experience. Munich was a larger-scale experience, but I had a time travel moment. I returned to the present moment as we emerged from the small sea of French-speaking people. The market was split, set up along three streets.
Our second dining experience was Pizzéria No. 900. We were reminded of Rome with the atmosphere and the delicious pizzas that came out. We also spoke primarily in French – many thanks to our patient waitress. I ordered the ham and mushroom. Will took the margherita antica. This is my first interaction with Boréale beer. A double blanche, I think it was. Yum! I’ve since ordered the blonde as well. It’s not as good, in my opinion, but it’s still solid.
While the day didn’t go perfectly—thanks to a pricey lunch and a Netflix letdown (Canadian Netflix doesn’t have Blue Mountain State!)—we still uncovered so much of Quebec’s charm. The art-filled streets, cozy Christmas markets, and Pizzéria No. 900 offered glimpses into the city’s rich character. It’s quite beautiful at night. We have plans for more daylight exploration tomorrow. I’m excited to dive deeper into a place that already feels both familiar and new.
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