Summer is on its way...we hope!

Vieux-Québec

You can only be sure of the weather in Québec in the winter.  

And then again, that is changing somewhat with the onset of global warming.  But once the weather does get warmer we see an annual phenomenon come to life.....la terrasse! 

If you head down to Vieux-Québec on a beautiful day you may not find an empty chair on a terrasse because everybody else had the same idea!

Every year thousands of people flock to the old city to enjoy the beautiful architecture and immerse themselves in the history of this interesting city.  The photo to the right is of one of the more popular streets for tourists, Rue Du Petit-champlain.  This is definitely a must-see for anybody visiting the city.  Be sure to walk down Côte de la Montagne and then take the stairs down to Rue Du Petit-champlain.  The view from the top of the stairs is wonderful as you look down at all these old buildings and up towards the Chateau Frontenac. 

The local people tend to hang out on Rue Cartier where you can find some well-loved outdoor spots for a glass of wine or beer while soaking in the sun.  Tourists usually end up on Grande-Allée which is a hot spot for restaurants and night life. And another great street to head to for night life, restaurants and interesting shopping is Rue St-Joseph which is down in an area known as the Nouvo St-Roch.  

There are quite a few small hotels and the like in these areas as well and you are right next to the Plains of Abraham.

I would not recommend staying at the Chateau since the city has so many wonderful smaller hotels known as "les auberges" as well as les gîtes which are similar to a B&B.  Of course the Chateau Frontenac is a beautiful hotel and if you can afford one of their luxury rooms then you may want to go for it.  Personally, I visited somebody staying at the hotel and found the interior of the rooms to be quite dark. 

Of course dining is another wonderful way to pass your time and on a beautiful evening you will want to dine on an outdoor terrasse.  As a family we often head down to the old port since our kids love to go to Café du Monde.  This terrasse has a wonderful view out over the fleuve and the bistro flavour of the restaurant makes it child-friendly and reasonably priced.  The food and the service are very good.

Of course for those wanting a more fine-dining experience...well, I will dedicate an entire post to that topic since the list is long!