Quebec

Yes we drove up to Quebec City for a two day trip during our stay in Vermont. Micah had never been and it was only a four hour drive so we had to take advantage of the opportunity. I also had some friends I wanted to visit while there. We actually only got to meet up with one but she is my dearest friend there so it worked out perfectly. She just had a baby so we got to meet her new little addition and catch up on life. We once worked together and became quite close which is why we are still in touch.

The drive was a breeze and Elsie slept through more than half of it. Just like in Vermont, when we arrived in QC the fall foliage was depleted. We had missed it by a week here as well. Though it was freezing and not as picturesque as I had hoped we still enjoyed the city.

The city is over 400 years old so there is so much history there which Micah didn't realize and he much enjoyed learning about. Micah also didn't realize that it is a French speaking province...only. Haha! He knew it was one of the French provinces but I guess I didn't make it clear that very few actually spoke English. This just added to the trips excitement because it really made us feel like we were on the opposite side of the world!

After stopping in to visit with Catherine and her baby girl, we headed to get some food. There is only one food that matters when visiting QC and that is Poutine. The last time I had this goodness was three years ago and I painfully remember craving it through Elsie's pregnancy so it was just what I needed. I wasn't sure if I had built it up too much for Micah over the years so I was watching with anticipation as he took his first bite. Actually that isn't true at all, I was already four bites in and telling him to hurry up and taste it before I finished mine and gobbled up his as well.

POUTINE! Basically fries with gravy & cheese and I added some ground meat to mine.

Well, he loved it! The reason this is a QC thing is because of the cheese. this particular kind is only found there in that area. It is pasteurized differently and we don't seem to have it in the states. Trust me, I have been researching it for years. Plus the gravy that is used is special and is prepared with a certain sauce they only have there as well. So you can't get this anywhere else which is why I was so excited to eat it!

We arrived on Tuesday and had only planned on staying over night but we stayed through Thursday morning instead to make sure we could see all we wanted to see and of course partake of as much Poutine as we could.

Bundling up for our walk through the city!

I was so excited to shop, apparently so was Elsie.

We walked around Old Town QC and even took a horse carriage tour. Every time I visited on my own I saw the horse carriages trotting through the cobblestone village and just romanticized about Micah and I doing the same thing one day since I so loved the city and knew I would return.

So when I saw the horse and buggy waiting on the side of the road, I just looked at Micah and he said, "Let's do it." It started off wonderfully the first few minutes as our tour guide pointed out historic landmarks and we awed in amazement at the city. Then reality struck in. It was about 40 degrees outside and we have an 20 month old who could give a rip about this amazing city. Though we were provided a heavy blanket for the ride, the wind pierced through every twist and turn. We enjoyed it for as long as we could bare but had to cut our 45 minute tour down to about 25 minutes. HAHA! I had to laugh because what more could I have expected. It was perfect and this is our life. Nothing goes as planned. That is how it should be.

We ate some poutine before heading back to the hotel for our naps and then went out again later that night to do some Christmas shopping, eat some crepes and go see Old Town lit up by the green roof of the Chateau Frontenac (the castle). It was magical. We had purchased a french Christmas CD while there and we had that playing in the car while driving through the city. It was beautiful.

On Thursday morning we woke up and headed out to see the well known Montmorency waterfalls there in Quebec. They apparently are taller than Niagara Falls, just not as wide or ferocious. After enjoying that touristy site we stopped and of course had more poutine before heading home, I mean our cabin in Vermont which felt like home. It was a great trip but we were excited to get back to our cabin and cozy up!

Our last stroll through the city and our last taste of Poutine (well for this trip anyway)