Before leaving Vermont, Brett and I decided we had to visit Quebec City. We had enjoyed Montreal but weren't as impressed as we had expected, mainly because it was so similar to many big US cities. However, we heard that Quebec City had a more European, historic, francophone flair and were eager to experience it for ourselves. We conveniently had a bedandbreakfast.com gift card. So, we looked up B&Bs that accepted the gift cards and planned a weekend getaway in Quebec City. Old QuebecThe place that all the tourists visit in Quebec City is Vieux Quebec, or Old Quebec, the historic, walled city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So, Brett and I decided to explore VIeux Quebec as well. The streets were lined with adorable stone buildings and sidewalk cafes. Some of the shops in Old Quebec were more tourist-oriented, but Brett and I enjoyed walking through the streets, grabbing snacks, and looking at the various historic buildings. Sometimes, even though you know you're surrounded by tourists, it's fun to feel transported to a different time and place. Compared with Montreal, which felt more similar to large American cities, Quebec felt more like being in another country. Walking around the walled part of Old Quebec reminded me of being in a European city. We stumbled into a church-turned-library, and we climbed up the old wall, which provided a view of the old town. We wandered through the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, a beautiful and historic hotel on the top of the hill in Old Quebec, too luxurious for our budget but fun to see nonetheless. CantookOf course, Brett and I couldn't visit a new city without finding a coffee shop to try. We had looked up La Brulerie Cafe de Quebec, which had changed its name to Cantook Micro-Torrefaction literally days before we arrived. With the name change, we got a little lost, but ultimately found the small, cozy, wood-paneled shop in Old Quebec. It was on an adorable street of shops and restaurants though situated outside the historic city walls. Roasted coffee beans lined the wall behind the counter and big coffee roaster stood partially hidden in a back room. We ordered a Chemex for two and thoroughly enjoyed the coffee, as evidenced by the fact that we returned for coffee two more times on our trip (and bought a mug). Our experience at Cantook Micro-Torrefaction was a great example of why I love to visit coffee shops on our trips. As we traveled around the city, we had noticed buildings labeled CEGEP, and neither Brett nor I had any idea what CEGEP was. So, we started chatting with the baristas and asked them. They explained that CEGEP is part of the educational system, unique to Quebec, and is a college that students attend between high school and university. I enjoyed drinking my coffee while chatting with the baristas and learning more about the local customs and culture. Coffee shops in a city are a great way to explore the vibe of a city and interact with people who live and work in that place. Samuel-De Champlain PromenadeOn our way out of town, Brett and I drove along the St. Lawrence River and stopped for a lunch on the Samuel-de Champlain Promenade, a path that follows the river. All along the promenade, people were running, walking, biking, and taking advantage of this scenic path. On the pier is a cafe, an overlook, and a number of tables. We ordered food, then sat outside to enjoy the sunshine and views of the river. Auberge AmerikThe Bed and Breakfast that we found for our stay in Quebec was called Auberge Amerik, which we chose for the price and the fact that they accepted bedandbreakfast.com gift cards. The main pro of the B&B for us was the price, especially when compared with staying in a hotel closer to the old city. It wasn't as cheap as some hostels, but we were able to use our gift card, have money left over, and have a room to ourselves. The staff members that greeted us were extremely friendly and helpful, and our room was cute. However, the ceiling in our room had a leak, which caused a dripping sound all night that we tried to mask with towels on the floor. There was a gelato stand and a few restaurants within walking distance from Auberge Amerik. We definitely were not in a tourist bubble. The location made us feel like we were staying among people who actually lived and worked in Quebec City. We were also about 5 minutes by car from Third Avenue in La Cite-Limoilou, another neighborhood in Quebec featuring restaurants and old architecture. The major con of Auberge Amerik was our distance from the oldest, walled part of the city, meaning that we had to rely on our car and worry about paying for parking downtown. Still, since we had a car, this did not hinder our exploration of Quebec. One thing that we did not have time to take advantage of during our short weekend in Quebec City was the bike rental at Auberge Amerik. It is situated near multiple bike paths, and the hotel offers half and full-day bike rentals. We talked about renting bicycles and pedaling down to the Old Port along the St. Lawrence RIver, but we simply ran out of time during our visit. Brett and I both enjoyed visiting Quebec City, more so than our day-trip to Montreal. As I mentioned above, we enjoyed driving only 3.5 hours but feeling like we had entered a completely new place. There is much more to experience in the area - such as explore the quaint Ile d'Oleans, a mere 5 kilometers from Quebec City - but, for our quick weekend getaway, we stuck with the traditional Quebec City experiences. I was excited to have another opportunity to try out my rusty French, and we loved exploring this historic city, wandering through the twisted cobblestone streets at our leisure.
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Over the weekend, Brett and I ventured north to Montreal for the day. Burlington is only about 90 miles from Montreal, and, with the border crossing, it takes approximately two hours. Brett had never been to Canada, and I had only been once, when I took a day trip from Seattle to Vancouver. I was interested to experience Montreal, suspecting that French-speaking Canada would be quite different than the rest of the country. We ended up spending about 5 hours walking around, and, because we're cheap, spent as little money as possible. Below, I break down my impressions of each neighborhood we visited. Upon seeing this sign for the Metro, I immediately recognized it and said, "It's like the ones in Paris!" I love interesting signs and took note of these art nouveau Metro signs by Hector Guimard when I visited Paris in high school, nine years ago. I even have a similar photo (minus my husband) in a photo album of the trip. This sign is at the Square-Victoria-OACI entrance of the Montreal Metro. It is the only original outside of Paris, given as a gift to recognize the collaboration between the French and Canadians when building the Montreal Metro. You may encounter similar signs in other cities, but they are replicas. Vieux-MontrealProbably one of the most well-known neighborhoods in the city, Vieux-Montreal translates literally to Old Montreal. The architecture and atmosphere is completely wonderful. Old brick buildings, some from as early as the 17th century, line cobblestone streets, with people leisurely enjoying brunch at sidewalk cafes. Visually, it looked like I was in Europe. However, I have to admit that I was disappointed by how much the neighborhood caters to tourists. Many of the shops displayed generic t-shirts and tote bags, and the majority of the restaurant menus offered overpriced poutine or Italian food. As a cheap couple on a budget, we struggled to find a restaurant within our budget in this neighborhood. Eventually, we gave up trying to eat in Vieux-Montreal, enjoyed the atmosphere for awhile, and then moved on to another neighborhood for lunch. We wandered into Bonsecours Market, a National Historic Site of Canada, which was the main public market in Montreal for many years. Nowadays, it has been transformed from a farmer's market to an upscale mall with boutiques and cafes. The building is beautiful, and I heartily wish it was still used as a farmer's market today. Our time in the market was short-lived, since upscale boutiques and cafes were not amenable to our budget. The Notre-Dame Basilica is also located in Old Montreal, at the Place d'Armes square. Notre-Dame Basilica is a highlight of the area, and I definitely recommend visiting the square to see this beautiful church. Based on your budget, you can decide whether to explore the interior of the basilica, as there is an entrance fee unless you are there to attend mass. We elected not to pay the entrance fee, so Brett and I admired Notre-Dame for free from outside on Place d'Armes. Recommendation: Walk around Old Montreal to experience the old-world feel of the neighborhood, making sure to stop by the Notre-Dame Basilica and Place d'Armes. To save money on meals, head to another neighborhood for lunch or dinner. ChinatownOnce Brett and I were sufficiently hungry, we walked from Old Montreal to Chinatown for lunch. If you enter Montreal's Chinatown on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, as we did, you pass through this beautiful paifang, or traditional Chinese arch. There is a wide variety of Asian restaurants and stores. We chose to eat lunch at a Vietnamese Pho restaurant, which was budget-friendly and delicious. Sharing an extra-large bowl of Pho and a meat/rice/salad entree cost us less than $20 USD, including tip, which was the price of single entrees at many restaurants in Old Montreal. While the meat/rice/salad entree was acceptable, the Pho was delicious and satisfying. Recommendation: For a budget-friendly meal that won't disappoint, eat at one of Chinatown's many restaurants. We used wi-fi in a coffee shop to look up Yelp reviews before selecting one of the options. The neighborhood borders Old Montreal and downtown, so it is an easy walk if you are already in the tourist areas. DowntownFrom Chinatown, we meandered over to Rue Sainte-Catherine, which, unbeknownst to us, is Canada's busiest commercial avenue. Now, to be clear, you could spend a lot of money on this street, lined by stores like Banana Republic, Club Monaco, H&M, and more. As budget-conscious travelers, Brett and I simply enjoyed walking around and people watching. I wish I had been fast enough with my camera to catch a few of the characters we encountered, including a guy with an outrageously patterned suit and a girl wearing shorts smaller than most pairs of underwear I own. People handing out samples were also stationed along Rue Sainte-Catherine, so we took advantage of those freebies to have a snack of gummy bears and iced tea. Interspersed with the modern buildings and department stores were beautiful churches like the one pictured above, providing interesting architectural contrast between old and new. The hustle and bustle of this area was much more characteristic of a major city than the atmosphere of Old Montreal. To be completely honest, we ventured this way looking for Cafe Myriade, a coffee shop that Brett had discovered online and was determined to try. Cafe Myriade has a few locations around Montreal, and, while we picked the closest one within walking distance, we also chose the most difficult one to find. It was located in the basement of Club Monaco on Rue Sainte-Catherine, which is not something that is readily apparent on GPS or from the facade of the Club Monaco store. Once we found it, Brett enjoyed asking the barista about the Montreal coffee scene, and I enjoyed the 1920s-esque flair of the small cafe. Recommendation: Downtown Montreal has the hustle and bustle of a large city that is fun to experience. If you have the willpower not to shop, walking around the area is a free way to get a feel for the city. If you have the time, walk to McGill University's campus, located in downtown not far from Rue Sainte-Catherine, and explore the grounds, another free activity. After all, "Travel + Leisure rated McGill's campus as one of the 17 most beautiful university campuses in the world" (wikipedia). Observations1. Montreal is an interesting mix of new and old. While walking downtown, if you ignore the signs in French, it feels like just another big, modern city. However, in other areas, such as Old Montreal, the buildings date back centuries, giving a European vibe.
2. If you, like me, try to speak in French, and you, like me, are not awesome at it, people will automatically switch to English. Almost everyone we encountered was bilingual and easily switched between the two. A lover of the French language, I was a little disappointed because I had hoped for some opportunities to use it. However, I haven't been able to practice French since college, and I recognize my own limitations. I admit that switching to English was far easier when I needed help. I did successfully ask a police officer a question in French and receive an answer in French, so that's something. 3. I observed that, in general, people in Montreal are very fashionable. You encounter people in jeans and t-shirts, but, more often than not, I was impressed by the stylish outfits that we passed. 4. You will have to pay for parking if you drive. It's virtually unavoidable in a large city like Montreal. We found a parking lot, conveniently located a block from Place d'Armes, that allowed us to park all day for about $12 USD - not the best but not the most expensive that we saw. All of our exploring was done for free by walking, but the Metro is supposed to be easy to use if you want to venture further from downtown. If I was traveling to Montreal again, I would do some research on parking to find the cheapest possible places. 5. The street signs, construction signs, and advertisements are almost universally in French. Menus and signs in the more tourist heavy areas have English translations as well. I was able to put my high school/college French to use by navigating and translating some signs for Brett. |
AuthorMy name is Alyssa Good and I have a passion for travel, adventure, culture, and new experiences! I focus on budget friendly travel, trip planning resources, and seeking out new experiences. Archives
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