RSS
Home
Worried about Swine Flu? Visit a different border country Canada's Quebec. We're talkintravel
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Travelers who are concerned about the swine flu which may be linked to Mexico should try visiting another border country, Canada. It's close, economical and cosmopolitan. What it doesn't have in beaches, it makes up for in culture and fine dining.
The Quebec government website: (www.quebecregion.com), has details on events, lodging and dining options. The Quebec region is the French speaking side so make the most of your rendezvous with these phrases.
Beinvenue:
The Auberge Saint Antoine boutique hotel treats everyone like royalty. Sir Paul McCartney wanted to stay here when he performed a free 
concert in Quebec last summer but the owners refused to kick guests out of the 300-year-old buildings for the star’s entourage.
Built in the old port on a rich archeological site, the hotel doubles as a museum. Artifacts are artfully displayed throughout, including a French cannon in the garage! 8, rue Saint-Antoine,(www.saint-antoine.com).
Bon vivant:
UNESCO proclaimed Québec City a World Heritage Treasure because of its unique architectural and historical value. After walking around this living museum refresh yourself with a glass of champagne at Toast, a casually elegant restaurant with outdoor seating under twinkling lights. The chef, who trained at French Laundry in Napa Valley, recommends “humane” foie gras as a compliment to every meal..jpg)
Bijoux:
Wear your ballot flats to navigate the Quartier Petit Chamblain’s cobblestone streets. This is where you’ll see local artists creating crafts like bijoux (jewelry), leather coats, knitted sweaters and sculptures. Osmose (41 Place de Pars, 418-523-2097) is a hidden treasure worth finding. Located just below the funicular, (cable car), the owner and designer Sonia Ferland-Joailier creates modern jewelry (bijoux in French) from pewter…more affordable and easier to maintain than silver. Sonia combs the beach for inspiration, because, “Nature makes the best design.” Sand dollars, seashells and red bamboo are cast into molds that later appear on a limited number of signed pieces adorning a few lucky women.
Bon Appétit:
If you’re lucky, guide Michelle Demers, with the Quebec Tourism Board, will be available to take you to Île d’Orléans. This island, the size of Manhattan with only 10,000 inhabitants, (including a working blacksmith,) has been compared to the Hamptons--before it was overrun with tourists. Divided into six Catholic parishes that all make their own cheese, most locals live off the land like their forefathers, gathering sap from maple trees to make syrup, brewing apple cider and catching fish to sell by the side of the road..jpg)
"J'accueille et je nourris" ("I welcome and feed") is the motto written on the Island’s coat of arms and you can’t find a better example of local hospitality than Cassis Monna & Filles, www.cassismonna.com. Operated by two enterprising sisters who are using blackberries to make wine and cassis liquor, it’s the perfect place to stop for an outdoor lunch overlooking the vineyards.
Vive le difference:
No trip to the Quebec region is complete without visiting the cosmopolitan city of Montréal. While Quebec City is fiercely French, with most attractions located within a small area along the river bluffs, Montreal is the second largest city in Canada, (Toronto is number one), with influences from the English, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese and, naturally, the French.
Japanese journalists recently listed Montréal as the gastronomic capital of the world and one reason for their enthusiasm is Restaurant Europea.www.europea.ca. Last year Europea’s Lucien L’Allier was named top chef by his colleagues. Epicureans book a reservation here well in advance to sample the freshest local products transformed into cutting-edge contemporary cuisine, which shouldn’t be surprising; the term nouvelle cuisine is French.
Montreal has been a popular location for movies for years and paparazzi hang out at the Hotel Nelligan, 106 Saint-Paul Street West, www.hotelnelligan.com. Get to the bar early for a booth overlooking the hip scene. Inspired by one of Quebec’s most celebrated poets, Émile Nelligan, his poetry is inscribed on the walls. It’s located in the old part of town, just steps away from the Quays of the Port and within walking distance of Notre-Dame Basilica, a must see on any tourist’s list along with the city hall (a replica of the Louvre) and the botanical gardens, considered second only to London’s.
Making your way around the city and riverfront got easier this spring when the government began offering bicycles for rent at a small fee from 300 self-service kiosks, modeled after the successful Vélib' system in Paris.
Voila! Your French connection can be accomplished in less time and for less money than a couture party chapeau from Paris. But be warned, Quebec City is addictive and everyone at least flirts with the idea of returning. As they say in Quebec, au revoir-until we meet again!
For more info: www.quebecregion.com
Related Articles:
Comments
