First Impressions of Quebec City

It took me two days to arrive in Quebec City due to major snowstorms. After hours in the airport, a stay in a not-so-great hotel in Toronto, then going back through security and waiting on yet another plane, I wasn't sure the trip would be worth the hassle. Within minutes of arriving, sitting in my hotel window 15 stories above the ground, I decided it was worth every moment it had taken to get there. 

I stayed at the Hilton Quebec and overlooked the St. Lawrence River and the city below me. Little kids wandered off the plowed paths to wade waist deep in the snow as parents tried in vain to corral them. Nearby, two figures played hockey on a large rink, oblivious to the cold and the snow flurries whipping around them. 

Off to one side, crews worked feverishly on BonHomme's Ice Castle for the opening day of Carnaval de Quebec. 

The city moved around me in a buzz of activity. The Hotel Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac stood regally on a hillside overlooking the city, and beyond that the wide expanse of the St. Lawrence River flowed under a perfect coat of snow and ice.

With dusk descending, trees around the streets and many of the buildings glistened with thousands of twinkling white lights. What magic.

For dinner that first night, we went to Chateau Frontenac. The building is lovely. We started out with apperitif in the Grace Kelly suite, followed by an intimate and exquisite dinner in the hotel room. Stepping back out into the cold and snow didn't seem to bother me. I was in a magical place and it was worth every moment it had taken to get there.

Come back for more highlights from my experience at Carnaval and in the Eastern Townships of the province.