Never heard of maple syrup taffy? Neither had I until I discovered it being made on the walls of Québec City.
But what better way to experience an 80 degree spring day in Canada, than to pour steaming maple syrup onto snow, roll it around a popsicle stick, and create an instant “tire sur la neige” treat to fortify you as you explore this ancient, walled city!
I’ve been lucky enough to visit Canada a total of 6 or more times, and finally over Easter I made it to Québec, to sample some Québécois food, culture and language! And it truly is like visiting a slice of Europe in North America!
Montréal is a large modern city, and in my short stay there, I felt on many streets that I could easily have been in Chicago or Toronto. But the old town, down by the port, has a very European feel to it. As we ate dinner at a sidewalk restaurant, couples, groups of friends, and families took their evening stroll down by the water, enjoying an unusually warm spring evening. French was the language most in evidence, although we heard snippets of conversations in Spanish, English and, hmm, was that Polish or Czech?
A mere 3 hours from Montréal by train, Québec City has by contrast a uniquely European feel. Encircled by medieval walls, and with 95% of its population speaking French, this is like no other city in North America! It feels and looks much more like an historic town somewhere in the middle of France. Sure, it’s touristy, but the natives are very friendly, and it’s a great place to explore!
The Chateau Frontenac may be a bit of a splurge, but its imposing presence and elegant comfort in the heart of the city makes it a great base to come back to after a day’s exploration. And if your travel budget won’t absorb a stay in one of its historic rooms, then at least soak up the atmosphere of the St-Laurent bar, with a panoramic view of the St. Lawrence River.
And for a great view of Quebec City? Just take the ferry across the river to Lévis and back…
So where exactly did March go to? In my case I had 4 business trips in 4 weeks, definitely not my norm!! I started off the month with a quick trip to Vancouver, for 2 days, to assist with the installation of a new phone system at the Vancouver office of a Canadian adventure travel company, Trek Escapes, with whom we recently merged.
I didn’t really get much time to explore, but made sure to walk from the hotel to the office, across the Granville Street bridge, with great views across the water to Vancouver Island.
And in the evening, I checked out Granville Street again, and ate some truly delicious, middle-eastern inspired tapas at Sanafir. Hmm, I’m thinking I may have to go back and check on that new phone system soon, so I can explore Vancouver some more!!
After Vancouver, it was off to Chicago for management meetings with our new Canadian colleagues, and a chance to meet more of the folks at our other sister company, iExplore. Whenever I travel on business, my natural curiosity prompts me to seek out something unique to the area. In Chicago I managed a brisk walk across to inspect the puzzling but intriguing 66 foot long Bean sculpture near the lake.
Next, a quick trip to Calgary and Edmonton allowed for incredible winter views of the Rockies – truly beautiful! And now I am about to head off to Toronto – although this time I plan to tack on a weekend in Quebec, and my girlfriend Regina is coming along for the ride!