CANADA, PART 2....019

What started as a plan for a quick New Year's trip to Canada somehow turned into a week-long, 3-city, planes-trains-and-automobiles tour of The Great White North with our pals, Wendy and Charly (here's what happened in 2019):

January 1, 2019 - Happy New Year!  We made it to 2019 despite the cold and the snow here in Montreal.

We didn't stay up long after midnight to ring in the new year since we had an 11 AM food tour scheduled for today.  While it was a tour of Chinatown, we met our guide at the beautiful square outside the Notre Dame Basilica de Montreal cathedral.  Built in 1824, this massive Gothic structure was even more striking in the cold morning sunshine.

Our signature "shadow pose" that we try to do on most of our trips was a good one today as we looked down at the icy fleur-de-lis in the park as we waited on our food tour guide.

Our first stop on the Chinatown Food Tour was one of the best.  This doesn't look like any Holiday Inn I have even been in?  The water garden inside the Chinese-themed Holiday Inn Centreville was simply amazing.  This unique place might be worth a stay next time we are in town.

Our last stop on the Chinatown Tour was also one of our favorites.  The My Cup of Tea tea shop is  tiny and beautiful, and their tea samples were amazing.  The most jaw-dropping one by far was the blooming zodiac tea.  Hand-rolled tea balls are dropped into a clear tea-pot of hot water and voila, a beautiful bloom appears and produces flavorful tea as well.

We spent the evening at our nice Bonaventure Hotel to partake in their awesome heated outdoor pool.  This was quite the sensation since the temps were well below freezing.   We chose this hotel for three reasons:  good central location in Montreal; connected to the train station  that we were using to arrive and depart the city; and this awesome pool! 

We also strolled about the hotel tonight in our matching "one-sies" that drew a lot of smiles and second-looks from the other folks at the hotel.  I swear I even heard one large African-Canadian fella say admiringly, "Well, ya only one got one mother-(effing) life" when he saw us in our get-ups. 

Wednesday, January 2  - We also wore our one-sies on a very earrrrly train to Quebec City this morning.  We chose this train so we could make the last Christmas walking tour offered later today.

Wow!  Unlike the ho-hum ride from Toronto to Montreal, this leg of our journey was incredible.  All three hours were filled with snowy postcard-worthy scenes out our windows.  It was early, but I didn't sleep a wink! 

Wind chill of -26, folks.  Out of the wind it was a balmy -7.  

Postcards from a train...

I came to Quebec City many years ago alone and in the summer, but I have never forgotten how beautiful and Old World it looks and I have always kept it in the back of my mind as I place I would like to take Ashlee during Christmas since she loves the holiday so much.  This trip finally saw that happen and it was even better than I imagined it would be.  With around two feet of snow, the picturesque Old Town was like stepping into one of Ashlee's Christmas Village displays.  As I mentioned before, we made the early train trek from Montreal today so we could catch the very last Christmas Walking Tour offered this season this afternoon.  Our first stop was outside the beautiful Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica Cathedral (on the right in the photo above).  

As one of only seven Holy Doors in the world (and the only one in North America), this one at Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica Cathedral was last opened back in 2015 to much fanfare.  Gotta wait another 25 years or so for it to open again.

We were also allowed inside the Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica Cathedral which is exquisite.

One of the oldest structures in Old Town Quebec circa 1675 is this beautiful old house turned restaurant that  while covered in snow looked more like a movie set than something in real life when we walked past it on our tour.

More "fake" Hallmark Christmas movie set in Quebec City

Rue de Petit Champlain stretching out ahead might be the prettiest street in the world....

Moving big snow in Quebec City takes big equipment! 

The huge and frozen St. Lawrence River stretches out as far as the eye can see from Quebec City.

Walking on Rue de Petit Champlain again with night falling...

The Christmas decorations around Old Town QC were spectacular! 

We rode the cool funicular back up to the top of Old Town from below after making it down Breckneck Steps as the afternoon slipped away.  We didn't have the courage (or strength) to walk back up them in the icy darkness.

The amazing  Fairmont de Chateau Frontenac Hotel is the center-piece of Old Town.  

This huge awesome three-lane toboggan ride was set-up in front of the Frontenac Hotel and rides were $3.  No waiver to sign.  Just go!  It was a blast!!  

Thursday, January 3 - We had a full day in Quebec City and had booked dog-sledding north of town at Nord-Bec Stoneham Aventures.  It was one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had.   The weather was perfect, the dogs were so cool and we both got to drive and ride along in our own sled on this hour-long adventure.

Thanks to our hosts for this great picture of us on the trail.  The area we sledded in was beautiful and sits on the outskirts of the giant Parc National de Jacques-Cartier.  Not sure you could paint happier dog faces! 

Our sled dogs were all so beautiful, so friendly, and looked to be treated very well here.  We got a tour of the facilities after our sled run also as they showed us how they cared for the dogs.   Thanks to Wendy for doing the research in finding this tremendous outfitter.  

Holy crap, the puppies were so adorable!  Thanks to Ashlee for the great pic.

Postcard?  Norman Rockwell painting?  Snapshot on my I-phone?  Take a guess...

The morning was a blast, so the afternoon needed to measure up and did so pretty as we visited the Aquarium du Quebec with the promise of hopefully seeing polar bears.  And did we see them!  Wow!  Only 20 yards or so away romping and playing outside in the weather they love the most!  

Is it just me or is Ashlee great at selfies?  

Arctic foxy, up close and personal! 

The biggest surprise to us were the walruses.  We were astounded at their sheer size and yet their gracefulness moving their massive bulks effortlessly through the water.

We capped off a great day in Quebec with a fun food and libation crawl from our hotel to three local establishments nearby.  First up was tasty craft beer and appetizers at Noctem Artisans Brasseurs.  Dinner was at Phil Smoked Meat (not Phil's, just Phil) and it was amazing.    Dessert and more libations at Pub du Parvis was just about perfect! 

The Church of Saint Roch needed no flash to photograph at night thanks to the snow glow.

Friday, January 4 - We had another full day in Quebec City today, but we were changing hotels to our most anticipated activity of the trip --- an overnight stay in the only ice hotel in North America, the Hotel de Glace!!  The ice hotel is located about a half-hour northwest of the city.  Since a shuttle wasn't available and Uber would have been high going there and coming back (plus to the airport tomorrow), we decided to rent a car for a couple days.  The price was reasonable and the folks here do a great job of keeping the roads pretty clear.  Ashlee did a great job navigating the Chevy Equinox we rented with no issues at all.   

You can't check in to the ice hotel until you are ready to go to sleep basically, but that doesn't mean we didn't have anything to do all day.  The ice hotel is part of the awesome Valcartier Winter Park with several snow-tubing slides to tackle.  The one above is one of the bigger ones called The Himalaya.  We bought a day pass and wore ourselves out slipping and sliding! 

Getting back up the hills after you slide is easy thanks to this ingenious pulley system of inner-tubes to plop down on and have yourself gently pulled back up to the top.  Getting off the non-stop system was a little challenging for some...no names.

The outer courtyard of Hotel de Glace.  That's the main hotel on the left showing both entrances and the wedding chapel on the right.

The Grand Hall of the Hotel de Glace.  Pictures do this place no justice.  Simply amazing.

The Hotel de Glace lobby bar was open to the public and to patrons of the hotel.  

Inside the aforementioned Hotel de Glace Chapel.  

Outdoor hot-tubs were also available for the ice hotel guests only.  We did partake.  We did enjoy! 

Walking down the hall to our room.

Our room was fairly simple with two queen beds with carved ice headboards.  The curtain to the left is your only door.  The dark rolled up sleeping bags are hard to make out in this picture, but we stayed in them officially for six hours from around midnight to 6 AM.  A few cold noses were the only complaints.  It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing to do...because we probably wouldn't do it again! 

While we already had an official shadow-picture for this trip and the fact  that we  usually only do them alone had to be altered for the four of us after this momentous occasion that we all experienced together.  Thanks to Wendy and Charly for having the nerve (and the craziness) to take on this adventure with us.  We will never forget it!  

Saturday, January 5 - Our "back-up" room with a hot shower and beds (without ice blocks under them) was the Hotel Valcartier next door and was included in our pricey overnight-stay package.  We slept away a few more morning hours here before heading back to Quebec City for the afternoon and then an evening flight back to Toronto.  

A bonus treat (especially for me as a waterfall lover) was a stop at Montmorency Falls just east of Quebec City thanks to the handiness of the rental car.  Photographing Montmorency is the reason I came to Quebec City all those years ago, and as I mentioned it was during the summer, so seeing it again in all its winter glory and riding the cable car from the top of the gorge to the bottom where the Montmorency River dumps into the mighty St. Lawrence was awe-inspiring.  At 272' of falling water, it beats it's better know neighbor to the southeast, Niagara, by almost 100' in height.  Note the tiny dark specks to the left of the falls also.  Those are ice climbers! 
 We had a great lunch (and more craft beer for me!) before heading to the airport at Les 3 Brasseurs gastro-pub.  The flight back to Toronto was short and smooth and we stayed near the airport so as to complete our 14-hour layover of this same flight to Nashville tomorrow...weird, but the price was great and it fit our schedule the best.

A last shout-out to the famous Canadian fast-food chain, TIm Horton's, for supplying us with warm, delicious coffee; tasty  breakfast sandwiches; dinner tonight; and way too many maple glazed and cream doughnuts throughout the trip.  Now that we know there are locations in Kentucky, we gotta hope Nashville is next on their expansion south!

Sunday, January 6 - The beautiful snow of Quebec was just rain in Toronto as we took off for home on an easy, quick morning flight to Nashville that got us in before noon.  This was easily one of the best trips (and most photogenic by all the pictures in this entry) we have ever taken.  Wendy and Charly were great to travel with...easy-going, exuberant and low-maintenance.  Let's do it again in about a month to Key West!!