Oh, Quebec, how glorious you are. We have left the best to last in Canada. What a truly beautiful place this is. We are staying in a hotel (another triumph from booking.com and tripadvisor) in the old town, overlooking that magnificent St Lawrence River. It’s tidal, and we stand at the hotel window ogling the great chunks of ice moving downstream at quite a pace, and then upstream later in the day. One day, right on midday, we notice that the ice has stopped. It’s still. The tide is changing and within half an hour it’s moving again, in the other direction. We antipodeans are fascinated by the beauty of this ice. Each day there is a little less.

We arrive in this gorgeous city on Friday 11 March , shortly after 4pm and by the time we get to the hotel and check in there is just enough daylight to take a walk to get our bearings.

Oh, my lord, the slippery streets! Deep snow against all the buildings and ice on the pavements. You take your life in your hands in this city at this time of year, as the snow melts but the ice remains below. We, along with everyone else, walk on the streets when the pavement is iced over, and the drivers are extremely tolerant. Obviously used to this. It is almost as if pedestrians have right of way. Perhaps they do.
Once again we hear about what a mild winter they have had. They had a few days of -35◦F (that’s -37◦C folks!) but only a few. What a mild winter indeed! For our stay in Quebec it was really mild – we had days of -5◦C to +2◦C, and believe me that’s warm they say. The river usually freezes over in November and doesn’t break up until April. This season it didn’t freeze up until January and is already breaking up.
On Saturday, our first full day in Quebec, we make our way up the hill. This is a hilly city, with the old port (where we are staying) at river level but it’s not long before we have to make it up the hill to the main old part. This is still a walled city, the only fortified city in North America (north of Mexico at least) and is a UNESCO site. We can clearly see why. Our breath is taken away so many times by its beauty. A surprise around every corner.

That river, which we still can’t take our eyes off, from the top reveals boats on it. Can you believe it? These maniacs go out on what look like kayaks (but I know one of you will correct me), with a crew of 6 or 8, and row to the first ‘iceberg’ and then climb on, haul the boat across it on foot and then row to the next ‘iceberg’. Some slackers just stood on the ice and let it do the work. They travelled a long way downstream, without any work!!

So, then we did as every Australian is expected to do. We went to the Ice Hotel (le Hotel de Glace), a 15 minute bus ride from town, in the apparent middle of nowhere! This is an accommodation house built entirely of ice, kept at -5◦F. They build it (should that be freeze it?) every year to open in January and it defrosts at the end of March! There is even an ice Chapel, which is a very popular wedding spot. Rather different to Reno! It’s all very touristy, kinda weird, and clearly a gimmick but we are pleased we saw it. There are 44 rooms, each with snow covered floors, ice beds with mattresses of some sort (which are not ice), with ice side tables and nothing else. Apparently the guests are provided with sleeping bags. This is a one night stay place, believe me, but I guess there are a lot of folk who want to say they slept in and on ice for a night. We both reckon that an igloo would be more comfortable, but what would we know?

I’ve already mentioned how hilly this city is but what we noticed is that lots of folk use sleds instead of strollers. It’s really cute to see these little folk being pulled along strapped into their sleds instead of their strollers. Very sensible, considering…..
On Saturday night we had a fabulous French meal at a little bistro near our hotel. Cherrie had escargots and fillet mignon and Christine had French onion soup and cassoulet, all washed down with a very decent Bordeaux. Magnifique, and very very French in this most French of North American cities.
Sunday was the most beautiful, sunny day and all of Quebec city (pop. 800,000) seemed to be out and about, obviously enjoying this first spring day for the year. It was warm (2◦C) and absolutely gorgeous. We took a ferry across our favourite river to Isle Lèvis, quite a large island directly opposite Quebec City. It’s a 15 minute ride in an ice-breaker ferry which in itself is exciting enough. Like kids, we leant over the front rail of the ferry and watched the vessel plough through these great thick slabs of ice and smash ‘em to pieces

There’s not much on the island that we could see – it’s where all the little farms are but we would have needed a vehicle to get to them. So we pottered up and down for an hour and saw more snow beaches

Back on the mainland we went to the farmers market, where they sell lots of fish, meat, cheese, charcuterie and a wide selections of oils and vinegar in bulk….take your bottle/s along and fill ‘em up!
As we walked along the waterfront, tenuously on the snow and ice, we saw….Ice fishing of course! A wonderful Sunday family outing for spring, on a part of the river which is still frozen. Ice fishing holes, pre dug, families rent a little stool and fishing rods, or hand held lines, and off you go…

Just Quebec’s version of the family by the river on a Sunday.
Despite the spring in the air, some boats are still stranded by ice

Nearby, the Museum of Civilisation was having an Australian Aboriginal art exhibition, most beautifully curated and displayed

where we saw the works of Emily Kngwarreye, Rover Thomas, artists from Yuendumu, Yirrakala, Papunya as well others from Western Australia and some urban artists. The disgrace which is white Australia’s treatment of the first peoples, and which is clearly displayed in this exhibition, is palpable
Sunday night was very interrupted by a fire alarm which sounded at 2.15am. We leapt out of bed, as one does in such an emergency, and the alarm stopped. We held our breath and waited…nothing. So, deciding it was a false alarm we went back to bed. Just got off to sleep when the alarm went again. For a short time only, but for long enough for us to be disconcerted. No word from management, so we rang downstairs and negotiated a conversation with the not very good English speaking night manager (but a damn site better than my French) ‘we are not sure Madame what is ‘appening….we are not certain if there is a fire…’ Not very reassuring. Meanwhile the fire door in the corridor outside our room had closed itself, as fire doors should. We put on our socks and boots, got our coats ready and packed up our valuables into one back pack, ready for evacuation. Then lay down again as all was quiet. For another 15 minutes. Then the alarm again. The alarm is not only a very loud whoop whoop but is accompanied by a strobe light. Again it stopped after maybe one minute. Then silence. Another phone call from us established that the fire brigade were in attendance but it seems like it is a false alarm. “Oui Madame, please stay t until you ‘ear from us”. Which we never did. We ‘slept’ in our boots and jackets. The alarm triggered another 6 times until peace at 4.50am. The hotel was very decent about it the next morning and gave us a complimentary night’s accommodation…much appreciated.

Clearly we were weary on Monday but nonetheless made the trek up the hill to truly explore the old town.

It’s still cold, as evidenced by the snow everywhere

Which Christine loves

You take your life in your hands in this thawing out weather, not only with the slippery streets, but also with the ice falling from the defrosting roofs. Our taxi driver from the station to the hotel on Friday told us of the man who last week was hit on the head by a lump of ice, resulting in 8 stiches. Yikes!

Sometimes the ice is given a helping hand

And then, as might be expected by all who know her, Christine slipped on ice, fell spectacularly and hit her head and, until now, good knee!!

Remarkably, all ok though and her NY chiropractor (remember, one in every port) will put her whiplashed neck right

At least she’s not the only donkey in town

Tuesday 15 March has us off to New York – on an early afternoon flight. Au Revoir beautiful Quebec….we have fallen in love with you.