Trip to Quebec. July, 2023

Recently, we treated ourselves to a short getaway to the province of Quebec. Since we don’t really enjoy long drives, we made several interesting stops along the way.

We visited a lavender farm, fed deer and other Canadian wildlife right from the car window, and enjoyed the charm of Old Quebec City. We also had the chance to see a Cirque du Soleil show in Montreal, which was an unforgettable highlight of the trip

Day 1

Just about a 2-hour drive from Toronto lies Prince Edward County. This area is known for its sandy dune beaches, charming small towns, and beautiful local farms. One of those farms we visited was Prince Edward County Lavender. Lavender blooms here in early to mid-July, filling the fields with an incredible color and scent. I absolutely love lavender fields — there is something so calming and magical about them.

We walked through the small shop filled with lavender-based products and handmade goods, continuing the peaceful atmosphere of the farm experience

And we step right into a lavender paradise 

Next, we continue our journey to Ottawa — the capital of Canada. We have visited Ottawa many times before, and once again we stayed at the Hampton Inn by Hilton. It is a very cozy and conveniently located hotel with spacious rooms, a pool, and breakfast included.

We take a short walk around the city, and since we are already in the French-speaking part of Canada, we enjoy French onion soup for dinner. At the same time, we play board games, ending the day in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere

Day 2

In the morning, we head to a very special place — Parc Omega

It is a safari park where various Canadian animals live: deer, moose, roe deer, wild boar, wolves, bison, bears, and many more. The special charm of the park is that the animals freely approach cars and “beg” for food.

We came well prepared, bringing along 5 kilograms of carrots :)

As soon as we opened the window, the most energetic ones would immediately run up 

You can also get out of the car and feed the “beggars” right from your hands 

You can also walk through the forest park and take a ride on the cable car 

The day was hot. Time to cool off. But the bear, it seems, wasn’t feeling the heat at all 

Next to this wonderful park, you can even book a cabin right in the forest and, from your own window, watch a pack of wolves roaming nearby.

We spent half the day in the park and then continued our journey to Quebec City. It is a large city, but the most interesting part is its historic Old Town. Hotels there are quite expensive, so we stayed about 15 minutes away from the Old City at the Quality Inn. Everything I like — cozy atmosphere, a pool, and breakfast included, although the rooms were a bit small

Day 3

We head to Old Quebec City. We walk around the Parliament building and pass through the historic St. Louis Gate, one of the old fortress gates leading into the city

And we almost feel like we’ve stepped into Europe

The restaurant with the red roof, Aux Anciens Canadiens, is located in the oldest house in Quebec City. The building is over 350 years old. The restaurant was quite quiet when we visited, although it is said to be very popular.

Right across the street, however, La Buche always had a lively line of people waiting outside

What a charm 

From Place d’Armes, we admire the beautiful Château Frontenac, stroll along Dufferin Terrace, and take a look at the old cannons — two of which turned out to be of Russian origin 

We walk down the stairs to Lower Town and get caught in the rain 

We decide not to waste any time and head to a large shopping mall — Galeries de la Capitale. Girls always find something to do in a mall :) 

The rain stopped. We returned to the hotel for a short rest, and then headed back to Old Quebec again. It was surprisingly difficult to find parking. As it turned out, at that exact time Quebec City was hosting the largest music festival in North America.

Famous music bands were performing live open-air concerts all over the city. Thousands of people had come to Quebec specifically for the festival. There were both free and ticketed shows, and it quickly became clear that the crowds were all moving in the same direction — straight toward the festival venues

And we head to a Christmas store 

Then we make our way down to Lower Town. It feels so cozy here 

The oldest square in North America — Place Royale — and its famous wall murals 

Everything is incredibly beautiful, but the day is coming to an end. It’s time to return to the hotel for our traditional evening swim in the pool 

Day 4

We move again, this time to Montreal. We have also visited Montreal many times before. It is conveniently located halfway between Toronto and Quebec City.

We check in at the Best Western Plus hotel, located about a 15-minute walk from the city’s historic downtown. In the evening, we have a very exciting plan ahead — we head toward the Old Port of Montreal

And we head to Cirque du Soleil for one of their new shows, ECHO 

We try not to miss any Cirque du Soleil shows. Each one is unique in its own way. ECHO is one of their newest productions, and its story is about the balance between humans and the animal world 

As always, we are absolutely blown away by the show. Just WOW!

We then stroll around the Old Port area and make our way to Place d’Armes, home to the stunning Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal

It’s time for dinner 

Day 5

In the morning, we head to a nearby bakery to pick up fresh bagels for breakfast. It’s time for us to start heading home.

But along the way, we plan to make a couple of authentic stops. The girls want to stop at a donut shop called Puffs

Then we stop by the famous St-Viateur Bagel Shop, where the best Montreal-style bagels have been baked since 1957. There is always a line outside the entrance 

We also stopped by a very interesting store called Dracolite. It features collections of medieval-inspired weapons, clothing, jewelry, and decorative items 

And just like that, our vacation came to an end…