I had a magical time visiting Quebec City last October. I have not been to a city like this since visiting the Italian cities on my Italy trip a couple of years ago. There was so much that I got to experience in Quebec City that did not make it to any of my other Quebec City posts, so I want to talk about it in the next couple of posts.
My flight from Toronto to Quebec City was the first time I got to fly from Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport (which is the city airport), which was tiny compared to Pearson. I walked the pedestrian tunnel connecting the mainland to the island that the airport is on and sat in the only waiting area waiting for my flight.
When I landed in Quebec City, getting to my hotel was not easy. I had to take a bus to get me most of the way, and then spent around $12 for an Uber to get me the rest of the way to the hotel. For me to take a direct Uber from the airport to the hotel would have costed me $70, which was a no go for me.
I stayed at the Hotel Terrasse-Dufferin which sits right on the Terrasse-Dufferin boardwalk and is also just steps from the Chateau Frontenac. The Hotel Terrasse-Dufferin would prove to be one of the most unique hotels I have ever stayed in because the hotel is in an antique building, and the building had its quirks. My room looked like a standard small hotel room, but then there were stairs that took you to the bathroom, which is something I have never seen before. The tiny room up the small staircase had a mini-fridge with some complimentary snacks and drinks, which was much appreciated.
I dropped my suitcase and bag in the hotel and started exploring this strange new land. My first day in Quebec City was a beautiful October day and many people were out walking around. I would be on the terrace at many points throughout my trip.
I went walking down Rue Saint-Louis looking for something to eat and stumbled upon a pizza spot (Polina Pizzeria) where I ate a Margherita Pizza, which was good.
The next order of business was to check out the Lower Town of Quebec City, which was even busier than the terrace.
I went to check out the Place Royale which was a square with restaurants and other attractions. The main standout attraction was the Notre-Dame-Des-Victoires Catholic Church in the middle of the square. It did make for some great pictures.
There was also a big mural which I thought was nice as well.
There were some ships that would take people out into the St. Lawrence River for day and night cruises. I did not do any of these cruises myself, as I did not have the time.
At the south end of Rue de Petit-Champlain was a confectionary store where you can get ice cream and other maple syrupy goodness. I bought a maple taffy which is frozen maple syrup on ice. When you eat this thing, your whole mouth feels gooey for a bit.
After walking up the Rue de Petit-Champlain, I wanted to get back to the Upper Town where my hotel was, but I did not want to walk up all of those stairs. Thankfully, there is a funicular service that can take you between the Lower and Upper Towns for $6 a ride, so that I what I did. The ride up was nice, and you get a nice view of the river.
The funicular took me back up to the terrace where I wandered around until I went back to my hotel to take a short nap until my ghost walk in the evening. There is more to discuss about Quebec City in future posts, so stay tuned.
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