Montreal - Our Final Stop

On Tuesday, we drove from Quebec City to Montreal which we stayed through Thursday.

Jen attended her conference on Wed so we explored the city Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night before we left Thursday am.

While in Montreal, we walked through downtown and explored Old Montreal. While we were there, we visited the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal. It is an extraordinary church that is absolutely gorgeous.

Sites in downtown Montreal

The Waterfront in Old Montreal

Lunch on a rooftop cafe by the waterfront in Old Montreal

The Last Supper in Notre Dame Basilica

This is the wedding chapel which is a separte part of the Basilica

The organ within the Basilica - it has over 7,000 pipes within four stories

GORGEOUS! By the way, this is where Celine Dion was married (if you care...).

Such a beautiful sight

Outside view of Notre-Dame Basilica

Those are the highlights of our vacay! We definitely recommend a trip to visit our northern neighbors. It is a wonderful European experience without the expense of flying overseas. It is also neat to see the history that is a part of these two wonderful cities.

Quebec City - Day 2

On day 2, Brian and I headed on a day trip from QC. We first stopped at Montmorency Falls before we headed to Ile d' Olreans.


Montemorency Falls is 27 stories high - twice as tall as Niagra (although not nearly as wide). It is a quite a hike from the top to the bottom. There is also a bridge that allows you to cross over the falls.

You can see the stairs that take you down the cliffside to the bottom of the falls - trust us, there are a lot!

At the bottom of the falls, there is literally a log jam - someone people are able to spell out their names or names of special meaning (such as Jesus above)

This is Brian and I walking along the bridge that takes you over the falls

This is the water right before it heads over the edge - it is surprisingly calm


At the base of the falls you can see the tram that takes you from the top to the bottom (if you don't want to walk)

In the winter, the Falls freeze to form a giant loaf shape cone known as the Pain du Sucre (Sugarloaf). Thankfully it wasn't that cold when we were there, but we saw pictures and it would be amazing to see in the Winter.

This is a nice subdivision right outside the falls - Brian and I had to drive through it once we saw the incredible views these homes have

From Montmorency Falls, it is a short drive to Ile D' Orleans which is full of century old homes and churches and road side stands selling maple syrup and fresh fruit. On our drive around the island, we stopped for fresh bread and jam before we headed back to QC (for a nice nap before dinner).



After dinner (I ate more Italian in Quebec than I have had in a long time!) we continued our tour through QC. We stopped to admire the view the St. Lawrence River and to walk around the fortifications and Le Citadelle. Le Citadelle is the largest British fortress built in North America and is still an active military post.

Our hotel - in the midst of Old Quebec

Le Citadelle

Views of other sights as you walk along the walls of the Citadelle

An incredible view from the Plains of Abraham

Hmm...which way should we go?

Brian wanted me to take this picture specifically so he could say "My guns are bigger than yours...."

Next stop....Montreal.!

Quebec City - Vacation!

Vacation! I had a work meeting in Montreal this summer so Brian and I were able to sneak away for a few days of sightseeing, exploring, and relaxation. It was just the two of us and it was a much needed romantic getaway.

We left late on a Friday night (thanks to a weather delay) and landed late (or should I say early) and crashed at the Marriott at the Montreal Airport. Since it was right in the airport, it was very easy to find our beds for the night.

The next morning we headed to Quebec City (Ville de Québec). Quebec City is one of the oldest cities in North America. The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec (Vieux-Québec) are the only remaining fortified walls that still exist in the Americas north of Mexico. Thanks to Wiki for the brief history lessons:)

We spent the afternoon exploring Old Quebec. The primary language spoken is French, although many people speak English. Because it feels so French, it feels like you are strolling up and down the streets in France. There are cafe's everywhere - trust me, we didn't go hungry. There is also many streets, so we walked quite a bit (ask Brian - he kept track using his pedometer).

This is on our way to QC. We stopped and picked up a few essentials at the grocery store and found these wonderful little donuts. They were AMAZING. They didn't last long.

Brian and I exploring QC - yes, it was quite chilly (from the perspective of Southerners who are used to 90+ degree temps) so we were thankful for the layers.

This is the funiculaire (hillside elevator) that connected different parts of QC. We only used it once - the rest of the time we walked up and down the hillside.

Saint Lawrence River

The wonderful little cafe we had one our first night in QC

Our favorite family store

Stay tuned for more pics!