Québec CITY
DAY ONE
MORNING Old Québec is this provincial capital’ s heart. The 400-yearold UNESCO World Heritage Site was the first major French settlement in what is now Canada and the most natural place to start a weekend in Québec City. Its narrow, cobbled streets might remind you of France, but it has its own proud history. Start the day at the Place Royale, a bijou square where French explorer Samuel de Champlain founded the city in 1608. From there, wander to Quartier Petit Champlain, widely considered the oldest commercial district in North America. Bop between its independent boutiques hawking souvenirs and crafts, all housed in higgledy-piggledy stone buildings with red and blue shutters. For a pick-me-up, try Le Petit Dep, a cheery, aqua green-fronted cafe and epicerie( specialty food shop) serving Québecois goods. Get a coffee to go and some maple-flavoured treats to take home with you.
Quartier Petit Champlain is at the foot of Cap Diamant, the rugged headland that divides Old Québec into the Lower and Upper Towns. To keep exploring, catch the 19thcentury funicular that scales the cliffside and connects the two neighbourhoods, offering sweeping views of the brightly coloured, densely packed toy town below. Disembark right under the famous Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, a turreted, promontory-topping icon of the city skyline built in 1893.
AFTERNOON Hungry? Try La Bûche for a selection of unapologetically Québecois fare. The restaurant is modelled after cabanes à sucre, or sugar shacks— woodland-set cabins where maple sap is boiled down into syrup and where rich, hearty provincial specialties are served. Go for the full brunch platter, including eggs, ham, sausages, baked beans, potatoes, mapledrenched pancakes and images: XXXXXXX; XXXXXXX
20 • pos t c a rds