Friday, Sep 2: We celebrated my 60th birthday in style with a trip to Quebec City in Quebec, Canada. We drove 6 hours north through Maine into Quebec, zipping through the border crossing after diligently filling out the ArriveCan information that included our passport and vaccine info as well as our destination and timing.

We stayed at the Quebec Hilton across from the Quebec Parliament building using leftover Hilton Honors points from our working days. We admired the views then walked downtown for a food and walking tour of the upper part of Old Quebec City. We really enjoy taking food and walking tours of the cities we visit as it gives us the lay of the land with great ideas for dining later in our stay.

Quebec City was originally colonized by the French starting in the early 1600’s. They have an amazing history with plenty of tug-a-wars between speaking French or English with the British controlling on and off through out history. French is the first language in Quebec and is spoken unless you talk to them in English (or make a feeble attempt to be polite in French and they are in pain listening to you), which their skills vary considerably. It really does feel like visiting Europe. The other providences of Canada have all the signs in both English and French, but it is French only in Quebec.

Saturday, Sep 3: We drove out to Isle d’Orleans via a stop at Montmorency Falls, only about 15 minutes east of Quebec City. Isle d’Orleans is 42 miles in circumference with 6 amazingly quaint French villages. This little island is full of history and agricultural richness. Plenty of U-Pick strawberries (not in season) and apples (very much in season) farms dotted the island as well as shops selling fresh made cheeses, ice cream and then, of course, wineries.

Sunday, Sep 4: We took our own walking tour around Old Quebce City that took us across the Plains of Abraham, down past the Citadel (built in the late 1700’s to protect Quebec City from the US) and across the Governor’s Promenade, down the Funicular to the lower part of Quebec City and then back up to our hotel through the gates of the walled city.