Quebec City - December 2014 - Shopping in Quartier Petit Champlain

Quebec City - December 2014 - Shopping in Quartier Petit Champlain

After dropping our shopping off in our room we made our way  back to the lobby which was now very busy with people checking out. Santa was also in the lobby for visits.

Santa Claus in the Chateau Frontenac

We were headed back down to Quartier Petit Champlain. Instead of taking the funicular we took the "Breakneck Stairs". These can be found in the same general vicinity as the funicular.

Our first stop once reaching Petit Champlain was lunch. We had our eyes on Le Lapin Sauté. My mom wanted to try something different and I knew there were some items on the menu that would satisfy my less adventurous tastes.

This restaurant is very small and cozy. There is not much room between tables so not the place to go if you want to have a private conversation. There is a patio that is open in the summer which would offer more seating.

First thing we ordered once being seated were two hot chocolates to warm up. They really hit the spot. One of the best hot chocolates I've had.

I was starting to not feel too well and was hoping that I would feel better once I had something in my stomach.

I had a delicious omelet with toast and my mother orderedwhat I believe was rabbit and duck.

My meal was good although I wish I had been feeling  better so I could have enjoyed it a bit more.

After lunch it was time to start exploring the shops.

 

There were many cute little shops in this area. Many of them featuring locally made items. One of my favourite shops featured wood carved items such as these cats. The store had many various creations. Some small and affordable others large or very intricate and expensive. I bought my mother a Santa and she bought my brother a dragon. 

 We also walked through Place Royale which is the oldest section of the city. It is home to the oldest stone church in North America and there is also a large fresco depicting the 400 year history of Quebec.

Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church

fresque des Québécois

fresque des Québécois and
Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church

My favourite part of the afternoon was listening to the carol singers performing on Rue de Petit Champlain. They sang in both English and French which was nice for the locals and tourists alike.

Here are two short video clips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvhWOE3n438  and 

Carol Singers in Petit Champlain

Quebec City - December 2014 - Arrival at the Chateau Frontenac

Quebec City - December 2014 - Arrival at the Chateau Frontenac

I had been wanting to visit this beautiful city for many years. I had heard so many wonderful things about it, that it was like visiting Europe in North America, the food was great and the shopping fantastic. 

It fell into place that I was able to visit at the beginning of December with my mother. We drove up on a Saturday and spent the next three days enjoying the city and the surrounding sites.

We had been really hoping for snow during our visit. Quebec City is well known for its Christmas decorations and having snow would make it even more beautiful and magical. We were lucky and it snowed in Quebec the day before our visit so there was a beautiful fresh layer of glistening white snow blanketing the city when we arrived. 

We arrived at the Chateau Frontenac around 2pm. We pulled up to the entrance and we were welcomed by the friendly staff that helped us with our luggage and valet parked our car. Valet parking is the same price as self-parking and is much more convenient than driving around the Old City.

Luckily our room was ready for us when we arrived. We were booked in a River View room. Our room was on the second floor. I really liked the character of the building. All the doorways to the rooms were different, you had to go up some stairs to get to some rooms.  Here is the entrance to our room.

The room was spacious with two queen sized beds.

Behind the doors was the bathroom. The bathroom was rather small, the downfall of staying in an old hotel.

The view from our room.

There was a stocked mini-fridge and Keurig in the tv stand as well as drawers for storage. 

After checking out our room and refreshing ourselves from our drive we decided to explore the hotel a bit.

We found several common areas with pianos and seating. Hotel staff were seen busily setting up their many conference rooms for a large party that was going to occur that evening, more on that later. 

There are several shops located on the main level to the left of the lobby and check-in. This area was beautifully decorated for Christmas. 

 

 After checking out the shops it was time to make our way outside to start exploring the city. Directly outside of the hotel is the Terrace Dufferin with the entrance to the funicular that takes you down to the Lower Town. Lower Town was being saved for the following days. This day we were off to the German Christmas Market.

 

Up Next: German Christmas Market