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 - Marché du Vieux-Port de Québec

Quebec City - December 2014 - Marché du Vieux-Port de Québec

We woke up early on our first full day in Quebec City. We started the day off by exploring the hotel before it became busy with tourists and people checking in and out.

Even though it was December and we hadn't packed any bathing suits I was curious what the pool area looked like. It was a decent sized for being indoors and for being in such an old hotel. Not too busy at 7am. ;)

View of the river from our room that morning.

We took the elevator up to the higher floors of the tower and got some nice views of the river and the turrets of the roof.

After our little exploration we made our way to the Starbucks located in the hotel. I picked up a yummy Gingerbread latte and the Quebec City "You are here" mug.

Next up was breakfast at Paillard. They advertise that they have the best croissants in Quebec City and I was eager to put them to the test.

It was a very chilly but beautiful walk to Paillard that morning. It was nice being out and about without the crowds of the previous evening and the buildings were beautifully lit with the early morning sun.

Paillard was bigger than I thought it would be and we were among the first customers of the day. I made my selection rather easily - croissant, chocolate croissant and an orange juice. Mom took a little longer. She was interested in some of the bread they were selling and she wanted to know what was in some of the different loaves. Unfortunately, she speaks no French and none of the workers spoke English well enough to explain the different breads to her. She ended up just picking what looked good.

Mom's breakfast.

I enjoyed my croissants, not the best I have ever had but they were pretty tasty.

Bellies full we were off to the Market at the Old Port (Marché du Vieux-Port de Québec).

By the time we arrived our legs were frozen. It really felt good to get in from the cold and thaw out!

There was a nice mix of handcrafted items, wines and ciders, jam, fruits and veggies, fresh meat and fish etc.

I ended up buying two bottles of ice cider, a bottle of wine and several handcrafted Christmas ornaments.

Our plans for the rest of the day were to visit the Museum of Civilization and explore Quartier de Petit-Champlain. However, we were now weighed down by our purchases so before going ahead with the rest of our itinerary we decided to go back to the hotel and drop our bags in the room.

The easiest and fastest way to get back was to take the funicular which is located in Petit-Champlain.

Views going up the funicular. 

Purchases left in the room we were off to the Museum of Civilization and lunch and shopping in Petit-Champlain!

Quebec City - December 2014 - German Christmas Market

Quebec City - December 2014 - German Christmas Market

After checking in and exploring the hotel (Chateau Frontenac) we made our way towards the German Christmas Market. This is an outdoor market that had many stalls selling a variety of items and food and beverage.

We ran across the Christmas store along the way so we popped in there first. It was a madhouse! It was a sea of people in there. A sign of what was to come when we got ot the German Christmas Market.

There were several pretty glass ornaments that I wanted but I couldn't move in that store without bumping into somebody so I was afraid anything I picked out would end up broken and on the floor before I got to the cash register.

We did return to the store on Sunday and it was much calmer and I was able to make a few purchases at that time.

Just down the street was the German Christmas Market. It is held outside of City Hall. Just like the Christmas Store it was packed! Despite the crowds I enjoyed wandering around and perusing all the stalls. Many local craftsmen were set up here. I enjoyed the wood cravings and etched glass. I also enjoyed the warm spiced wine. It hit the spot on that chilly December evening.

Notre-Dame de Quebec

The Christmas Market had two sections. We were starving so we decided to get dinner after exploring the lower portion. We decided to go to D'Orsay as it was right next to the market.

The bar on the lower floor was busy but we were the first to be seated in the dining room upstairs. It was still fairly early (5pm) and others soon arrived.

We had a nice view of the market from our table.

We both ordered pasta dishes. My mom loved hers, mine was alright, I have had better. The service was quick and friendly and overall I had no complaints.

Bellies full it was time to head back outside to finish exploring the market, the upper portion this time around. The dining room of the restaurant was located on the second floor of the building. I was first to head down the stairs and I noted that they were slippery from people trekking up in their wet boots. I warned my mom to watch her step and she then proceeded to fall flat on rear. She was a bit sore the rest of the night but the next day she was fine. Mostly it was her pride that was injured.

The upper portion of the market was much of the same. I loved the lights and decorations.

These two ladies were dancing around, not sure what the banana costumes were all about but they sure were friendly!

As we were walking around the bells began to chime at Notre Dame and it was beautiful. Here is a video of the lights in the area with the bells chiming away. As I was recording the video an elf was running around. I thought it was rather amusing.

German Christmas Market Video

We wandered the city after that in the direction of the city walls. We made our way through the walls, saw Parliament and then made our way back to the Chateau.

We had hoped to take a horse and carriage ride that night as they would not be out the next day as the temperature was expected to drop significantly. Unfortunately, we saw the carriage departing from the front of the Chateau and we did not feel like waiting for another one to arrive. Instead we decided to call it a night.

The party they had been preparing for earlier in the day was in full swing and the guests were all over the ground floor and the second floor. Unfortunately, our room was also on the second floor and was not far enough removed from the event rooms to completely silence the noise. We were eventually able to fall asleep but in the future if we stay at the Chateau again we will be sure to ask for a room on a higher floor.

I was very satisfied with our first day in Quebec City. We had not made any plans for this day as we were not sure what time we would arrive. Luckily we arrived early enough that we got to enjoy some of the city so we would have less to cram in the next two days.