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!