Meg's & Lon's Magnificent Adventure: Quebec Part 1

After a very cosy sleep, we woke to the prospect of Breakfast (not take out and not prepared by us) fantastic. Dressed and ready for the day, we ventured out of our apartment - and walked towards the dining room. We were greeted with a beautiful table all ready for us.

We broke our fast with freshly made fruit juice, fruit salad, pancakes with real Quebec maple syrup and then home made bagels fresh from the oven. We could not finish this fine feast. We eagerly participated in the french language lesson that accompanied breakfast. Ahmed and Salouha are our hosts, and tourist information for all things Quebec, including organising for Salouha's brother Moez (funny fellow and a taxi driver) to call in and drive us to the airport with us following behind in the rental car and then to bring us back to the house.

We were full as can be and with the rental car returned, we were ready to explore Quebec. Moez dropped us into town on his way home, which was very polite but didn't really help with our sense of direction. His reverse parking into a little space behind his B&B was hilarious - a driving feat!!

We explored Old Quebec City and stopped for lunch at the Creperie, where we took on the challenge of a fondue special. The Trio....... 3 different fondues for 2 people. The first fondue is cheese and this came with a generous basket of bread to dip, the second was called 'chinese', similar to a onion and beef broth and we were each served a plater of meat slices (we ate less than half) and lastly the piece de resistance, chocolate fondue served with fruits and marshmallows - mmmmmmmm.

Elona Typing

Quebec is an amazing city that just looks like a little Paris - especially the fact that everyone speaks French!! Our first day was to just wander but the next day after a, once again hearty breakfast, we headed back into the city for the Festival. Many many people but just great atmosphere - very much like a little winter EKKA or Easter Show. The rides to be had were all winter based - check out the photos. The most amusing would have to be the chairs and lounges with skis attached that people just hopped on and headed down the hill - never a graceful landing but very funny. No ice sculptures but many Snow sculptures that were just as grand as the ice - some were enormous - many countries represented but funnily no Australians - I wonder why?!?! Found another favourite food - Beaver Tails; these are just basically large flat cinnamon donuts covered in sugar - YUM!! There was also a Horse/Ski competition that we caught the end of where skiers are dragged behind the horse and have to collect rings and do jumps - amazing! You get VERY cold though watching an activity and have to fill yourself with warm drinks; the drink of today is Amarula Cafe - very very nice! To also help with the warmth there was also a stage with dancers who were so inspiring (that and the cold) that most of the audience joined in and yes we did the dosey doe (I have no idea how to spell that!)

Our next adventure took us to a local park. It was a Sunday and there were many families enjoying the winter activities and the beautiful day - there was actually sun!! People were ice skating, cross country skiing, tobogganing and snowshoeing or walking. Was just lovely - we spent two hours following a walking track that lead us to a garden maze - check out those photos! The walk took us around the entire park and we had a lovely visit with lots of ducks!!

Quebec Photos:

Fortification wall around Quebec

Big Guns

There's hundreds of them

Quebec Carnival Bon Homme (The Good Man - yes there is one!! Who knew??)

Old Quebec City

Centre Ville ( Town centre)

Memorial Park

Trees next to the wall housed some lovely blue faced finches

Little streets of Quebec

Ice Bar

Street Art

Elona's favourite store - of course!

X-mas tree made of bubble wrap and polystyrene balls - clever!

Hidden in an alley

Check out the boobs at the front - modern art!!

These decorations are made of red felt

One of the upper streets in Old Quebec City

Meg's B'Day Lunch

Fondue Trio

Fabulous but way too much food!!

Us!!

Parliament House - outside the wall

Quebec Carnival:

The scarf that is worn around the waist for carnival is hand made - it

is really quite intricate.

Celebrations - singing, music and flag waving!!

Snow sculpture

bear and fish

Clever

Serious Man

Not so serious Megs

Lon & Spider

Taboggan on ice shute

Very long

Run boy run!!

This was our favourite snow sculpture

This is how the kiddies get around

The Bon Homme

Boats and rings - slide down the hill - the rings spin on the

way down which tends to make all involved scream a tad!

How cute!!

Competition sculpture

Man at work - you can't tell but he is between

a dog's back legs!!

Lots of kids activities

Zip Line Fun

New favourite food of Elona

Yum!!!!

Horse skiing

And there off!!

Jumps as well

Collection of rings along the way

Here is a better view of the hill they come down

The dance troupe that got the audience boogie 'ing'

This one is for Elaine - electronic harmonica player - I think

you should try some christmas lights too - JJ and Nards would love it!!

The craziest ride!

It's hard work too as you have to push your own chair up the hill

Nice tree

This is for Harry - they had a group of people who were being taught

how to camp in winter - ALL North Face equipment - very interesting.

More kids activities

This was hysterical - these kids are attached to the poles like

fusbal on steroids!!

Trees

This reminded me of Peter Wilmott - the Beaker hat that is!!!

Well done Megs

This is my scarf's cousin!!

How!

Ice Castle

Us and the Bon Homme

Now our following adventure was to get ourselves to Hotel du Glace (Ice Hotel) Well lets start with the fact that we had to actually change buses; this may seem easy but when you have to ask as to which direction we need to go - as the bus number we needed was on both sides of the terminus and no way of knowing where in actuality the Hotel du Glace was located. But to cut a long story short we were on the right bus and the very helpful bus driver told us to get off the bus and we exited to find ourselves watching the bus depart leaving us in what looked like a suburban area with no sign whatsoever to show us in what direction to go to get to the Hotel du Glace. We dissolved into a fit of giggles as we spun around slowly trying to decide in which direction to choose. Meg's being the legend she is got us going in the right direction and we found ourselves at the hotel.

Megs Typing

We took out our $2.00 off vouchers that we received with our admission to the Carnival and entered the the area where the Hotel Du Glace has been constructed for the first time this year.

Some quick facts.

- 15 000 tonnes of snow is used in the construction of the hotel

- $3 million dollar a year budget

- Quebec has hosted a Hotel du Glace for 11 years and this was the third site chosen in this time.

- Snow and Ice are made during December

- Construction of the complete complex takes 3 weeks

- The hotel is open for 8 weeks only each year and is then demolished

- Every year is a different design

This year the theme was "Biodiversity", of the 36 rooms available for sleeping, 15 are individual suites created by ice and snow artists - 1 of these is similar to the penthouse and has not only its own fire place, but a private jacuzzi. A fire place - you question??? Does that not pose a safety risk when the entire hotel is make of ice and snow?????

These fire places contain real log fires, though the housing is fully insulated and the heat is directed straight up the chimney and released well away from the structure itself. There is no heat emitted into the rooms; these are purely aesthetic or as the guide told us, "It is for the romantic feeling." The temperature is kept at a constant of between -6 and -7 degrees. Not sure how much romantic feeling there is in that temperature, coupled by the fact that you sleep in -40 degree tested mummy style sleeping bags on a bed made of ice??? But who knows???

Please check out the photos of these amazing rooms and the communal areas that include 2 bars and an ice slide.

We successfully navigated our way home again, feeling extremely accomplished at not getting lost on the public transport and started to plan the adventure for the next day.