Sunday, May 1, 2016

Quebec City

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After traveling to Ottawa, Canada a few years ago to attend one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever attended, the decision was made to extend the trip and to Montreal for a day and then head up to Quebec City for a couple more. 

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Quebec City has to be one of the most charming cities in all of  North America.

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The architecture was just plain amazing.

Chateau Frontenac Quebec City

After arriving at the Chateau Frontenac, which looks like a giganitic European castle perch up high next to the St. Lawrence Seaway, we drove through the archway shown in the lower right half of the above photo, and we found ourselves in a courtyard where the hotel’s parking valets greeted us.

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Cobble stone was below my feet when I stepped out of the car only to look up to be greeted by this lovely bit of architecture off to the side.   Happy sigh.

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Just how many photos can one girl take of doors, windows, restaurants, cafes and flower boxes? 

Well, apparently hundreds.  I will try to showcase some of my favorites here.

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This delightful cafe was the first stop made to relax and have a quick drink after wandering happily down a side alley way filled with artists working and showing their paintings. 

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Every time I turned a corner, walked across a street, or looked out and surveyed my surroundings from the comfort of my coblestone street cafe chair, I saw something even more beautiful and charming that needed to be inspected, scrutinized, and photographed.

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And hearing people speak French….well that just makes me happy. 

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  Every direction I looked, I thought my eyes were going to expode.  I mean really….

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Sometimes I exaggerate but honestly, I could not believe how incredibly beautiful it was or how much I felt like I had stepped back in time and was happily lost in some city in Europe.  This is one of my most favorite photos from the trip.  It was a shop filled with goregeous French handbags.

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The vibrant colors and flowers…

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and the selection of restaurants was incredible.  

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hanging flower baskets everywhere…

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Street signs in French made me smile and a quaint hotel tucked away along a side street.

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The next time I visit I would love to stay in one of the smaller, quaint, and charming hotels like the one in the photo above or in  this one called Au Petit Hotel.

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Every nook and alley way had something that I just had to capture with my camera.

 

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And homes just like this one with the French Lace curtains….

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painted in the most vibrant colors.  Another happy sigh.

Have you ever taken a trip to Quebec and do you have some must see spots there that I might have missed?

I have many more photos to share of this amazing city.  See you soon!