Private plane to Quebec City

Quebec City is a wonderfully European city in North America. The Old City (a walled city) is dominated by Chateau Frontenaac, a lovely old four-star hotel now run by Fairmont. Wandering the very hilly streets, you will find great shopping, dining, and a variety of street performers entertaining the crowds.

I think the most memorable part of our experience, though, was traveling by private plane, which gave me a glimpse into just how the other half really lives!! No security, no lines, no taking-off-of-the-shoes.... it was bliss!

Quick Tips:

I loved our trip to Ile D'Orleans and lunch at a small Sugar House (where they make syrup and maple products). No one there spoke English, but we still managed to enjoy a wonderful meal reminiscent of my childhood growing up French-Canadian in Maine. I was carried right back to childhood and my grandmother’s cooking by the excellent slow-roasted beef with root vegetables - the perfect thing for an overcast day. And the sugar pie...well, except for the unpleasant allusion to Anna Nicole Smith’s dog, it was a wonderful treat. Ile D'Orleans is beautiful, filled with scenic farmland, wineries, and orchards.

Best Way To Get Around:

We rented a car for one day to travel out to Ile D'Orleans and found that getting around within the Old City is best done on foot or by cab. Outside the Old City, travel by private car is simple and convenient.

The Chateau Frontenac has been rightly described as the heart of Quebec City, and it towers over the walled old city like an imperious mother. The building originally dates from 1893, with large portions rebuilt in the 1920’s after a serious fire. The copper roofed central tower where our riverview rooms were located dates from 1924.

In all, the Frontenac boasts over 600 rooms, but as with many classic hotels, rooms can vary widely in shape and size. Our lucky group landed three rooms on upper floors. My room on the 17th floor was at the very top of the tower, and offered a panoramic view of the waterfront and up the river to Levis and Ile D"Orleans. When our friends found their non-smoking room on the 5th floor smelled strongly of stale cigarettes, the hotel offered them a complimentary upgrade to a Gold Level room. Fairmont’s Gold Level offers guests the small hotel experience, even within much larger properties, by providing a separate check-in area and private lounge with dedicated concierge services. Continental breakfast was provided each day in the lounge, which overlooked the river and city from the 14th floor of the tower.

As for the deatils: Decor was classic upscale hotel, with plush carpeting, muted patterns, and nice appointments. Bathroom was a bit small and lacking in counter space. Each morning of our stay I ventured to the 6th floor Club Frontenac where the swimming pool wing offers guests (and a limited number of locals) an attractive pool and soaking tubs/Jacuzzi. The mens locker area also offered a eucalyptus steam room- just the thing for clearing my head after evening libations in La Rotonde!

The two meals we took at Chateau Frontenac were both at the more casual Café De la Terasse. A quick breakfast was transformed into something much more leisurely by light rain and the wonderful hot breakfast buffet. The buffet reminded me a great deal of breakfasts in London, with (in addition to eggs, meats, and an omelet station) oatmeal, smoked fish, and every type of breakfast pastry I could imagine. Menu offerings for breakfast included a variety of slants on the morning meal including breakfast Japanoise- a traditional Japanese morning repast of miso soup, broiled salmon, a soft boiled egg, and rice. I turned away at the wrong moment and missed seeing the young Japanese woman at a neighboring table eat her egg with chopsticks, so my question of HOW remains unanswered until my next visit!

Dinner in la Terasse was also quite good. My friends raved about the roast deer with cranberries and blueberries, and my halibut and asparagus tart was a wonderful appetizer. Service was quick, polite, and accomodating. Our server even arranged a change in our travel plans to the fireworks exhibition when dinner ran long.