weerentheworld
Weeren the World Am I
There and Back Again.
Kelly's travels through europe and beyond!
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Quebec the good the bad and the cold
The good
The Quebec winter carnival
Not only in terms of general awesomeness, but also in terms of value
I bought one pass for about $30 and got access to multiple carnival sites and activities!
it was thanks to this I was able to try ice climbing! I can’t imagine getting such bang for my buck in the us.
Jacques-Cartier National Park Snowshoeing Tour
As much as I loved the city it was really nice to be able to get out in nature. This also struck me as an especially well run tour. The guide was friendly and I really appreciated the snacks and bits of knowledge along the way. Run by Quadra Natures
Snow tubing near the ice hotel
This was unexpected but really fun! I’ve never been snow tubing somewhere they had this many runs!
Ice skating at Place D'Youville skating rink
ice skating right next to an old rampart! How neat is that?!
But also the price to rent skates was very fair the facilities were clean, staff was polite and I really appreciated that they had balance aids for the less experienced that the staff didn’t judge me for using.
The bad
(Honestly less the bad and more the wish i’d know or would recommend less section. This trip didn’t really have any true bad :) but for the sake of lining up with other posts in this format it seems only fair to write something!)
The winter carnival website
While the carinal itself is great, the website for the carinal can be a little challenging to find information on. It’s more focused on advertising exciting things, then giving practical information. Also I couldn’t find a way to sort by day. I also had to rely on other travel blogs to find essential info like how to get tickets once I was there.
The printed pamphlets and maps you can get on-site are organized much more clearly.
Snow tubing near the ice hotel
I wish I’d known about this before hand- but it wasn’t at all advertised when I booked the bus/ticket to the ice hotel. Knowing about it in advance would have helped me to better plan my trip.
It’s absolutely worth it, but it does run about $60 per person which is a price point it’s nice to know about in advance. Also know before you go: there are height restrictions for kids, and some of the runs need a min of 2 riders.
The cold
Depending on where you’re from and weather conditions when you visit you may not consider Quebec all that cold.
This section isn’t for you. This section is for other folks who are from a climate where we consider anything below 50 cold and don’t always have winter gear on hand!
What I wore:
3 pairs of pants (I tried less, it was too cold for me)
1 waterproof outer layer
1 water resistant insulated middle layer (these were also the legging I wore for a lot of the iceland trip)
1 thermal underware layer
3 torso layers
1 coat, with a waterproof shell and puffy lining
1 iceland sweater
1 undershirt - ideally this should be something moisture wicking
1 blanket scarf
1 ski hat
2 pairs of gloves- although not at the same time. I couldn’t find a pair that was warm, waterproof, fit, and had touchscreen capabilities in time so I swapped them back and forth as needed.
2 pairs of socks - I really only needed one during the day, but it got cold at night
waterproof boots
Do plan to bring what you need! I thought for sure I’d be able to easily find gloves/extra socks there but it wasn’t as easy as expected (although I didn’t look that hard in fairness, so it's really just that I didn't see those items on every corner)
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Pictures are not allowed in the relaxation areas but highlights include:
Hot stone massage (this was extra but everything else was covered with the entrance to the thermal experience)
An Eucalyptus steam
A lazy river style pool (this was my fav!)
A steam room where you used handfuls of ice to cool/contrast
An Infinity pool which looked out over the frozen river
All and all I leave feeling very much like one of those snow monkeys that sit in the hot springs!
Then it’s time to fly home!
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After eating what I could I set off across the plains of Abraham and down the very steep Cap-Blanc Stairs to have a spa day at Strøm spa nordique.
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Day 5 (happy birthday to me!)
Today is mainly a travel day but I have some time in the morning to get pictures and breakfast and such. Au Petit Chalet Has unexpectedly massive crepes- it’s like a small child!
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Dinner is at Aux Anciens Canadiens- a very old restaurant which surprisingly has a garlic free menu! (Yay!) sadly I can’t eat the fish I’d hoped for so I end up trying the bison pastry pie instead.
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Campground involves such activities as:
-An ice slide (one built along the ground this time)
karaoke/live music
A zip line (although the line is too long)
Activities like bingo
A racing game where you drive by sitting in a car, very Mario kart style but with frankly AWFUL controls.
A silent disco! I’m really glad I got to do this I’d been wanting to take part in one for a while!
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Then it’s back to Quebec.
I do some shopping and grab a dessert snack at the rather fancy Chez Boulay-bistro boréal. They have an off-menu carnival special called the snowball which involves an orb of mascarpone, lavender and honey, filled with cooked apples and served in a cranberry/rhubarb sauce.
A visit to the last two carnival sites is next. They are right next to each other so it’s easy to visit them in one go. One site has a garden of ice sculptures, the other is listed as a ‘campground’.
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Moss and lichen post!
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After the hike we have a very tasty sandwich lunch and then get to explore the winter landscape on our own a bit. I acquire some balsamic fir jelly and black spruce chapstick. (Both are a bit minty)
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Some of the things pointed out along the way are:
Trees used by First Nations to make canoes
The yellow birch (which should really be called a golden birch)
The moss which hangs of trees and is called a goblin beard
The clusters of twigs/over growth called witch’s brooms
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Apparently you should walk backwards in snow shoes but they aren’t difficult otherwise.
The hike takes myself the guide and the rest of the group on one of the trails.
Along the way we get snacks like local cheese on a cracker topped with wild blueberry jelly. And later hot chocolate!
We also get to try some sap from one of the trees.
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There are sooo many birds singing here!
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Day 4 Quebec
Breakfast is a quick Pan aux chocolate from Paillard again and then an excursion to go snowshoeing in jacques cartier national park!!!
(I’m very excited I’ve never been snow shoeing before! And I’m rarely around that much snow!)
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While the rink itself also does not have walls to hold onto, it does offer skater helpers to help adults and kids balance. Think like a walker you can push around the ice to help balance. I found this really helpful to warm up so I could regain the muscle memory of what my feet needed to do without having to focus on balancing at the same time. After a few rounds with the helper I was good to go around the rink on my own!
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