Quebec Trip with Daisy

Are you the type of person who likes to watch your favorite movies and read your favorite books again and again? Or are you, like our son Malachi, scornful of such wasted time and prefer to never revisit something you've already done? I am the former. But if you are the latter, feel free to skip right past these pictures of places we've already been and things we've already done!

We love Quebec City so much. I have a constant alert set on Google Flights to tell me if airline ticket prices ever drop, and I'd be happy taking a trip there every year if I could! Sam and I visited for our wedding anniversary last year with just the two of us, but when I found some good prices to Montreal this year, we talked it over and decided it would be even more fun if we could bring one of the children with us. The hard part is who to choose! This year, Daisy was the lucky one because she already had a passport! That left Junie, Goldie, and Teddy to take turns babysitting and planning the meals at home, and Malachi and Abe came home for a few days each to help out and do any necessary driving. It is wonderful to have such good and helpful kids! I hope we will get to take each of them (and maybe someday again, all of them) back to Quebec too.

When we first told Daisy about the trip, in March or so, it seemed SO far away! We thought we would never be able to wait so long. But finally the day came. Here she is getting ready to board our second flight in Atlanta.

And here on the way to Montreal!

Because flights are nearly always cheaper to Montreal, we planned to spend the first night there (our plane got in at midnight) and then drive up to Quebec City the next day. We got a tiny Airbnb that said it would fit three people. It was a very quirky little place, as we noticed upon entering the tiny entryway door…

and seeing these nice stairs to nowhere!

The apartment was very small, and besides those stairs to nowhere and a tiny kitchen, it contained this one bed. We checked the listing to make sure—yes, it said "sleeps 3 people"—and searched everywhere, baffled, for the third sleeping spot. Maybe a cot? A couch? A trundle bed? Even a sleeping bag? There were none of those things. Not even an extra pillow or blanket to make a place on the floor. We messaged the host but since it was 1 a.m, got no answer. And what I love about Sam and Daisy is nobody even got mad or cried or whined when we realized we were just going to have to make something work. So we slept like this:

I won't say it was the most comfortable night I've ever spent! But we made it through!

And for our reward, the next morning we got to visit our favorite spot in Montreal—Snowdon Deli.

Everything is SO good there. The smoked meat is incredible. The pancakes are wonderful. And the brisket sandwich was perhaps the favorite this time. We love sitting there listening to all the regulars argue with each other in English in the most stereotypical East Coast Jewish accents…and then switch effortlessly to perfect French to say hello to another acquaintance walking in. Montreal feels so much more bilingual than Quebec City!

A quick stop down the street for some Montreal bagels, hot out of the wood-fired oven…

…and then we were off to Quebec City on the "Chemin du Roy," the King's highway, which is the pretty scenic route that weaves along through little villages next to the St. Lawrence.

It was gloriously Spring! This trip was at the very end of May and beginning of June, and in Utah our lilacs and fruit blossoms were long past, but in Quebec they were just coming out and they were beautiful! Last year we visited in early May and the leaves on the trees were just beginning to come out. This time, though we did get some rain, it was full Spring. We were happy to see Quebec in a season we hadn't fully experienced yet!

We got a little off the highway while going through one of the bigger towns, which was fortunate because we stumbled on this interesting church. All the villages have churches, but this one was unusually big and had this cool octagon shape! I don't even know what it is called. (I will look it up now.) Ah, it must be this, Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap. That link says it is a pilgrimage site, and indeed it did seem to be, because there are several other little buildings and chapels besides just the church itself, and the grounds are very well-kept. And it still is used as a church, unlike many you come across in Quebec.

We got out and walked around the park—there was a pretty stream and a little pond.

And there were frogs in the pond! So many frogs. First we had to hunt for them, but then once we knew they were there, we started seeing dozens of them. Big ones and little ones. Some of them croaked at us (in a welcoming way, I'm sure).

Daisy likes this tiny church

The church was beautiful inside. We were lucky to get there while the organist was practicing on the pipe organ—not hymns, but some great swelling classical piece. We were the only ones there, and we sat down to listen, and the organ music hummed and roared and reverberated inside our bones. It was almost overwhelming. The organist stopped to take a break after a few minutes and never finished the piece, and I'm still kind of sad about that. (He did look down and see us, though, and we clapped and he took a little bow.)

Another noteable sight along the drive—this van like ours ("Fffan like ours," as Gus would say), but in yellow!

Another stop along the river—we walked down onto a little beach so we could see and hear the water

A pretty shell

We planned our route to go by Daisy's favorite poutine place (and maybe my second-favorite), Casse-Croûte Vieux Moulin in Pont Rouge. It felt so good to order (and be understood!) in French like old times. We ate up on the roof where we've eaten many times before. We especially missed Malachi here (he loved the smoked meat poutine).

It was so fun driving into the city and seeing all the familiar things. Some things had changed a little, but it also felt so comfortable. Daisy kept saying, "It feels just like it felt when we were driving into Salt Lake after our sabbatical! Like you know every corner and you're coming home!" It's true. I don't know how it does, but it does.

Our Airbnb was on our old street—Rue Richelieu. Our "real" house (where we lived before) is only a long-term rental, and of course it fits ten people, so we couldn't stay there on this trip. But the house we stayed at this time was charming in its own way. It was a few blocks down, just past the big church St-Jean-Baptiste, and we'd walked by this very spot many times when we lived here.

Inside, it reminded me of our other house with its wooden beams and rafters. And there were plants growing in pots up in the little loft area, with overhanging vines weaving in and out of the beams. (You wouldn't think I, being who I am, would like that, but it seemed controlled and was pretty enough that it didn't bother me.)

That enormous book Daisy is holding is called "Petit Robert." It's a huge French dictionary ("an abridgement of Paul Robert's eight-volume Dictionnaire alphabétique et analogique de la langue française"). I don't know why I'm telling you this. I just think it's funny that such a huge book is called "Petit Robert."

There were two cute little bedrooms (with two beds! imagine! Two beds for the three of us!)

And the teeniest shower and bathtub

And a beautiful little upstairs loft and outside balcony.

And from the balcony, we could see almost our old view of the city! We loved it!

In the other direction, you can see St-Jean-Baptiste right up there behind Daisy. It was fun to be so close!

And now, an un-ordered collection (because it takes me forever to order them, and WHY is that?? Why does blogger load them so haphazardly? They should just automatically load in chronological order! Grrr…but I digress) of pictures from all our wanderings and re-visitings…

Bagged Milk at Costco; yay! Our former enemy has become our old friend.

Skouik skuoik cheese!

Walk up to Rue St. Jean in evening light. A much later evening than when we left Quebec in December and this golden light appeared at 3:30 in the afternoon! This was around 8 pm.

Our favorite playground (spot Daisy on the bridge)

Daisy's friend the Château Frontenac at night. Daisy was so overjoyed to be there again. She kept saying "The Château, my friend, my old friend!" Later when I would say "Daisy, shall we visit your 'friend' again?" she'd correct me, "My BEST friend!"

Our very VERY favorite thing from this trip, ranking even above Château Frontenac and lobster poutine, was seeing our friends at District Conference on Sunday! It was so joyful and good! And everyone was so happy we brought Daisy this time! We were disappointed at first that we'd be there during District Conference because we wouldn't be able to attend a regular day at church, but it turned out well because everyone was there, even friends Daisy knew from seminary and district activities.

We stayed and talked to friends a long time after church, including a long chat with Frère Petryk that was probably the most random, strange, and hilarious conversation I've ever had with anyone. It started with his father's stay in a German prison camp, ranged through what it's like to be a cook for "les aînés" (elderly people), touched upon how Daisy shouldn't settle for a man who doesn't want her to earn more than he does, and finished in glorious awkwardness with how Sam should avoid eating hot dogs if we want to have any more children. This was all in a mix of English and strongly Quebecois French, mind you. Whew!

After church we were invited for lunch at the Moreiras', and had the best time catching up with them and eating their amazing Brazilian food. Helena and Isabelle were overjoyed that we had Daisy with us, and they climbed on her and hugged on and showed her their parakeets and played board games with her until she was completely worn out!

We love this family!

One night Daisy wanted to just sit alone at Place D'Youville and read, like she used to do sometimes when we lived here. Sam and I left her there and went on a walk past the fountains at the Hôtel de Ville. It was warm outside and so peaceful!

One of the churches that we never saw much of a couple years ago because it was being restored. The stained glass window looks great now!

The weird "portal" mural is gone now, replaced by this somewhat more bland ocean scene. We miss the portal.

Pretty clouds and late-spring trees from the apartment balcony

Glorious big bunches of dill at Walmart (why can't I get these in Utah???)

Beautiful leeks

Our friends Katia and Patrick had us over for dinner Monday night. They are the nicest. We love them. Katia loaded our plates up with SO MUCH PASTA (and honestly looked a little disappointed when we didn't want more) that I think Daisy and I were full for the rest of the trip! I honestly do not know how we ate it all! Somehow we did. The spirit that helps missionaries who have to eat three Thanksgiving dinners (looking at you, Abe) must have helped us.

They live in a great neighborhood in Quebec City where we hadn't been before. It was fun to see their cute house (they have renovated it beautifully) and visit with them, and when we went outside to leave there was a bright rainbow in the sky!

We didn't stop at Chute Montmorency on this trip, but we saw it multiple times as we crossed the bridge to L'île d'Orléans. It looked nice and big, from spring runoff, I assume.

The island was extra beautiful this time of year. Even the dandelions were pretty!

(And a couple days later…they'd all gone to seed!)

The chocolate store on this island has this sign displayed outside, which I think is so funny. It reminds me of the weird different made-up pipes on the "no smoking" signs Ziggy used to make for our Quebec house. And I also think it's funny to lump picnics into the same category as smoking! Poor potential picnickers!

And just in case you didn't get the message before. PICNICS PROHIBITED!!!!

We like these gliding rockers at the picnic…er, sitting tables. We would never dream of picnicking there, of course!

We might eat our chocolate-covered strawberry ice cream cones there! But picnic…never!

Familiar view of Quebec City

Daisy found a pretty purple shell to take home to Junie

I love these beautiful roads

I'm not sure what is growing in this yellow field (canola, perhaps?) but I like it! And I like Daisy in it!

The flowers turned her quite yellow!

Huge bushes and groves of lilacs were out everywhere (this is at the goat dairy).

Of course we had goat milk ice cream!

This goat loved Daisy and wanted to be her best friend (too bad that position is already taken by the Château)

Beautiful little cemetery on the island. We always liked it but didn't know our own connection to it until now!

A little hill covered with forget-me-nots

Here is something interesting. I already said that the blossoms (lilacs, crabapples, flowering cherry and apricot, etc.) were out much later in Quebec than back home in Utah—end of May instead of end of March when they often start to appear at home. But this was not true of all the other trees! All the deciduous trees were fully green and leafy by the time we arrived in Quebec. At home, the blossoms come out first—long before the leaves are out on the maples, oaks, aspens, birches, etc. There are a few like my Spring Snow apricot that wait a little longer, and maybe some of the other leaves are out by the time they're out. But mostly it goes "blossoms--->then leaves."

In Quebec, when we visited at the beginning of May last year, the leaves were just starting to emerge on the trees. In a week they would likely have been fully out. But there were no blossoms. And now I see that the blossoms were waiting all the way till end of May/June to start blooming! On this trip, the lilacs had just started, and the fruit trees in orchards all over the island were just coming out the last day we were there. I hypothesize that the fruit trees are smart enough to know they will have much better luck if they save their blossoms until spring has TRULY arrived (June-ish) whereas the broadleaf trees are willing to chance emerging earlier (beginning of May) for the possibility of getting a longer season, the only tradeoff being potentially a little more snow after their leaves are out (which probably still won't hurt them too badly).

(WAS that actually something interesting? I suddenly fear not. But I thought it was, anyway!)

At any rate, the lovely result of all this was that we got to see apple and peach blossoms all over the island!

(Ooh look, you can see Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré across the river. The tall church tower near the middle of the picture.)

A closer look

And the best reason to go to the island…lobster poutine! My favorite poutine in Quebec.

And such a great place to eat it! (Daisy did not make a mid-meal costume change. This is a different day. You don't think we'd only eat lobster poutine once when it's our only chance till who knows when, do you?)

We passed the blackcurrant farm on the island dozens of times when we lived here, but somehow we never tried this blackcurrant ice cream. Finally, now we've tried it! It was great, but even better was the sparkling blackcurrant juice we brought back to the apartment and made floats with. Yum!

Driving back to the city. St-Jean-Baptiste there at the arrow.

And our house! See the two tall chimneys?

Back in Quebec City now. The morning sun shone right along Rue St. Jean! We were up to go on a walk before 6 and the sun was long up by then.

Here's where our van should be :)

Daisy is tired, but still happy

Pretty spring flowers. Haven't seen those here before.

Early morning is my favorite time to walk here, when no one else is around

You know Sam's going to be taking a picture of the grillwork on this building

Violets

Look, our house! Our old dear house! Did I tell you it's for sale? I would buy it if I could. It feels so sad to me to think we couldn't rent there again, even if we had the chance. Maybe the new owner will still rent it?

I never knew St. Roch Cathedral had this white blossom tree in front of it

Chocolatines at Boîte à Pain, Daisy's favorite!

yumyumyumyum

Down in the basse-ville, by Notre-Dame-des-Victoires

Daisy saved aggressively, a percentage of every paycheck, before we went to Quebec, so she could buy souvenirs and bring something home for every single one of her siblings. For herself, she bought another Quebec hoodie—the inverse of the one she bought when we lived there and still wears all the time. She looks so cute!

She also bought herself about twenty (was it twenty, Daisy? Or thirty?) Canadian Kit-Kats. She was standing in line with them at Dollarama and some guy made a little joke about them to her in French, and she was able to understand and even jokingly respond in French! She was so proud of herself. And rightly so.

A little rest in the sunny living room of the apartment

Sunday night walk on the walls of the old city. If I remember correctly, Junie had called to talk to Daisy at this point, and they were giggling together over something, but I made Daisy get up on the cannon for a picture anyway.

Ah, the weather was so perfect. And the last golden light catching the tops of the buildings was just how I remember it.

So fun to see all these blossoms out! I didn't even know there were lilacs by this park.

This sign is new! Not sure I like it.

Tulips!

After we got home we had the best dinner up on our balcony, with leftovers from Snowdon Deli and the bagel place in Montreal, Québon chocolate milk, and various other delicacies.

Well, there is not much more to tell. It was a short trip, only 4 days, but we did so many good things! We stopped at the Château one last time on the way out of the city so Daisy could give her friend (her best friend) a hug goodbye.

We had to drive all the way back to Montreal to catch our flight. We got pastries in Lévi on the way.

And then Snowdon Deli again for a quick lunch before the airport. (Daisy was unaccountably proud of herself for cutting a square out of her napkin with her butter knife.)

Cheese blintzes!

We flew though Newark on our way home. We liked seeing the New York skyline from there.

Daisy played the piano in the airport

Sunset over some great lake or other

So happy to be home and have the sisters together again!

We brought a whole empty suitcase to bring things home in. Things we miss and can't get here. The chicken bouillon I like. Lindt melting chocolate. Canadian Kit-kats, of course. Goat cheese from the island. Even some of the blackcurrant juice.

Junie in the shirt Daisy got her

But let's end with one more walk in Quebec! Daisy had twisted her ankle somehow earlier, so she was hurting with every step, and we weren't sure how far we could go, but she and Sam wanted to sit on Terrasse Dufferin and draw people. We parked at the Plains of Abraham and Daisy hobbled along the boardwalk.

We sat on the terrace so happily as the sun went down, me reading a truly terrible book Daisy told me I had to read so we could make fun of it together, and Sam and Daisy drawing in their sketchbooks. The air was warm and it was quiet and calm on a weekday evening, and we got to see one of the prettiest sunset skies I've seen over the Château. A little gift for us before we went home. It was perfect!