I hope you enjoyed our little walk through the tulips.  I’m still having a hard time deciding which picture to enlarge and frame (because, how could I not?).  What do you think?

Anyway, continuing with our travel tale, we left our bikes in Edam and made our way to Delft, a charming little college town right outside of Amsterdam.  It just so happened we arrived on King’s Day! That’s right, it was King King Willem-Alexander 50th birthday and the whole country was celebrating in orange style.

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Hello!  Let’s take a walk through Québec, shall we?

Mushroom and I decided to spend a couple days away from Montreal, and so really early one morning we took the three hour train, and ended up in what only can be described as a fairy tale.

Well, not an actual one, but walking through the quaint and adorable streets of old Québec, I’m sure that’s where more than one fairy tale has been set in my mind’s eye.  Let me show you around!

But first, a warning. Anyone that has every known or traveled with me knows that I have the worst sense of direction. I’m like this…

Abysmal. The worst. You should never ever let me lead if we travel together, but I think for today you’re safe, as I’ve already gotten plenty lost, but have some great sights to show for it!

Before we head off, breakfast!  Gotta fuel the fire.  A few choices for you:

If you’re in the mood for more traditional fare, head to Cochon Dingue, aka “the crazy pig.” They have coffee bowls and warm oatmeal served with maple cream and caramelized apples that still haunt my breakfast dreams.  

If you want something a little more unique, try Casse-crepe Breton, where you can watch one crepe master (that’s right, one!) make your crepe and everyone else’s in the restaurant!  She was like a crepe wizard, so park yourself at the bar for some breakfast theatre and watch the magic fold.

They have hot chocolate bowls. Be sure to get that because they’re saying it’s okay for you to drink a whole bowl of hot chocolate!

Well-fueled, it’s time to walk. 

The pièce de résistance hotel (and one of the most recognizable in the city) has to be Le Château Frontenac. It really is beautiful and since it’s the holidays, we’ll take a peek inside and ogle the decorations, which really are capital!

Down a few stairs and a quite steep street, we find ourselves in the Petit-Champlain District and on the prettiest street in Canada (like, the one voted as such).  It’s hard to disagree.

Wait 24 hours and it may look completely different!

Take advantage of the snowy weather to grab a treat. Like Frosty, only around for the season.

Frozen maple taffy! It’s a thing! A delicious thing.

Since the snow can be a bit much, I suggest ducking inside for some indoor fun. I LOVED the Musées de la Civilisation.  If you’re there until April, you must check out the Library at Night exhibit. It’s very cool and, bonus- the exhibitions don’t cost anything extra! You just need to get there early to get in line for a pass, because it will “sell out.”

If museums aren’t your thing, there are many an adorable coffee shop in which you an pass the time.

Don’t let the weather get you down, and make sure that you keep your head up because you’ll surely miss some beautiful sights if you don’t.

Trudging through the snow will make a girl hungry, so it’s time to head inside for dinner. La Buche, cozy and reminiscent of a sugar shack, sounds good. With waiters in flannel, customers packed shoulder to shoulder, it’s the perfect place to get traditional Québécois cuisine, with a modern twist.

Comfort food to the max!

Bellies full, it’s time to go home.

I realize that there is much, much more to see in QC than this district, but we were only there for a day and a half, and it snowed almost a foot in that time. We did try to get around as best as we could, but were thwarted at every turn. Anyway, it was a beautiful city and I can’t wait to go back when it can be properly explored. Summer maybe?

Thanks for coming along!

Written whilst listening to Buble. 

Winter, spring, summer or fall…all you have to do is call and I’ll be there, yes I will…

That’s me and travel.  Anytime, anywhere, I’ll pack my bags and go…

But, what to pack in those bags?

Packing can be a challenge, and my friends and I just happen to travel almost every fall (on my Facebook timeline, there is always something there to remind me of fun trips past).  It really is my favorite time of the year to jump on a plane; the crowds are thinner, the air is crisper and the price is usually smaller. The problem with traveling in the fall, at least to the parts to where I head, is that the weather is unpredictable, oscillating from 40F and rainy one day to 75F and sunny the next.  Throw in multiple destinations and random excursions, and the suitcase fills up and approaches that 50 pound weight limit really fast.

Despite the challenges, there is a tried and true list from which I start each 10+ day trip, and add in extras as needed. Fall packing to somewhere other than tropical destinations can be tricky, so I’m going to share with you my base what to pack list, one that got me through biking the Alps back in 2009, marching through the rain in Iceland last year, and most recently last week, cruising the Klondike.  Adjust as you will, but with this list as a guide, I’ve yet to vacation when I’ve not had something I’ve needed, nor not worn what I’ve packed. (more…)