Across the country(part one, Quebec City and North Hatley)

To say it’s been a busy summer is an understatement. Between school, work, and preparing to move to a different continent(more on that later, I promise), it’s been wild, hectic, and some of the most fun I’ve had in a long time. I spent time with friends, family, and the people that are most important to me. I turned 20. I learned more about what it means to be independent than I have since I liveds in south africa. I reconnected with old friends, made new friends, and cut people off that were detrimental. I spent the vast majority of the time in Toronto, but as the summer drew to a close, I packed up all my things, moved home, and began a 3 week road trip to see family and send my little brother to university.

Our first stop was Quebec city. While there, wo connected with my cousins, ate way too much cheese, and enjoyed the general siteseeing. In Canada, Quebec City is really the oldest major city, and the archetecture and generally very european atmosphere makes it wonderful to visit. We enjoyed in particular the museum of civilization, which had a varied yet vast collection covering everything from evolution to poisons.

As always, our family practically ate their way through the city. Racqulette, fresh bread, fondue, thai, japanese-even though quebec city is best known for their french food, we honestly didn’t have a bad meal.

It rained for much of the time we were in the city, and as a result everything was lush, green, and utterly beautiful-plus, I didn’t have to constantly reapply sunscreen!

We stopped into the bar at the Chateau Frontenac and enjoyed the little outdoor markets that are so loved in the city. They sell everything from mittens(yes, in August) to ice cream. My personal favourite is the artist’s lane; a small lane where the walls are covered in the original art of local artists

After Quebec city, we spent a week in North Hatley, minus an evening in Montreal. While there, the focus was really on spending time as a family, relaxing, and being outside.

A few days in, all the under 50’s spent the night in Montreal, and we enjoyed the going out scene and some fantastic cocktails! It was nice to be in a place with a drinking age of 18, as we were all able to enjoy ourselves while out without any issues with having underage members.

We stayed at the most beautiful airbnb, and were able to paddleboard, hike, and we even visited a local monestary known for their fantastic cheeses!

The benedictine monks that ran and lived in the monestary also produced sparkling apple ciders, which were incredibly dry and delicious; we brought several bottles home with us! the monestary itself is located in a lush, rolling hills area on a lake, and the views were spectacular!