Four Points by Sheraton : Quebec City

Four Points by Sheraton

Québec City, Quebec

The hotel is located in Levis across the Saint Laurent River from Old Town Québec.  Levis is a quiet little town with not much around the area.  It was a very peaceful hotel with wonderful service. The hotel is located in the same building as the conference center so it does not stand out as well.  The staff were extremely helpful and made you feel very welcome. 

Room

The room is spacious as well as the bathroom.  The decor very modern with the coffee supplies in a cute little sack.  The shampoos and conditioners are dispensed from a dispenser on the wall in the shower instead of in little bottles. 

Go Green

If you are a SPG member, you can opt to go green to get a $5 certificate or 250 points per night.  The points are a bit less than what the other hotels are offering. 

Shuttle Service

The hotel provided a free shuttle to and from the ferry that ran about every 2-3 hours.

Service

Wi-fii is free at the hotel and there is also a business center in the lobby.

Cosmo

This restaurant at the hotel looked very upscale with a very modern look.  It had sectioned off booths for privacy or regular tables out in the open.  There you can find a giant disco ball.  It was a good place to hang out at night.  The food is decent with a wide selection of desserts. 

Bar

There was a small bar in the lobby next to check in.  Even though it was a small bar, it provided plenty of plush couches and chairs.

This hotel is very nice with friendly staffs.  However, it is in Levis and in the middle of nowhere and waiting around for shuttle and ferry can be a hassle and cut into your time.

Eating in Quebec City

Eating in Quebec is just as expensive as eating in Europe.  I guess they catered to the tourist so they charged tourist price.  There were also two types of taxes added on to the bill so that racked up the total cost very fast.  The two taxes together were almost 15% of the bill.  Tip was not included so add at least another 15%.  

 

Escargot in garlic sauce.

Strawberries
 Quebec is one of the major producer of strawberries.  I tasted the sweetest strawberries ever!  It was a bit smaller than the normal steroid ones back in the state but it was so sweet and juicy!

 


Poutine

This originated in Québec.  It consisted of French fries drizzled with gravy, cheese, and pork.  I was not a fan of soggy French fries but I did try it and failed to see the fascination. 

Beaver Tail

This was definitely a treat I enjoyed and was made of dough with cinnamon and sugar.  There were several toppings to chose from but I enjoyed the basic cinnamon and sugar.  It was a nice hot treat to have especially when it was cold outside. 

Cinnamon Beaver Tail

Maple Syrup

Quebec is one of the major supplier of maple syrup.  Maple syrup taffy (“Snow Candy” or “Sugar on Snow”) can be made by pouring maple syrup over the snow and rolling it up on to a stick.  

Café Du Monde

A definitely "must miss"!  The Café was located at the port with beautiful view of the Saint Lawrence River.  The coffee was nothing to salivate over and the service was horrible.  It definitely did not live up to its famous name.  You cannot just order coffee while sitting at the table.  So if you just want coffee, the bar was the only place you can sit. 

Le Grill
This was right outside of Chateau Frontenac.  It was overpriced and the food sub par. 
I would skip all those restaurants on the strip and just go a few blocks down.  The presentation was good with friendly service but this was definitely a tourist trap.  Eat here if you want the view of the Chateau while eating but go down a few blocks for good food.

Salmon Tartare

Duck salad

Le Cochon Dingue

This was definitely my favorite in Québec.  The waitress was very sweet and friendly.  I had lunch and breakfast here and it was delicious!  The restaurant was very big but because it was sectioned off, it felt like a little café. 

Their famous seafood pot pie.

Breakfast of champion.

Parmesan

This Italian Bistro was in the heart of Old Québec in upper town.  This was definitely a must eat!  The pastas were made fresh and the atmosphere was alive and exuberant.  Accordion player walked around the restaurant serenading guests with his partner that played the “two spoons”.  I don’t know what it’s called but it’s a sound that makes when you hit two spoons together.  The restaurant was a bit crowded but the atmosphere was upbeat and enjoyable.  The wait for our food was a bit long but worth the wait.  I would definitely not have the calamari though.  It was the worst calamari I had ever had.  I was dry and stale.  My dish of seafood linguini was delicious but the chicken parmesan was a miss.  The restaurant was famous for its fresh pasta and several famous faces have dined there.  

Bello Restaurant
I ran into this little restaurant to hide from the rain.  It turned out to be a very good find.  It was a bit expensive but at least the food lived up to the price.  My salmon tar tar was very fresh.  The scallops in cream sauce was perfect!  Definitely worth the money!  Downstairs, the wine cellar was next to the restroom through glass doors.  The design and layout was very modern.  

Scallops in cream sauce.

Salmon Tatare

Lemon cake.

Le Petite Chateau

This little cafe next to the Chateau is famous for their crepes.  I am not an expert on crepe but I am an expert in eating and I did not think the crepes were something to marvel at.  Wi-fi is free here so you can sit and enjoy but there is no view of the Chateau even though it is right next to it.

French Toast

Crepes

Quebec City, Quebec

The weather in Québec City was perfect in July!  It was considered hot for the locals but perfect for a southern gal like me (around 74 degree F).  The best thing about Québec was Old Town Québec.  Once you step into Old Québec, it was like stepping across the ocean into Europe.  The streets were filled with outside cafes and cobblestone walkways.  

Language Police

It is a French colony so French is the primary language but many are bilingual and spoke both English and French.  To maintain their culture, Québec has a "language police" to enforce the French language.  French must be the primary language in all businesses (i.e. retail, dining, etc) and workers must speak in French first.  Language police will disguise themselves as regular civilians and have the ability to give out tickets for failure to use the French language.  English can be displayed on signs but must be less prominent than the French language.  

Arriving by ferry to Old Quebec City

Ferry

Getting to Old Town Quebec required crossing the St. Laurent River via a ferry or a bridge that's out of the way.  The ferry is much more convenient and it operates every 30 minutes. Tickets can be bought at the station before departure.

Citadelle of Quebec

This is a military base constructed after the Americans attacked the then British Quebec.  It is still active so you have to sign up for a tour in order to go inside.  Two guards stood motionless at the the front gate and were dressed like British soldiers.  They seem to be more of a tourist attraction than of guards.  Around the fortress, on the cliff is the Promenade des Gouverneurs.  It is a wooden boardwalk that allowed for strolling along the cliff to overlook the river. 

Citadelle of Quebec

View of Saint Laurent River from outside Chateau Frontenac (Terrasse Dufferin).

Relaxing right outside the Chateau Frontenac overlooking Saint Laurent River.

Port

Along the port there was a market that was similar to a farmer’s market.  I found the sweetest strawberries there!  It makes sense since Québec is a major producer of strawberries.  You can find just about anything fresh there: fresh pasta that you can buy to take home, maple syrups, wines, cheese, and much more! 

Quebec has the sweetest strawberries!

 

Shopping for Spices

Bicycle Ride

There were bicycles that you can rent and I highly recommend this because you can cover more area.  There were several bike paths that take you to beautiful parks around the city.  Rollerblading was still in style in Québec.  I tried to go to Ile d’Orleans but ended up getting lost several times.  The people were very nice and stopped to help.  It will take about 1 hour to bike from the bike rental in the city to the island.  I didn’t make it but it will be a place of must visit when I do come back.  Ile d’Orleans is a big park and a lovely place from what I heard from the locals.  I ended up biking in a park that was still very beautiful. 

Lost again....

Lower Town (Basse-Ville)

The lower town in Québec reminded me of something from an alleyway in London.  It was filled with petite shops close together with cobblestone walkways.  This was the original neighborhood of the city.  You can catch the funiculaire to go up to Upper town where Chateau Frontenac resided.  I chose to take the steep stairs up to the Chateau to build up my appetite. 

Upper Town (Haute-Ville)

Perched on the cliff overlooking the Saint Laurent River is Upper Town.  The iconic structure of Upper town, Chateau Frontenac, was the first thing right off the funiculaire.  Here you can find many cathedrals, more shops, and cafes.  The Citadelle of Quebec is also in Upper town right next to the castle-like Chateau Frontenac.

Sitting at a restaurant in Youville Place

A church turned into a library.

Street performer outside of Chateau Frontenac

Christmas Store all year long!

Where's Trinh?

Tresor Street

Notre Dame

Shopping even in the rain!

Cannon ball still stuck in the tree from the war back in the days.

Chateau Frontenac

This is a historic structure and can be view from different locations.  The Chateau was the main location for several WWII conferences with President Roosevelt.  The building now housed the Fairmont Hotel.  I got to go on a private tour of the hotel because I knew someone who worked there and it was very much like a museum.  Paintings and antiques filled the hallways.  The hotel was beautiful but the rooms were very old.  It was France in North America!

Passageway at the Chateau to the entrance.

The Pink Room where President Roosevelt held conferences during WWII.

Bar at the Fairmont Hotel in Chateau Frontenac

Gare du Palais

The Gare du Palais was located next to the market.  This train station was a bit more peaceful than the ones in Europe with only one gate.  It was a very nice and clean station with multiple restaurants and food stands in the area.  You can leave your baggage with the agent for $6 a piece before retrieving it 30 minutes before your departure.

PS. 

Do not try to joke with the Custom Border Control agent.  They will send you to the long line to be furthered screened.  I learned from experience.

Jumping for joy because I just finished my climbed up to the Chateau.