We’re back in Canada again after nearly a year, but this time, we’re visiting Quebec City and Montreal. It’s kind of sad when I think about it; I’ve been wanting to visit Montreal since college, when I was in the Boston area studying and knew that Montreal was just a (very long) bus ride away. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any friends who were that excited by the idea of visiting this city with me (well, it was probably college cheapness that trumped that desire). I was obviously never going to visit with my family, so it took being with Chris to come to Canada my first time (last year in Toronto to visit Ben), and this second time. And as an added bonus, we’re visiting Quebec City, too.

Quebec City doesn’t seem to have the international notoriety that Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver have, but it certainly has its charm and beauty that make it a unique place. It’s one of the oldest European settlements in North America, and a lot of the buildings have supposedly retained their general feel from 16th century when it was founded. Its skyline is gorgeous particularly because of the Chateau Frontenac, which is actually a Fairmont hotel now. Who would have ever thought that a hotel would dominate the skyline of a city as beautiful as Quebec City? It seems so odd and definitely is not something I would assume.