Soaking in Quebec Culture: Day 70 - roaming around Quebec city - And Then We Pedalled...... Cross Canada 2015

August 11, 2015

Soaking in Quebec Culture: Day 70 - roaming around Quebec city

Pun completely intended in today's title. Our string of hot sunny days came to a crashing halt today. Steady and heavy rain all day. Fortunately we had planned an off bike day. Also fortunately, we had spent yesterday afternoon and night checking out the "out door" scene in QC.

With today's rain our focus shifted to more local indoor activities, and we weren't alone.

We also used today's weather as a chance to sleep in and both of us rolled out of bed at 8:30. A leisurely breakfast ensued and then we set off to the Museum of CivilIzation just a few blocks away. Those few blocks took us several hours as we kept popping into interesting shops and stores to check out their wares, and to get out of the rain. In almost every case, the former turned out to be a better reason than the latter.

One of our stops was for lunch at Les Sales Gosses (the Dirty Kids), a smallish Bistro that opened about a year ago about 400 m from our hotel. This distance also gives you an idea of how fast we were moving today, and you may have guessed is was "not very".

After our terrific lunch (Callum, mom had a really good salmon tartare salad and I had gnocchi made with morels in a shiitake and lapin sauce ..... that's right, your dad was eating Bugs Bunny) we finally made it down to the Museum, only to find that all the people who were thronging the streets of Vieux Quebec yesterday were now all lined up to get into the Musuem (and out for the rain?) today.

Ok, we'll put that on the list for next time, and we set off to explore really old Quebec in the heavy rain.

Two great shops that we went into deserve special mention. The first is l'Inventaire, a cool store selling stuff that no one really needs, but would really like to have. We could have got lots of stuff here that we and our kids would have got a kick out of, but there's no room on a bike for any of it.

The second is Pot en Ceil, a place full of eclectic and off the wall kitchen wares. Most of it In the same category of "not needed but really cool to have".

Sodden from the steady rain we made it back to the hotel and decided to go back to LSG for dinner. We made a reservation and good thing too because it was packed even on a Tuesday night. The folks beside us were having a birthday celebration so when the dessert with the sparkler came out, I started singing happy birthday (someone has to start!) and next thing the whole restaurant is singing along. Good thing too cause this broke the ice with Nimet and Ike (the birthday boy!) who were from Montreal and here for a short holiday. We ended up having a great chat with them, and the rest of the restaurant staff. All in, a great night and a great meal. There are lots of really good places to eat in QC, but I would highly recommend Les Sales Gosses. Thanks Jeff for the wine recommendations and for sharing your fine whisky with me (note.... Not one beer offered from from a motor-homer over two months of biking and camping, but restaurant owners in Quebec offer up some of the finest malt whisky, gratis, to passing cyclists!).

The editor is having her beauty sleep, I need to do the same. Wind and rain in the forecast tomorrow, we'll be singing the praises of W.L. Gore again.

Great shop on Rue St Joseph Est. Full of funky stuff you don't need .... Until you see it!

Kirsten and Linda at Pot de Ceil...... I'll send you pictures of the "eggs" Linda

When it's chucking down with rain, why not take pictures of fountains? QC is full of very cool fountains like these. Not quite Rome, but really well integrated into the old architecture. The juxtaposition of the very old and the very new and innovative gives QC a very positive feel. Hope to be back one day soon!

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