Holiday vacation in the province of Quebec

Happy New Year!!!  Our family spent the holidays in the winter wonderland of French Canadian Quebec.  This was our first visit to Canada and won't be our last.  Quebec has always been on my bucket list since discovering it on the UNESCO website listed as a world heritage location.

  Before travelling to Quebec City,  we stayed 3 nights in Montreal at the beautiful Ritz Carlton.  Opened in 1912, this is the first Ritz Carlton in North America.

Checking in at Front desk

Front desk staff giving us a private escort to our room

Since this was our family's first time actually spending Christmas away from home, I surprised Papa Dan and Daniel with a Christmas tree in the room.  I also ordered one for our room in Quebec city which is where we will be on Christmas day. 
 

I called ahead to the concierge to order a 6 foot pre-lit tree.  Since I do all the packing for our travels,  I was able to sneak in a spool of gold ribbon and a few boxes of light unbreakable gold and red ornaments in one of our check in luggage.



The contemporary one bedroom suite was very comfortable with it's clean lines and minimal color palette.

Little Daniel was mostly impressed with the high tech features throughout the suite that included a seat warmer in the lavatory which he has already added to this year's christmas wish list. 

Strolling the streets of Old Montreal

The chilly weather in Quebec set a record low.  In fact, we learned that it was the coldest season they had experienced in over 146 years.

If you're not familiar with Quebec, the primary language is French.  However, many speak English making it easier for English speaking tourists.  Our son has been taking French lessons since he was 6 (now 10) so this was a great language immersion trip for him.

The city of Montreal is old and amazingly beautiful. It is a great destination for those that appreciate historic architecture.  Although the Montreal was incorporated as a city in 1832, it's history spans over several thousand years.

Overlooking the city from Parc du Mont-Royal

It was originally inhabited by Canadian Aborigines referred to as the St. Lawrence Iroquoians.  Jacques Cartier was the first known European to reach Montreal in 1535 during his passage to Asia.

Skiing at Parc du Mont-Royal

We had a late afternoon lunch at the nearby brasserie, Le Pois Penche.  Casual French cuisine.

Ready to get warm with a dip in the indoor heated pool with a panoramic view of the city.

Latte and hot chocolate in the hotel lobby before a night stroll

Notre Dame Basilica de Montreal

Notre Dame Basilica de Montreal.  The Gothic Revival style Basilica was built in 1672.  The architect was Francois Baillairge.

After a long day and night of strolling the city,skiing and swimming we returned to our room to find a wonderful surprise.



The concierge left us a bottle of red wine and delicious tray of charcuterie and a wonderful welcome note.

Finally, we indulged in a few martinis whike watching the classic Sound of Music before ordering room service and calling it a night!!!  Stay tuned for our visit to Quebec City for a snow globe Christmas holiday adventure.