Montréal, Québec, Canada

Our recent trip to Québec included several days in Montréal. We were pleased by the slower pace of Québec City, so the transition into the bustle of a major city was a bit of an adjustment. Lodging downtown was helpful as we were able to walk across the street from our hotel to a metro station, and could find other amenities and attractions in walking distance. In Old Montréal we ate crepes, rode the ferris wheel, and browsed the local shops.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal hosts a daily program of music with a spectacular lights called Aura. Isaac snagged tickets, and we huddled into the cathedral with hundreds of others. Imagine a laser light show coordinated to organ music. It was pretty amazing, though not as powerful as the Cirque du Soleil CRYSTAL performance on ice, where we were perpetually on edge by the precariousness of the stunts and astounded by the perfection of the choreography. Nearby patrons were likely annoyed by my constant “Wowwww!”s. Isaac repeatedly used the gasp he reserves for only the most perilous situations. Our physiological responses to the acrobatics were an amusing byproduct. The entire show was pure pearl-clutching stupefaction.

If a Cirque du Soleil troupe travels to your area, do not miss the opportunity to catch a show. We saw the Beatles LOVE show in Vegas many years ago and had a similar experience, we left the show feeling as though we had just been flung into orbit, so surreal a show!

The Pointe-à-Callière Museum provided an amazing overview of the history of Montréal, to include an archeological labyrinth through the basement of the building (an old bank) and a pirate ship play area for children to discover some of the maritime heritage of Québec. Many timelines of life in Montréal, nodding extensively to the importance of Canadian First Nations were also on exhibition. I personally loved the transparent floors with miniature city timeline dioramas, the sewer walk, and the exterior balcony with 180 views of the Port of Montréal.

In 2023 I spent a lot of time watching videos on TikTok; time well spent because it became my secondary source for tourism and restaurant recommendations for Québec. Traveling over Christmas meant we had to work around business and restaurant closures for the holidays, as such, we were grateful for a robust Chinatown district to fill our tummies on Christmas day with savory hand pulled Chinese noodles from Nouilles de Lan Zhou and sweet Chinese pastries and Boba Teas. We made multiple trips to Pâtisserie Coco, their coconut cream rolls and ninja panda cookies were other worldly!

We also had animal-themed steamed Baos, and delicious milk teas. Any single restaurant we sampled in Montréal would have lines out the door in our Texas town.

The Biodome called to us, and we answered. The family crowds were thick with strollers and winter coats, so I opted out of the suffocating humidity of the tropical zone, but found the tundra area to be quite comfortable and amusing with a dozen or so diving and flapping penguins. The Biodome houses a wide variety of animals from different climates, all culminating in a large multi-level atrium with tide pools and woodland animals. The kids loved the tide pools with starfish and sea anemones.

Strolling the underground city was interesting but the weather was fair enough to enjoy walking outdoors. Rue Ste.- Catherine provided ample entertainment options, including a movie showing on Christmas day, where we saw The Boy and the Heron. Boxing day crowds were intense, but we made it through to Decathlon, my new favorite sports store, where I bought cushy wool socks, and Woody snagged an inflatable camp pillow and a new synthetic winter jacket, all for bargain prices. I came across one of these stores in Guadalajara, and now I make a point to drop in to any that might be in my travel areas (they have no stores in the US, sadly).

We tried Montréal style bagels from St-Viateur, which proved to be denser than we expected, but delicious nevertheless. Deli sandwiches from Schwartz’s were a must, I was told, so we checked out that restaurant, too. Every suggestion we received was solid, and I am so glad people are so open with their travel tips. Thanks especially to everyone who suggested Gibeau Orange Julep; incredible poutine and delicious orange-cream beverages.

I was also *blessed* by an amazing brunch poutine at Gaspar Brasserie Française: eggs Benedict with cheese curds atop a bed of breakfast potatoes. The hollandaise sauce was so flavorful and rich, I’m still dreaming about it. We had 10 days to sample all of these wonderful places. Ultimately I felt like we were very hungry caterpillars eating through pastries, salads, poutines, noodles, crepes, and sandwiches. I imagined this experience as die-cut pages of a board book, featuring our silly caricatures munching through the pages from cuisine to cuisine, culminating in very stuffed, very sleepy people boarding an airplane and flying off to a warmer climate. We are back to normal routines, thankfully!

The McCord Stewart Museum featured OGilvy’s mechanical Christmas displays featuring the toy creations of Margarete Steiffe (think Christmas department store window displays on a large scale), as well as an interactive modern art projector installation with iterations of early Montréal sketches and abstract overlays. We spend a spell of time playing with our shadows.

In retrospect, our journey to French Canada enriched our palates and enlightened us to French Maritime heritage and First Nations history. We picked up a few words in French, developed a small rotation of inside jokes, and despite walking 75 miles, we returned home a little soft and over-nourished. The kids returned to school and told their friends “bonjour-hello we ate rabbit” and bragged that they were truly conditioned to winter weather. They must not remember living in Alaska, because Québec had rather mild weather, topping out at 40F and dropping down to 20F, my favorite range of temperatures. I’m crossing my fingers for temperatures to drop a bit more here in central Texas.

I hope everyone can create an opportunity to visit beautiful Québec, but be sure to bring comfy shoes and stretchy pants, because the streets are ripe for strolling and the culinary scene is incredible.

Merci beaucoup, et je t’aime Québec!

Québec City, Québec, Canada

We are back from our holiday trip to Canada! Our visit to French Canada started off in Québec City and ended in Montréal. We have been to Yukon and British Columbia before, but this is our first time to Québec, where French is the official language. Historic Québec City is a UNESCO World Heritage site, held in high esteem for its colonial era fortress structures and preserved ramparts.

Initially I was concerned the language would be a substantial barrier as my French skills are very poor. But I do recognize many shared vocabulary words from the English and Spanish languages, making it easier to slough through transportation change posters, and menus. It didn’t really matter in the end because in literally every retail and hospitality situation we found ourselves in, we encountered bilingual staff. So I wouldn’t make it an imperative to re-learn all the French you studied in high school and college. A local to Montreal suggested on TikTok that Americans simply say Bonjour without an emphasis on French pronunciation when entering a place of business to signal that we are respectful to the local language, but identify ourselves as English speakers. I said “bonjour-hello” as a rule, and always showed gratitude with “merci beaucoup”. That also seemed to work.

We planned this trip to see colonial architecture and to check out the German Christmas Markets where we were delighted to find warm drinks, sweet treats. We tried rabbit poutine and rabbit leg at Le Lapin Sauté, and had desserts at Smith Café. The markets were busy, and festive, and just cold enough (highs of 30-39F). While we were expecting snow on the ground, we were met instead with a few frozen-melt snow berms. The hills of the city were unrelenting, so we were ultimately pretty grateful the streets and sidewalks were clear.

We also explored the Musée des plaines d’Abraham, Montmorency Falls, and had amazing French Onion soup. We shared a ride up the hillside tram with a couple from Round Rock of all places, and the world felt small, but only briefly. I would recommend the Musée de la civilisation to learn more about First Nations, and for the Children’s playhouse on the basement level (recommended ages approximately 0-9).

Québec City is timelessly beautiful, with incredibly nice and helpful locals, and tons of amazing food. It’s also exceedingly interesting from a historical perspective.

Travel often brings out a few threads of curiosity in each of us. This time Isaac and I both became equally enamored with New France, and Acadian history. We watched Barkskins on the tablet in the hotel after the kids went to sleep, and listened to a couple of podcast episodes about the Great Peace of Montréal in 1701 and then the expulsion of the Acadians from 1755-1764.

Every day (especially while traveling) I learn something new, and learn how little I actually know!

Guadalajara, Jalisco, México

This November, as a work trip I had the privilege of attending FIL, the international book festival in Guadalajara. I work in collection development of Spanish language materials for the city library, so this proved a rich experience for both my acquisitions work, and for my own personal understanding of Mexican national identity where I have familial roots.

I studied International Studies in undergrad, with a focus on Latin America. During that time I read many texts on the tumultuous history of Mexico, but I didn’t internalize the existential question Mexico has posed to itself again and again : “who are we and what do we stand for?” I saw this question asked and answered over and over again, expressed in the architecture, murals, and culinary arts. Mexico lives at the rich intersection of Native, Spanish, French and American influence, where food, music, and art all blossom into a National identity worthy of mass export. This trip has renewed my interest in the history of revolution in Mexico, and sparked a new curiosity about the territory of Mexico in North American relations from the Elizabethan era to present.