Changing Leaves, Abandoned Houses & Mint Ice Cream🍨🍁

The weather has been gorgeous in my hometown lately.🍂

This last Saturday, my husband Tim and I just hung out with really no plans and it was so fun! Sometimes, work gets so busy for him and I’m caught up in so much petsitting that we have to make time.

So, we went out into the country and took pictures of the changing leaves and just did some exploring. We even went to a Goodwill we had never been to before. If you know us, you know that’s rare.😂 Most of the Goodwills in our area, we’ve been to, and we have them classified: this one has the best shoes, this one has the best furniture, this one has the most cool and random things, etc…

We stopped when we saw this old, historic looking house. Probably from the late 1800’s, early 1900’s, but it had so much charm. It had an old metal gate falling down all around it and the prettiest front porch. I love finding places like this.

We also went to Cruze Farm and got some ice cream! They have such unique flavors and all of them are made with fresh cow’s milk! I tried their new mint flavor and Tim tried “Brookie dough”, a brownie and cookie dough combination.

This weekend was so fun and much needed! It’s a good reminder to just slow down, stop and take in what’s around you. Cleaning can wait until tomorrow. Some obligations can too.

Make the most of today.

P.S. The skirt I’m wearing was a thrifted tennis skirt and I love it. Top was from Old Navy for $10 and hat was from Ross for less than $7. I’ve been really into mixing patterns lately. I haven’t been in the mood or had time to thrift lately, but I’m hoping sometime next month when things slow down, I’ll get the chance to!❤️🙌🏻

Quebec City: My Takeaways

When I said I was going to Quebec City, Canada, I had two kinds of reactions:

1. “Oh cool! Hope you have a great time!”

and

2. “Why?”

When people ask me why, it’s kind of annoying. Do I ask people why they prefer beach vacations over taking in historical sites and pushing the envelopes of preconceived notions on culture?

No.

Do I ask people why they prefer all inclusive luxury cruises where they can eat all the fried shrimp they want and get sunburned and wear a nasty Dramamine patch behind their ear that just comes off as soon as you get near any kind of water?

No.

Do I even ask people why they prefer vacations that are perfectly sheltered and involve getting their pictures taken with a mouse and a whole cast of other fictional characters, rather than exploring hundred year old streets?

No. No, I don’t. I live and let live. You all can keep your Disney, your Sandals vacations and your Royal Caribbean, I’m a different breed, I have to say. And this is not me being snooty or better than thou either. I happen to love Disney…when the occasion calls for it. But since I am 28 and not getting any younger, I choose to explore the world, get out of my comfort zone and see everything I haven’t already seen. Broaden my horizons.

Want to know how I picked Quebec City, Canada?🇨🇦 I kind of just did. I set my mind on a place and then I research the heck out of it.

Quebec is a primarily French speaking place, but I didn’t let that stop me. After being in Italy and doing fairly well at making myself understood, I decided to take a stab at this. Actually, I know more French than I knew Italian.🤷🏻‍♀️ I took a brief class at the age of 12 that taught me how to count to 20, some basic colors and phrases and…really, we use more French in the English language than we give credit for. Bouquet. Culdesac. Boutique. If you start thinking about it, it will blow your mind!

Another thing people were apt to ask me once they knew I was going to Quebec was: “Oh! They speak French up there? They’ll be snobby, won’t they?”

Now, really, they speak French Canadian. And no, they were not snobby at all. The people in Quebec were very friendly and if they saw me butchering their language, they would switch to English, accommodating me. That doesn’t say rude or snobby to me. That says polite and accepting.

Believe me though, I tried. I always like to give an effort when in another country. I want to show them that I am trying to understand their language and culture.

So, if you’re worried about a language barrier and that is keeping you from visiting this beautiful city, DON’T. Everyone was so nice there!

Another thing you should know about Quebec is that it is very walking friendly. We used the bus some to get to faraway places like Montmorency Falls or the mall when Tim needed affordable shoes because he brought his that he walked 94 miles (and then some) in Italy and everafter 😂, but otherwise, if you don’t have a handicap or aren’t against it, you will have no problem getting around this city. Most of what you will want to see is very close together and it is actually fun to see how much you end up walking around the city! One day we walked 10 miles.😱

Quebec is also absolutely gorgeous in the fall. Everywhere we looked, we saw changing leaves!🍁 You can’t beat it in October, right before it gets really cold for winter and after the heat from summer has faded away.

It’s a place full of history, French culture and food, fall activities and so much more! If you haven’t been, I encourage you to look into it! And if not Quebec, maybe there is somewhere else you have been wanting to go to! I say, DO IT.

Save up. Research. And then go do the thing. 🌎🙌🏻✈️

Top 7 Places to Eat in Quebec City🥐

Now, I’m a millennial, soooo…wait, I don’t have to preface this or explain to you, people of the internet! These are my top favorite eateries we tried while in Quebec City for our fall anniversary/birthday trip. I base this list on the following criteria:

1. The food must be good and fairly affordable.

2. The food and atmosphere must be very hip and aesthetic. Willing to overlook affordability somewhat if the atmosphere is banging and the food is delicious, but will not compromise on taste.

That’s pretty much it, so without further ado, here we go!🥐🍓🧀🍔

1. Paillard

Address: 1097 Rue Saint Jean

This place was just good. You walk in, and it’s packed. Always. Not only do they have freshly baked breads and pastries, including macaroons, but they serve breakfast in the morning and lunch/dinner type assortments the rest of the day. We went there on two separate occasions, once for breakfast, once for lunch. Pictured above is our breakfast, The Matin Special, I believe, for less than $8. It features a bacon, egg and hollandaise croissant, a cup of fruit and a coffee, however, you can change up the ingredients of your croissant to ham and boost your coffee, but this was perfect for us!

When we had lunch here, there were sandwiches and soups galore to choose from, plus bottled drinks. Think deli style. You pick your drink, or get a fountain one, and order at a counter. Your order number is then called out when your food is ready.

Definitely hit this place up while in Quebec, but make sure you come a little earlier than you want to eat because it stays busy!

2. Le Chic Shack

Address: 15 Fort Street

Oh, the burgers at this place.😍🍔 Absolutely phenomenal. It’s a little Americanized, but not obnoxiously so. They have ketchup available for us southerners, but they still offer up a Canadian specialty that cannot be missed: poutine. You also can’t miss the location of this place–it is literally right next to Chateau Frontenac!

Pictured above is the Le du Fort Burger, which is piled with Canadian bacon, honey mustard and pickles for a truly amazing combination I’m still drooling over! (I love honey mustard, why does it feel so wrong and nay, so right to place it on a burger?!) we also ordered a side of Classique Poutine. The order you see here is a small. Only order the regular if you are starving or have a table to share with because them portions be HUGE.

Le Chic Shack’s take on poutine is great–steak cut potatoes in a gravy sauce with cheese curds. You’re wanting some right now, aren’t you? Because while writing this, I am! 🤤 Also, try their handmade sodas made with real fruit purée! They had delicious looking milkshakes, but alas, we were too full.

3. Bols Et Poke

Address: 545 Rue Saint Jean

I couldn’t make this list without listing at least one asian restaurant. I have to have something asian everywhere I go. In Venice, Italy, I found a place that served stir fry and you best believe I got some. 😂

This place is refreshing, clean tasting and just tastes so good. I do not remember the name of what I got, but it was vegan and gluten free. It consisted of noodles in a peanut sauce, avocado, rice squares, cashews, kale and cucumbers and it was freaking amazing. Tim basically got these giant sushi rolls that he said were also good. Together, our food was about $29. Not terrible, not cheap, but not terrible. The food was so good though, I’m not complaining!

This place was also very chill with window seating where you could just watch the world go by.

*Bonus Asian Food Lover Tip: If you love Bubble or Boba Tea as much as I do, you can still get that fix while in Canada! I got a great matcha boba tea at a place called Sushi Togo. 636 Rue Saint Jean*

4. Simon Patisserie

Address: 471 Rue Saint Jean

See, now you’re seeing why that VRBO I mentioned in my previous Quebec post is so great! It is on Rue Saint Jean and literally a stone’s throw from most of these excellent restaurants!

This bakery is one that Tim and I would pass literally every day. The sweet little woman who worked there had the prettiest pastries, cupcakes, sugared things galore, displayed in her window. She was always very kind when we would stop in and try some of her desserts.

Pictured here are a few of her top sellers: little dense pastries full of almond paste or raspberry filling. She also sold cookies, croissants, eclairs—pretty much anything you could think of! If you need something sweet, stop here!

5. Cafe La Maison Smith

Address: 1141 Rue Saint Jean

This little coffee shop is a chain around Quebec with many you can find, but not so prevalent as Tim Horton’s, the coffee and doughnut chain that is equivalent to America’s Dunkin Doughnuts.

At this cafe, you will find all your caffeinated needs and macaroons, pies and more. 🥧

I got a chai here, one of my favorite drinks, along with a lemon macaroon. Scrumptious!

6. Luzz

810 Boulevard Honoré-Mercier

This place has an excellent lunch or breakfast! The dining area is in a little greenhouse like space.

Tim got a Monte Cristo and I had just a simple croissant and one of the BEST green tea matcha lattes I’ve had in forever. We’re talking totally perfect, no need to sweeten this, perfectly foam arted latte.👌🏻

I should have taken a picture, but I was too busy enjoying it, so you’ll have to trust me on this one. 🤷🏻‍♀️

7. Au Petit Coin Breton

Address: 2600 Boulevard Laurier

If you’re looking for crepes, look no further! This place not only has them, but a very quaint, French tavern sort of atmosphere in which you can enjoy them. I enjoyed the strawberries and custard crepes, which were delicious! My husband opted for a more traditional breakfast which included toast, eggs and fruit.

This is also a place right in the heart of Old Quebec, so you can explore after eating!

Honorable mention goes to Le Bureau de Poste(296 Rue Saint Joseph) in Lower Quebec, the more modern section of the city. It is a restaurant where all meals are only $5.95(talk about cheap eats!) and it is inside an old post office! Really cool.

I hope you all loved this list! What are your favorite things to eat on vacation? And have you been to any of these places in Quebec City?