Québec City trip

On my first night I went out to dinner at a restaurant called Le Hobbit. Like its mythical namesake, the restaurant was small and rustic. The restaurant had dim lighting, local artists' works displayed across the walls, and 1960s soul music playing softly in the background. We ordered three dishes: an appetizer of goat cheese ravioli, and two mains of seared trout and stuffed calamari. This was one of the first times in my life eating at a higher-end restaurant, and it really blew me away. So much so that after the meal I purchased one of their shirts, which I wore for the rest of the trip. In short, I cannot recommend this place enough to anyone visiting Québec City looking for a memorable meal.

On our second day, I took the bus to Montmorency Falls. The falls, standing at 83m (272 feet), are the tallest in the province, and a full 30m higher than Niagara Falls. After getting off the bus and paying the $10 entry fee, I walked around the park, which features hiking trails, a cable car across the river, and a playground for younger kids. The highlight, however, was the falls. Be prepared to first walk down (and then, unfortunately, up) many flights of stairs to get the best view of the waterfall.

On our last full day, I explored Old Québec. With cobblestone streets, ornate churches, and Parisian cafés, the town felt like a whole other world from the rest of the country. The streets were filled with American tourists from Michigan and New York. I wonder, for those whose first time it was in Canada, if they left thinking that this is what the whole country looks like.