Quebec City: French culture without the transatlantic flight
The flight from Boston was just an hour—and voila! We were sipping café au lait on Grand Allée, this continent’s Champs Elysées, in the capital of the province of Quebec, the cradle of French civilization in the Americas, swept up in the city’s romance and Old World charm.
Read MoreQuebec City’s 400th Anniversary Celebration
We were there for the largest celebration of military music in North America, the 10th Annual edition of the Quebec City International Festival of Military Bands. The world’s best military bands captivated the crowds in a series of special events, concerts, and a military tattoo held throughout the city.
Read MoreLe Massif: A Gastronomic Adventure in Charlevoix — Rails, Mountains, and the Shore
Since September, 2011, a unique train has been running along some of the finest scenery in Canada’s French-speaking province of Québec. From February through April the Train of Le Massif de Charlevoix runs from Québec’s Parc de la Chute-Montmorency to the ski slopes by Grande-Pointe Station. Between May and October, the train continues on to the resort vacation region of La Malbaie.
Read MoreMontréal to Boston: A Canada/New England cruise aboard Holland America’s Maasdam
Montréal is the cultural capital and largest city in Québec, second largest city in Canada, and the second largest French-speaking city in the world. It’s either the first or last port, depending on the sailing, which creates a great opportunity for an extended stay.
Read MoreA synergy of nature, culture, and cuisine: a whale of an adventure in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada
East from Quebec City along the north shore of the St. Lawrence is the region of Charlevoix, named for Father Francois-Xavier Charlevoix, Jesuit and first historian of New France. The area was shaped 350 million years ago by a 15 billion ton meteorite that left one of the largest craters on earth, extending 56 kilometers, west from Baie-Saint-Paul to east of La Malbaie.
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