Off The Grid For Five Days In Quebec

Written by sp174604

     After hearing that Quebec City was the “smaller, more European version of Montreal (One of my FAVORITE cities on the PLANET!) I had to book a trip and explore the city for myself. Flying round trip from Logan airport, I arrived in the city on an overcast Thursday afternoon and set about exploring the trendy Saint Roch neighborhood by foot in search of “Pad Thai” at the vegan Restaurant NESS and the best vegetarian poutine I could stumble across.

     For my stay, I tried the unique lodging accommodations at Le Monastère des Augustines. While still functioning as an active monastery, half the cloister has been renovated into a hotel…albeit a stripped down version focused on simplicity and sustainability. Though the rooms are TINY and the bathrooms are shared, I loved the lack of television and disconnecting from the WIFI to enjoy my trip IRL! Bonus points for the vegetarian-friendly breakfast options–all included in the price at booking and all consumed in a “silent” dining environment.

     As for the pictures, I traveled light. All photos were taken on my iPhone 5s using the ProHDR app and were edited in Photoshop.

 

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A birds-eye-view of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (a.k.a.The National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec). The museum consists of three pavilions/buildings with curated works distributed across the venue.
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Old Quebec. These city streets make you see the European comparisons! Wandering around at sunrise gave me this tourist-free shot!
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The iconic Château Frontenac which overlooks the Saint Lawrence River. Most travel guides refer to this as “The Most Photographed Hotel In World.” Hard to disagree!
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Love the saturation and geometric lines of this composition. Shot inside the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec.
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Street art around the trendy Saint Roch neighborhood.
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An outdoor sculpture in a courtyard at the National Museum of Fine Arts.
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Another quiet street in Old Quebec. In a few more hours this area is swamped with tourists–and rightly so, as food, art, souvenirs and culture line the streets.
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Booked a four hour bike tour with Cyclo Services Day Tours (via Viator) to Montmorency Falls. It’s only about 7.5 miles from the city center and the leisurely pace makes the tour suitable for all fitness levels. Highly recommend if you are looking for an active travel experience!