Quebec City

It would be hard to pick a better place than the Province of Quebec as the final destination for our wonderful cruise through New England and Canada, whether that be Montreal or, in the case of our Caribbean Princess cruise, Quebec City.

Our port was a short stroll from Petit-Champlain, which feels very much like a quaint but upscale arrondissement you would seek out for a special anniversary if you lived in the musical "An American In Paris."

Cold rain had been forecast, a continuation of the weather front that had forced us to miss our stop at Prince Edward Island, but we bundled up and headed out early.

With the reality of a mist rather than rain in the early morning, that proved to be a wise move.  We walked through gorgeous Petit-Champlain, vowing to return later, to catch Funiculaire du Vieux Quebec, the funicular that goes up the cliffside to visit Château Frontenac, the most photographed hotel in the world for good reason. And naturally, we took lots of photographs.

We enterred hoping to find a romantic place to sit with a hand-warming cappuccino, but finding only a rather standard Starbucks, we soon left.  While still inside, however, I spied a poster proclaiming Quebec City as a ski destination.

What?

How did I not know this?

Outside, this new revelation was confirmed by an idle van marked as a ski shuttle.  It turns out there are several ski areas a short distance from this landmark hotel in Quebec City, though of course it was still too early in the season even despite winter knocking at the door.

Quebec City certainly seems like an appealing winter destination, especially for someone who loves city life.

To quote Travel+Leisure, "You don’t have to dig very deep to become convinced that Québec City is the most romantic city in North America."

The spring colors and buildings on the other shore of the St. Lawrence River were obscured by the increasingly heavy mist, but it was still a lovely view.

As we explored the area around the hotel, the wind and rain kicked up a notch, turning our umbrellas inside out and stripping some of the romance from the experience.

Our choices came down to seeking out a cafe in which to ride out the blustery outburst, heading to a museum or getting on a tour bus.

We chose another hop-on, hop-off bus, which the sales clerk said would have clear windows for viewing, rain or shine.  That proved to be a lie, although at red lights, the driver did occasionally walk back with a rag to try to clear off some of the frost on the inside.

The narration was a recording, which is not nearly as engaging as a live tour guide.  I have to admit kind of zoning out on as it droned on, and between the rain on the outside and fog on the inside, we couldn't see all that much.

Had the weather allowed us to ride in the open air seats on top, this would unboubtedly have been a good way to get an overview of the city.

However, had we wanted to get out at the different stops, we could have easily done so, and we probably should have explored a museum or historic building.

We ended up just riding around until we reached the port, where we stopped at the ship to have lunch.

Okay, even I admit this was ridiculous.

We were in the most romantic city in North America where exquisite French cuisine awaited our palates, on a day when the weather made seeking out a fine restaurant especially attractive.

Julie always likes to dine with a water view if given a choice, and of course we knew the food on Caribbean Princess would be delicious as always.

Still....

After lunch, we returned to Petit-Champlain to soak in the wonderful ambiance of its environs.

The nearly empty streets of morning now bustled with activity, but it was still a very special experience.

We eventually wandered into a bakery to savor an eclair and cappuccino in the late afternoon.

Upon taking a table by the window of the nearly empty cafe, we observed a steady stream of customers flood in, filling all the tables, so we felt compelled to leave as soon as we finished rather than lingering to observe the world pass by.

Because Quebec City may well be the most romantic city in North America, Princess wisely made it an overnight in port as our cruise's grand finale, allowing guests the opportunity to go ashore to experience the French night life.

However, on this particular evening, the warmth of the ship won out.

Sometimes, it's hard to get beyond the truth that "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

The views of illuinated Quebec from the ship were stunning.