Yep, for our 10th anniversary Charles and I headed North of the border.
We limited our visit to Quebec, and visited Montreal, Quebec City and Tadoussac.
Our first stop was Montreal. We arrived Thursday, May 31st in the afternoon and checking into our hotel, Le Meridien Versailles.
It was located on Sherbrooke near the Musee des Beaux Arts and was just a short couple of blocks from the Guy Concordia Metro Station...
The metro system in Montreal was really easy to navigate and made getting around the city pretty easy. The bus system took a little more getting used to because it took time to determine which bus went where, but by the time we were leaving, we had it figured out. The public transit in Montreal was great.
After checking in, we headed to Schwartz's Deli for a late, late lunch.
We had the best smoked meat sandwich, medium, pickle, fries and a Cott's cherry cola.
We then walked around Montreal a bit and soaked in the atmosphere.
I loved all the row houses and the uniqueness of each...
We walked for a good bit and then figured out which bus to take to Mount Royal, but we had to wait a while for it to pick us up...
After we got off the bus, we still had a way to walk. The walk through nature was nice...
and when we made it to the Chalet...
the views of Montreal...
were definitely...
worth the little hike...
After taking in the views...
we made our way to La Banquise for poutine...
Poutine is fries covered in brown gravy and topped with cheese curds,
and it is delicious!
The next morning, June 1st, we took the double decker bus tour
and saw all sorts of Montreal sights.
From the box apartments...
to Hotel de Ville (City Hall) where Charles de Gaulle once stood on the balcony and shouted: "Vive le Quebec libre" ("Long live free Quebec")...
to the Bell Center where the Montreal Canadiens play hockey...
to views of the Old Port, quays and the Cirque du Soleil tent...
to the Grand Prix track...
to the Biosphere...
to the Jacques Cartier Bridge with its Eiffel Tower finials...
(and the incredible views while passing over it)
to the installation of pink balls hanging over Sainte-Catherine Street East...
to Oratoire St-Joseph...
after which the double decker bus made a quick stop at the overlook on Mount Royal which overlooks the Olympic Stadium for a photo opportunity...
We then continued the tour route by passing Stade Saputo, where the Montreal Impact play soccer...
After the tour, we made our way to the Old Port for a late lunch
of a lobster roll and lobster pizza at Muvbox...
We then walked around the surrounding area
and stopped to visit Notre Dame of Montreal...
After a day full of touring Montreal, we headed back to the hotel
for a little rest and to get ready for our anniversary evening.
We hailed a taxi and enjoyed a delicious dinner at Au Pied du Cochon.
I believe it was the best meal we had during our trip
(and we had lots of delicious meals)!
After dinner, we made our way back down to the Quays of the Old Port...
for Cirque du Soleil's Amaluna. It was fantastic!!
We had an amazing 10th anniversary day and evening!
The next day, June 2nd, we woke up to the rain. Thankfully, it wasn't a heavy rain, but it was pretty steady. We made our way past the Olympic Stadium Park...
and had to forgo the Jardin Botanique (and its bonsai collection),
but we made it to the Biodome without getting too soaked.
We had a great time exploring the Tropical Rainforest section...
The capybara were my favorite animals in this section...
We walked through the Laurentian Maple Forest Section
and the Gulf of St. Lawrence section with its many seagulls...
and ended with the Sub-Antartic Islands section with its puffins and penguins...
The Biodome was the neatest place - and a great place to spend a rainy morning!
We left through the Pie-IX Metro Station -
where I had to get Charles' picture with the Olympic rings...
We enjoyed lunch at juliette et chocolat...
It was another delicious meal!
On our way back through the metro station, we encountered quite the entertainer!!
Since it was still raining, we decided it was the perfect afternoon to
visit the Musee des Beaux Arts...
I really liked how its pavilions were connected so that we could visit each without getting back out into the rain. After viewing lots of good art and an exhibit on Napoleon, we headed back to the hotel.
After resting and making ourselves somewhat presentable after a day in and out of the rain, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant near our hotel - and enjoyed another great meal at Fino...
Since it had stopped raining, we explored the area a little more and then turned in for our last night in Montreal.
The next day, June 3rd, we headed to Quebec City..
After a fiasco with trying to catch the morning train (having to walk through a mall to get to the train station, there being a line for purchasing tickets and only 1 person working both Via Rail Canada and Amtrack desks, and the last call for the 8:30 train being called and the gate closing and the train embarking before 8:30 and before we were able to purchase our tickets,) I pulled up the bus schedule, we hailed a taxi and made it to the bus station in plenty of time to catch the 10:00 bus. (Unfortunately, in the frustration of the morning, the iced mocha cappuccino I had put in my purse to free up my hands spilled all in my purse, so I had to use the extra time at the bus station to wash everything and my purse. Thank goodness for the powerful hand dryers!!)
The bus turned out to be a great experience. The people in the station were nice, the bus was roomy and clean and provided free wifi and we made it to Quebec City in about 3 hours. The rain - or drizzle - followed us to Quebec City, so I was glad that we didn't have to wait long for a taxi at the bus station.
We checked into the Best Western Plus City Center. The suite was quite nice.
We caught a taxi and headed to Le Cochon Dingue for a late lunch...
We then walked around the Lower Town/Old Port a bit...
and took the Quebec-Levis Ferry...
It was a pleasant ride, even in the drizzling rain.
Several people were out sailing...
We enjoyed views of Quebec City...
and the Chateau Frontenac...
After the ferry ride, we caught a taxi back to the hotel.
Since the hotel was located in the city center, we took the opportunity to explore that area that evening.
One good thing about the rain is that it brought a pretty good breeze which made all the flags of Quebec City, Quebec, and Canada wave for good pictures.
We enjoyed dinner at Les Bossus, a really good French bistro...
The next day, June 4th, we took our rental car and drove to Tadoussac.
On the way there, we toured the Ile d'Orleans which is just about 15 minutes from Quebec City. It is made up of 6 villages which each have their own separate and unique identities. Even though the island is only about 5 miles wide and 8 miles long,
it was pretty easy to distinguish the unique villages.
Our first stop was at the Chocolaterie de l'Ile d'Orleans in Ste-Petronille...
Where we bought a muffin and hot chocolate for breakfast and several chocolates...
We ate breakfast in the courtyard and enjoyed a pretty view along with our breakfast.
The fleur de sel chocolates were my favorite...
We continued around the island
and saw the varied ways of life in the islands different sections.
We saw many farms...
including strawberry fields.
Lucky for us, strawberry season was early this year.
We stopped at this strawberry stand in Ste-Petronille...
where we bought the most delicious, freshest strawberries. Between the stand owner's limited English and my limited French, we were able to handle the purchase. Everyone we encountered on our trip both in the cities and the smaller towns were so nice and helpful and friendly.
We saw many barns and silos...
along with boats in the maritime communities.
And there were churches...
for each separate village on the island...
One of my favorite stops was the observation tower in St-Francois.
It was so windy on the climb up and at the top!
From it, we had views of the farmland...
the St. Lawrence River - which is 10 times wider here than in Quebec City...
and the Laurentian Mountains...
Many houses on the island still retained red roofs - which were used because they could be seen better from the River, especially through rain and snow... 
There were so many different types of trees on the island.
These were Charles' favorites...
I had read that there was a poissonnerie in St-Pierre which sold smoked fish.
I knew that would be a perfect stop for Charles!
He enjoyed the smoked catfish we bought there.
Our next stop was at the Cidrerie Domaine Steinbach...
where we got to taste all sorts of goodies - from mustards to chutneys to jellies to ciders. Many items were made from the apples from the orchards right behind the building...
We stopped before leaving the island for lunch...
Then we headed back over the bridge and across the 40 to Montmorency Falls
where we...
took a tram...
to the top of the falls.
It was pretty neat looking down...
on the St. Lawrence River and across to the Ile d'Orleans.
After arriving at the top, we walked to the lookout and saw a rainbow in the spray...
The falls (though much, much less wide than Niagara) are taller than Niagara.
We walked across the bridge over the falls...
It was amazing to see the calmness of the water... 
quickly turn to a powerful, churning flow on its descent...
We could actually feel all that power while standing on the bridge.
On our way back down to the tram, Charles stopped...
for some refreshing water...
It was cool but not as cold as I expected it to be.
We also stopped for pictures with the tress growing out of the mountain rocks...
After our stop at Montmorency Falls, we continued on our trip to Tadoussac.
Along the way, we saw this house which had Chalet Azreal on its sign...
and Smurf mushrooms on either side of it...
I was so excited to see this.
Charles turned around and circled back so I could get pictures!
We also saw signs for moose crossings...
We didn't see any moose,
but a huge fox ran across the road in front of us at one point.
We stopped several times along the way to stretch our legs...
and admire the beautiful views...
We finally made it to Baie-Ste-Catherine where we waited in line...
to catch the ferry to Tadoussac.
We finally made it to the Hotel Tadoussac and checked in...
We then ate dinner at Cafe Boheme...
We heard the familiar banging on pots and pans even in Tadoussac...
Many people were protesting the government's attempt to raise tuition costs. We saw the protesters in Montreal, Tadoussac and Quebec City.
We then walked around some and saw the Little Indian Church...
and the Chauvin Trading Post...
We walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed the views...
and relaxed in the Adirondack chairs on the lawn of the Hotel Tadoussac...
We then continued walking around Tadoussac and saw this totum pole...
and statues of whales. I had to get my picture with a beluga.
I hoped that this would not be the only beluga I saw during our time in Tadoussac.
The view from our room was gorgeous!
The next day, June 5th, we had to stop and get gas. Gas prices were so low, and the stations provided full service (which I really miss).
We picked up our whale watching tickets from Otis Excursions. The lady in the office spoke no English, so I was thankful that I recalled some of my French lessons.
After picking up our tickets, we made our way back to the boardwalk and located the zodiacs we would be riding in...
We also found where we would meet the rest of the people on the tour...
We were both ready to see some whales!
Since we were early, we took time to walk the entire boardwalk
and make our way onto the rocks...
The views all around us were amazingly beautiful...
It was finally time for our excursion. We had to put on...
fisherman pants...
and big, warm, red jackets on top of our layers of clothes...
We made it onto the zodiac. Our driver was really great!
And were off in search of whales...
After being on the water for quite some time looking for whales...
We finally saw a minke whale. We then saw a beluga!
She swam right towards us but plunged before we got a chance to see her face.
We then saw the spray...
of a finback whale...
I ended up seeing another beluga in the distance.
Seeing the whales was amazing...
especially when a finback whale swam so close to our zodiac...
Those zodiacs were really small - only holding 12 people.
But they sure were fun and just zipped along the water!
After a 3 hour tour, we made our way back to the dock...
and enjoyed lunch at Cafe Bar Le Gibar - this blue restaurant right on the water...
We then drove back to Quebec City (and made really good time - making it in less than 4 hours), turned the rental car back in and checked into the Chateau Frontenac...
The view from our suite was beautiful. Even though we were on the first floor, we had views of the St. Lawrence River and the Terrasse Dufferin (the boardwalk)...
We then walked around Upper Town and enjoyed a delicious dinner at D'Orsay...
I found Christmas ornaments from Montreal, Tadoussac and Quebec City, but really liked Le Boutique Noel in Quebec City...
The views from the boardwalk...
were so pretty...
as were the buildings lit up at night...
The next morning, June 6th, we began our day with crepes...
from Casse-Crepe Breton.
and saw one of the old gates to the city...
We then took a walking tour of Quebec City with Les Tours Voir Quebec.
Our guide, Mike, was great!
We walked through Upper and Lower Towns
and saw examples of old French houses and architecture...
and examples of English architecture...
which was improved upon by the Canadians adding railings to the top of the roof to prevent snow and ice from avalanching off the roofs in the winter.
The streets of Vieux Quebec City feel so European...
We saw the first Anglican Cathedral...
which still has a Royal Box marked with railings and the crest.
The architecture around Vieux Quebec City was so quaint.
I loved all the pretty window boxes...
We walked down to the Old Port...
and saw the Fresque des Quebecois (a trompe-l'oeil mural of the history of Quebec)
and Notre Dame des Victories...
in the Place Royale...
which was renamed this in 1686 when a bust of Louis XIV was placed in its center...
We saw the Maison Louis-Jolliet which now houses the lower station of the funicular...
We walked down Rue du Petit-Champlain and stopped for some tire d-erable (maple taffy) made from pouring maple syrup on snow or crushed ice...
and saw le lapin sautee...
even though there was no way I could eat there with all the rabbit on the menu, I loved all the rabbit items, rabbit ironwork and the rabbit crossing sign.
We then took the funicular from Lower Town to Upper Town...
and walked through the St. Louis Gate...
to Parliament...
where we had lunch at Le Parlementaire...
We had to stop to get Charles' picture with this fountain
which reminded us of the fountain in the Place de la Concorde in Paris
where we took a similar picture 10 years ago.
We then walked to the Citadel and took our picture as a guard and goat
while waiting on our walking tour to begin.
We saw the last remaining original entry way
(all the rest have been widened to accommodate vehicles)...
and many cannons and tanks and other weaponry...
The views from the Citadel were amazing...
and made it easy to see why it was built on such a strategic spot...
high on the cliffs overlooking the St. Lawrence.
It also provided good views of Quebec City.
Grass grows on the top of the walls to provide camouflage.
This ball used to drop and
by looking at the position of the ball, sailors would know what time it was.
We saw Rachel, the cannon at the highest point of the Citadel...
and I enjoyed the differing views...
from this point...
of Quebec City...
and the St. Lawrence River...
and even of the mountains in the distance...
It was neat to see the construction of the fortification...
After touring the Citadel and walking through more of Quebec City,
we had dinner at Portofino...
and then walked to the Rue du Tresor where local artists set up stands,
and we found a painting to bring home...
We then enjoyed dessert of maple syrup pie at Aux Anciens Canadiens...
We walked back to the boardwalk and
took a last look at the statue of Samuel de Champlain...
and stroll along the boardwalk. It was REALLY windy!
It didn't get dark until 9:30 or so each night, so we were able to walk around and
really explore each place we visited.
We left on June 7th, which was a day filled with travel. Due to the train and bus schedules, we had to take an early bus from Quebec City to the airport in Montreal where we waited and waited and waited some more due to a delayed flight out of Montreal. We arrived at the airport after our 4 hour bus ride and had a late lunch and quickly cleared customs and security. We then waited for our flight - thank goodness for Words with Friends! Due to our delayed flight out of Montreal, we had to really hustle to make our connecting flight out of Atlanta - we just did make it. We finally landed in Memphis around 10:30 that evening. After the hassles of the travel day, it sure was nice to be back home.
We had such a wonderful trip. What a way to spend our 10th anniversary!
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