The Road to Quebec City

We are in Quebec City for the weekend.  It was approximately a 3 hour drive from Montreal.  It's amazing how much better the roads are when you get out of Montreal.  Montreal road infrastructure is bad.  A lot of the bridges are patched with concrete, steel panels and wire to catch falling debris.  Some look like they should be condemned. 

We learned the farther North you go, the more French it gets.  We stopped to get coffee and water at McDonalds at a small town along the road.  I had a hard time trying to order water.  I didn't know the French word and she didn't understand English.  I need to learn the word for water.   Interesting - McD's serves poutine up here ( French fries and cheese curds covered in gravy).

Last night, we went to a brew pub for dinner.  There was a long wait but we were able to find a couple seats at the bar.  I'm so glad we decided to eat at the bar instead of a table because it gave us a chance to talk to people.  We have found the French Canadians to be very warm and friendly.  The girls behind the bar were fun and tried hard to understand us and teach us some French words. The ladies sitting next to us were a hoot!  One spoke some English.  We learned all about her love life and the boyfriend she had just broken up with that looked like Eric.  Coincidentally, her ex boyfriend works for Bombardier in Montreal (where Eric is attending classes).  We schemed with her about the guy sitting on her other side.  He seemed to be interested in her and she was looking for new "lover" who could travel the world with her during the summer.  She's a school teacher.  We asked if she had ever been to the US.  She had - Miami - and was planning on San Francisco next.  We had a great evening of chatting.  

Of course, I can't leave out the food.  We ordered cheese fondue as an appetizer at the suggestion of one of the girls behind the bar.  It was great but not what we expected.  It was three large, creamy breaded cheese cubes on a bed of yellow raisin chutney.  The cheese wasn't the chewy type you would find at home, rather a creamy soft cheese that balanced well with the chutney.  Delicious!   My main course was a salad.  Eric had pizza. Both were good and just what we wanted after last night's rich dinner.

We haven't had a chance to get our bearings on where we are in the city yet. From what we have seen, it doesn't look like the postcard view I saw online.  Today, we will explore and see if we can find that view.

PS - travel tip: sit at the bar rather than a table to talk with local people.  It's so much more fun!