Murder mysteries are my relaxation tonic. On the bedside table now is Louise Penny’s Bury Your Dead. Another classic Chief Inspector Gamache mystery, this time primarily set in Quebec City. A central part of the tale involves the mystery of Samuel de Champlain’s burial place in the old city. Set in a warmly charming and bitterly cold February Quebec winter, one can hear the snow crunching, taste the chocolat chaud and feel the cold winds on the Plains of Abraham. Happy memories of our 12th anniversary trip to Quebec City are flooding back. with each street and landmark.
We were married in early October, which is a Perfect time to experience the delights of Quebec. Leaves! St. Lawrence River! Mountains! Art Weeks! Quebecois Cuisine! Cliffs and Funiculars!
It was a lovely touristy trip. Charming B&B a block from the St. Lawrence and Chauteau Frontenac. We took a touristy boat trip down the St. Lawrence and back. The fall leaves and scenery were amazing and the breezes bracing, perfectly enjoyable.
Ron’s getting ready for dinner.
We headed north for a few days. Hiked magnificent mountainsides – simply ablaze.
We traveled to Baie St Paul where we strolled, visited the Reves d’Automne, and had a local pint. That evening, we wandered into the hotel restaurant and the found the town’s annual art festival’s intercultural dinner! That year was an African exchange, thus a tasty series of African dishes in a very convivial room, hung with one of the hosts’ artwork. We were warmly embraced and asked to join the feast. The next day we bought a painting which now graces our dining room.
Heading up the coast we made a ferry crossing the Saguenay River to Tadoussac. Lots of interesting passengers and cargo.
On the way back to Quebec City we found a remarkable cathedral, full of intense mosaics. I can’t even find that village on the map now…
…not to mention iconic riverside villages.
I love my neck of the woods, but I also love discovering the mysteries of other woods.
Snippets and Musings 
I had to smile when you said you visited a town you can’t find on the map. Just like Penny’s Three Pines! I haven’t read Bury Your Dead yet–must get to it!