This year, we decided to celebrate Christmas in Old Quebec. We chose this dog-friendly destination so that Gatsby could enjoy the cold weather and snow. During the holiday season, Old Quebec is transformed into a real Christmas village, just like out of Charles Dickens's novel: A Christmas Carol. With all the lights, decorations and snow, this place is the ultimate holiday winter wonderland destination!
We stayed at the dog-friendly Fairmont Le Château Frontenac a five-star luxury hotel which is also known as the most photographed hotel in the world. I call it the castle in the sky. The inside of the hotel was completely decked out for the holidays with their hall lined up with Christmas trees. It didn't take too long for us to check-in and we were so surprised that Gatsby just waited patiently on line with us even after a long drive. The hotel staff made sure Gatsby was well-taken care of. Since we don't feed him kibble, we asked the hotel to make him grilled salmon and meats. The staff even asked Gatsby if his salmon was cooked to the right temperature!
Day 1:
We roamed around the German Christmas Market which is open from November 22 until December 23. We were able to catch the last day of the holiday market. Amongst the wooden kiosks, we were able to find unique beautiful handcrafted items made in Quebec, Nuremberg gingerbread and German Christmas cakes and other German foods like bratwurst, pretzels, hot wine and more. Danny was pretty tired after the long drive so we decided to head back to the hotel to order some room service. We stayed in to relax for the rest of the night so that we can get an early start in the morning. TIP: If you are looking to take some pics for the gram, the area is completely empty around 6 am.
Day 2:
The next spot we checked out was the Quartier Petit Champlain District. This is the holiday spot to be and so Instagram worthy! The narrow cobblestone streets here are filled with holiday lights and decorations. I loved visiting the boutiques here and some of them even let Gatsby join me. Unfortunately, we weren't able to try out and dine in any of the restaurants in this area. I asked around and learned that during the warmer months here, restaurants will set up outside seating and lots of people dine out with their dogs. The only place that offered outdoor seating was Pub des Borgia. Even though it was freezing, we still sat outside because Gatsby was not allowed in the pub. I had a glass of wine and Danny enjoyed a hot bowl of French Onion soup. Place Royale is only a few steps away from Petit Champlain District. This is where we visited Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, the oldest Roman Catholic church in North America.
After taking some photos and roaming around the cobbled stone streets, we headed back to our hotel to grab a nice dinner. The best part of staying in Fairmont Le Château Frontenac is that they offer pet sitting services. They charged $26/hour (CAD) with a 3-hour minimum for a sitter to come to our room to watch Gatsby. You can instruct the sitter to only stay in the room or the sitter can take your dog out for walks and play in the snowy park just right outside of the hotel.
Danny made a romantic dinner reservation at Bistro Le Sam & Bar Atrium. This restaurant offered amazing views as it overlooks the St. Lawrence River. We ordered the maple syrup duck wings and Atlantic salmon tartar as appetizers. For the main course, I had the buttermilk-fried cornouailles chicken and Danny had the braised lamb shanks. They were both so good. Of course, we had lots of wine and finished off with both sharing a dark chocolate lava cake.
Day 3:
We strolled with Gatsby along the Dufferin Terrace which is a terrace that wraps around Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. This elevated area offers panoramic views of Old Quebec and the St. Lawrence River. There is a huge slide here where people line up at the top of the slide (270 feet high) to zoom downhill in a toboggan speeding up to 60 mph to the bottom! Gatsby stayed around here and enjoyed watching people zooming down the slide.
We made arrangements for the pet sitter to come by the afternoon because Danny and I made plans for dog sledding at Expedition Mi Loup! From the hotel, we had to drive to Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans which is about 20 minutes away. If you didn't drive here, the hotel can make transportation arrangements for you. When I got out of the car, I couldn't contain my excitement. You can feel the energy of these dogs as they were full of excitement and enthusiasm as well. The session started off with a safety brief, driving techniques and then we were off to the woods! I sat down on the sled while Danny stood behind me to steer the sled. The adventure took about 1 hour and there was a 15-minute session hanging out with the puppies. This experience was everything I wished for and I felt so grateful to have met these amazing dogs. If you plan to try this out, I highly recommend you come prepared with ski jackets and pants. I was wearing thermal leggings and that was definitely not enough.
Experiencing Christmas in Old Quebec was the perfect holiday getaway. We enjoyed our stay at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac and absolutely loved the city's wintry feel and holiday cheer. I have no doubt Gatsby felt the same. Frigid temps, snow, ice, grilled salmon and meats from room service cooked at the perfect temperature for him, a sitter that entertained him and a warm comfy king-sized bed. What more can a husky ask for? I'm sure this will be Gatsby's favorite dog-friendly holiday getaway for awhile!
Have you experienced Christmas in Old Quebec with your dog? What is your dream holiday getaway with your dog?
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and we wish you an amazing new year full of adventures ahead!
Until next time,
Elaine
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