Minion Famjam: Last Stop, Quebec!

Quebec City

It’s our last full day on the cruise and our stop is Quebec City. This is my first time visiting, so I’m looking forward to the chance to explore a little bit. After breakfast onboard, we disembark the boat. Conveniently, the port is adjacent to Old Quebec, so within minutes we’re already in the historical part of town. We’re not in any rush so we take our time making our way through the area and up the hill.

Notre Dame, Quebec City

After a little more walking, we wander into the area around The Cathedral-Basilica of Notre-Dame de Québec. While we didn’t enter, the surrounding area is very pretty and has that European-esque vibe to it. And we take the opportunity to snap a few photos and enjoy the unique architecture

Château Frontenac

Just around the corner from Notre Dame de Quebec City is Chateau Frontenac and the Dufferin Terrace in front of it. The Chateau Frontenac is probably one of the most iconic elements of Quebec City’s skyline. It’s also considered the world’s most photographed hotel. So there is some significant fanfare that comes with seeing it in person. It sits atop a hill overlooking the St. Lawrence river. I also have to imagine that in the winter, with snow, the scene probably turns into a fairy tale winter wonderland.

Add to it the surrounding Dufferin Terrace. It’s very walkable and you have a beautiful area that locals and tourists alike can probably spend hours enjoying. While there isn’t any snow falling today, a beautiful sunny day is an excellent alternative for us to enjoy environment.

Petit-Champlain

Directly under the Dufferin Terrace is the Petit-Champlain. It’s a small shopping street part of Old Quebec that is home to cool little stores and eateries. In order to get down we hop on the funicular. This allows us a more relaxed way down verses taking a ton of stairs! Once on the ground we wander from store to store checking out what they have on offer. We eventually find a small courtyard that has some cool public seating. There’s also a very talented busker which adds to a super chill and fun atmosphere. We plop ourselves down to enjoy and take it all in.

Last night onboard

Eventually we make our way back to the ship in time to cast off. Sadly it will be our last night onboard. I’d like to say that we did something super memorable to celebrate. But ultimately we continued to enjoy each other’s company, enjoy the onboard entertainment and make more memories as a family together! Before we know it, the time to leave our home for the past seven days is upon us!

Montreal

While our family did have plans to disembark and spend a good chunk of the day exploring Montreal. Unfortunately, Papa Minion fell ill overnight with a nasty bout of what we think is food poisoning. In the morning when we learned of this, we alter our plans for the day. We needed to find a place for Papa Minion to rest since he didn’t have the energy to explore the city. We debate going straight to the airport and letting him rest there. But we find a port in the storm at the Montreal World Trade Centre. Here, we have a comfortable and quiet place for Papa Minion to rest along with nearby amenities should he need it. The Sister and I also get a Montreal Bagel fix at the nearby Fabrique De Bagel.

Strolling around Montreal

After a bit of time, Papa Minion insists that we head out to enjoy a bit of the city before we head to the airport. Reluctantly, The Sister and I agree and head out for a little stroll. I’ve already been to Montreal twice before. So I wanted The Sister to get a chance to get a glimpse of some of the popular attractions. While we didn’t enter anything we did get to pass by things like Notre Dame of Montreal and Old Town.

We also make our way over to the Old Port area which is much more developed than I remember it. It’s definitely a lot more lively in the summer, which does plant a seed for wanting to re-visit at some point in the future. Especially since my past two visits are in the dead of winter, maybe a visit in a warmer season is warranted.

Tommy’s Cafe

Another memorable stop from a past visit is Tommy’s Cafe. It’s a cool coffee shop and I wanted the Sister to see it too. We stop in, order some drinks and snacks and have a seat to take in the cool atmosphere this place has to offer.

Homeward bound

Not long after finishing up at Tommy’s we make our way back to the Parental Minions. We gather ourselves and head over to the airport. I would probably write a bit more about the journey home, but overall it’s pretty standard. I think at this point we are all more concerned about getting Papa Minion home safely and comfortably. So not too many photos or airport adventures. I guess the one blessing in disguise is what was supposed to be a full flight ended up with a few “no-shows”. This means that passengers could spread out a little allowing Papa Minion a row to himself. So he  actually gets to lie down and rest comfortably. So we are very appreciative of these small blessings!

Ultimately, the flight goes by quickly and we arrive home without any hiccups. We get Papa Minion home and in bed. While the trip ends on a bit of a quieter note, I am happy to report that Papa Minion makes a full recovery!

So all is well that ends well and the entire family still looks back on this trip fondly. And that’s it! The Minion Family Trip is in the books! I look back on this trip with so much gratitude and am incredibly happy for the time I get so spend with this family! I will have a wrap up post next so stay tuned!