Québec City Virtual Tour

On June 21, 2025October 21, 2025 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

As we settle into our new home, I’ve been busy reading and learning all I can about Québec City and its history. Honestly, I’ve become a little obsessed because there are just so many interesting stories and details, which I’m very excited to share. And since I learned a lot of this information through various walking tours, I decided to organize this into a sort of virtual walking tour for anyone to enjoy! On y va!

Stop 1: Parc des Gouverneurs

I want to start our little tour at the Parc des Gouverneurs, which sits right next to the famous Château Frontenac and has a beautiful view of the Saint Lawrence River. I think this is a great place to begin because from here you can see both sides of the river and Île d’Olréans, which is the official start of one of the largest estuaries in the world. An estuary is where a river turns into an ocean, and this particular narrowing is precisely why Québec City is where it is, and it’s also how the city (and the province) got its name. Québec means “where the river narrows” in Algonquin.

Partly due to its location, Québec City has played an important role in the history of North America. Founded in 1608, it was the first permanent settlement of what was then New France, and like many of Canada’s first cities, it started as a trading center. However, its strategic position and striking natural features are what prompted early explorers and settlers (first Cartier and then Champlain) to develop the area. Cartier couldn’t quite handle the harsh winters here, so he came and went a few times, but it was Samuel de Champlain who decided to buckle down and make Québec City a home.

Along with a small group of initial settlers, Champlain built the first habitation in Québec and quickly became known as the Father of New France, which is why his face is everywhere around the city. Well, not his face exactly. Apparently, Champlain never actually had a portrait done, so we don’t know what he looked like, and when the city started putting up statues of him, they had to just go with another noble-looking French guy instead. So, in all the artwork, statues, and history books, the man you’re looking at is not Champlain, but at least they stayed consistent with the image.

Stop 2: École des Ursulines

Our next stop is the École des Ursulines, which began as a monastery that was founded in 1639, making it the oldest educational institution for women in North America. One of the founders was Marie Guyart (aka Marie de I’Incarnation), a French widow turned nun, who came to Québec to educate young girls in the new colony. Because she had been married before and still had a son in France, she wrote thousands of letters about daily life in New France, the indigenous people of the region, and many other events that historians are still pouring over. For her contributions, she has been memorialized across the city and beyond.

Québec City (and all of its early inhabitants) really saw a lot of important events unfold in what was a fairly turbulent time for North America. Québec City sits on a 300ft cape situated at the narrowest point of a difficult-to-navigate river, meaning it was pretty intimidating even before all the fortifications, which is likely why there have only been a handful of battles fought here. The first battle is one of the most famous (and interesting) because it was won with a bit of psychological warfare. Louis de Baude de Frontenac, the Governor General at the time (1690), gave the iconic “I’ll answer the with the mouths of my cannons” line after blind-folding and tricking a scout into thinking Québec was much more battle-ready than it actually was.

Another famous battle took place here in 1759: the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which is essentially how the British ended up with all of Canada. Interestingly, although the British won the battle, the generals on both sides, Wolfe (EN) and Montcalm (FR) are still well-represented throughout the city. Also, of interest is the fact that Montcalm’s remains were actually found beneath the floors of the École des Ursulines somewhat recently (2001) because one of the nuns ended up sharing that little piece of history on her deathbed. What a way to go out!

Stop 3: St-Louis Gate

Next, we’ll take a stroll over to the St-Louis Gate, one of the oldest gates in the city. The St-Louis Gate stretches over rue St-Louis, which was one of the first roads in Québec City as it led directly to Fort St-Louis, Champlain’s (and later several other Québec leaders’) official residence. The fortifications around all the city gates weren’t actually completed until a bit later, and the city wasn’t 100% walled-in until after 1820 when British troops finished the job. It was quite a job, too, because the walls stretch over 4.6kms (2.9mi). At one point, there were over 300 cannons lining the walls, which definitely added to Québec’s image as a hard-to-conquer city.

Of course, eventually, the wars ended and things settled down in North America, and Quebecers had to decide what they wanted to do with their fort of a city. Many wanted to tear down the walls and start over with more of an open-concept. However, another Governor General, Lord Dufferin, had a different idea. He had traveled extensively and knew that Québec’s walls were an architectural jewel that needed to be preserved, and thankfully, he was able to persuade everyone else. By preserving the fortifications, enlarging the city gates, and building a massive public boardwalk, Lord Dufferin ensured Québec City would be welcoming tourists long after he was gone.

The city’s infamous walls encircle what is now known as Vieux Québec (Old Québec), and in 1985, this section of the city became a UNESCO World Heritage site, meaning it’s now protected by international law. Lord Dufferin would be happy. However, life goes on and cities grow; therefore, there are a lot of important places outside the walls now too, including the Parliament Building of Québec, which was built in the late 1800s and was inspired by the Louvre – a somewhat obvious nod to France as opposed to Britain. Old habits die hard it seems.

Stop 4: Overlook at St-Jean

Another important part of the city that technically lies outside the fortifications is Basse-Ville (or Lowertown). This part of the city is important for many reasons, one of which is the fact that I live here. 😊 But I’m not the only one! La Basse-Ville was, historically, where the average Quebecers lived, the working-class people, and Haute-Ville (or Uppertown), which is now known as Vieux Québec, was where the upper classes lived: governors, doctors, lawyers, etc. Funny how it still sort of works like that, non? I can attest Basse-Ville is definitely cheaper than Haute-Ville.

And nothing makes me feel the socio-economical difference more than when I have to make the trek up to Vieux Québec. Cape Diamant was great for battles and enemy intimidation, but it’s also tough on the knees! There are approximately 30 staircases throughout the city connecting Basse-Ville to Haute-Ville. Our closest staircase is Lépine, which has 118 stairs going straight up the cliff. Perhaps the most famous staircase though would be Casse-Cou (or “Breakneck”). It’s located in the oldest part of Basse-Ville, and has a bit of a rough history. The stairs, much like the neighborhood itself, were often in disrepair and led to many accidents, thus the name.

Interestingly, you’ll see a lot of buildings high-up on the cape, but you won’t see so many high buildings in general in Québec City. That’s because the two skyscrapers that were built in the Old Town really ticked off the locals at the time, forcing them to enact a law banning any buildings over 7 stories tall. The two buildings in question were allowed to stay, however. One is the Price Building (1929) which was originally a lumber firm’s headquarters, but now houses the Premier of Québec, and the other is an addition to Hôtel-Dieu de Québec (a teaching hospital), which obviously had good intentions, but was really quite ugly.

Stop 5: Morrin Centre

Now onto a few buildings that are anything but ugly, starting with the Morrin Centre. This building has quite a varied history and is so well-hidden in the heart of the city that I might never have known about it if not for the walking tours. It was originally the city’s prison, and despite its stately appearance, you can still pretty easily see where the bars were attached to the windows. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before the city needed a larger prison (which was built on the Plains of Abraham and is now an art gallery), so the Morrin Centre became an English college. Today, it still functions as an English library and cultural center that has fun events like Victorian-style teatimes and summer reading clubs.

Right next to the Morrin Centre/English library is an old church turned French library, Maison de la Littérature. I absolutely love the relationship between English and French here in Canada, but particularly in Québec, it never ceases to amaze me! Early on in my studies of Canadian history I wondered how Québec remained so French given the fact that the English took over in the 1700s. Surprisingly, it’s because of the US. The British during that time were so afraid the French would swap sides and join the Americans that they signed the Québec Act ensuring Québec could keep their language and local laws as long as they wouldn’t fight against them. Well, they never did and have kept their French-ness ever since.

The Morrin Centre and Maison de la Littérature are great examples of something Québec City has done amazingly well time and time again: historical site conversion. It seems there’s not a building around that doesn’t have an extensive and diverse history, which is why I keep reading every sign and every plaque I come across. There’s a museum that used to be the old city vault, a private club that was once a military barracks, and pretty much every restaurant downtown was someone’s house at some point. 400+ years is a long time for social institutions, but not so long for buildings.

Stop 6: Notre-Dame

Next stop: church. La Notre-Dame de Québec to be exact. While not the oldest church in the city (we’ll get there soon), Notre-Dame de Québec has its fair share of interesting stories and facts as well. First, it has burned down and been rebuilt three times since its original 1647 construction date, which is pretty impressive in and of itself. You might also notice that there’s only one completed bell tower giving the church a unique, asymmetrical look. Well, that was actually due to a miscalculation on the architect’s part, which resulted in it being deemed unsafe to finish. Oopsies!

And while it might not have all its intended bell towers, it does have something super rare: a Holy Door. There are only a handful of Holy Doors in the world, the vast majority of which being in Italy, so this one (the only one in the Americas) is quite special. What is a Holy Door you ask? Well, I’m not quite sure. It’s only opened on jubilees, so I’ll have to wait a number of years for the chance to walk through it and experience its power myself. What I can say is that, currently, it’s sealed very much like the Pope’s door during the Conclave, which is still pretty cool to see.

While we’re on the topic of the city’s religious history, we should also take a look at the Séminaire de Québec, which is right next door to Notre-Dame. The Seminary of Québec is often touted as the oldest educational institution in Canada, and its buildings still house several schools today, including many departments of L’Université de Laval, the first French-language university in North America and the oldest university in Canada. You’ll see and hear the name Laval quite often in Québec because he was New France’s first bishop.

Stop 7: Château Frontenac

It’s finally time for the structure that dominates pretty much any photo of Québec City, Le Château Frontenac! Earlier, I mentioned Fort St-Louis as one of the first buildings in the city (aka Champlain’s home). Well, the Château Frontenac and Lord Dufferin’s boardwalk are actually sitting on top of the ruins of Fort St-Louis. In fact, you can see quite a bit of them on display beneath the boardwalk. Also, on the boardwalk is a massive statue of Champlain (but not his face, remember). Two other interesting facts about this statue: one, it was actually designed by an architect who survived the Titanic, and two, the base is made of the same stone as that of the Arc de Triomphe – connections to France abound!

The Château Frontenac itself wasn’t built until 1893, and despite the name, it isn’t actually a castle. It was built as a hotel, and that’s what it’s always been. Like the Château Laurier in Ottawa, it’s one of the Pacific Railway Hotels, which are all incredible pieces of architecture spread across the whole of Canada. Another interesting fact about the Château Frontenac is that the main tower, arguably its most distinguishing feature, was an afterthought, added in 1924. The hotel has actually had a lot of work done over the years, including the addition of a pool and fitness center, which was done solely to maintain its coveted 5-Star status.

As you can imagine, many famous people have graced the halls of this amazing building: Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill, FDR, Princess Grace of Monaco, Charlie Chaplin, Céline Dion, Paul McCartney, and Leonardo DiCaprio, just to name a few. There are 610 rooms/suites in the hotel, and thanks to some progressively-minded designers, there is no hierarchy to the placement of the various rooms and suites. You could book their cheapest room and end up on the top floor with a view of the St-Lawrence. Of course, even the cheapest room is still around $300, but still.

Stop 8: Montmorency Park

Walking down one of the many staircases in the city, we cross Prescott Gate and come to a stop in Montmorency Park. Now a beautiful park somewhat between Basse-Ville and Haute-Ville, Montmorency was first a farm. Actually, the first farm in New France, created by two of the early settlers: Louis Hébert and Marie Rollet. They were one of the first pioneer families in Canada and have come to represent a lot of the early values of the region: perseverance, adaptability, amity, etc. Across from the park, you can see (and smell) Mary’s popcorn, which I think is a lovely connection between the region’s entrepreneurs, both past and present.

As the farm gave way to modern building projects, Montmorency later became the site of one of the first parliament buildings of the United Provinces of Canada. In 1864, the British North America Act, a founding document of modern-day Canada, was actually drafted there. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the building in 1883, which is when the city decided to move Parliament outside the Old Town (for safety reasons, of course).

From Montmorency Park, you can also see the Casse-Cou stairs, which take you down into Quartier Petit-Champlain. This is the neighborhood I mentioned earlier that has a bit of a rough history. Basse-Ville was where the working class lived, and so there was never a lot of money there. But there has always been an entrepreneurial spirit! Petit-Champlain is often sited as the continent’s first commercial district, and when you look down its bustling streets lined with business after business, that’s really easy to believe.

Stop 9: Place Royale

But the heart of Basse-Ville has to be Place Royale (or Royal Plaza). This was where the first settlers stepped off the boat and began their lives as a new colony. The first permanent buildings were built on this square along with the first church. You can still see the foundation stones for the second habitation among the cobblestones of the square. Also in the square, stands a bust of King Louis XIV, and although it isn’t the same bust from the 1600s, there has almost always been a bust in that exact spot, forever linking the histories of Québec and France.

Interestingly, the king never actually stepped foot in Québec even though he was the lawful ruler, but he did manage to help the colony from afar. In the early days, the colony struggled with population issues. In particular, not enough women were there to ensure the desired population growth, so King Louis started a program where he would give a dowry and land to any females willing to journey to New France and start a family. Usually, these were orphans or widows who felt that this was their best option for a stable future, and so they became known as the King’s Daughters.

The King’s Daughters made up such a large percentage of the early population in Québec that many North American celebrities have been able to trace their lineage back to one of the daughters: Hilary Clinton, Madonna, Angelina Jolie, and Tom Bergeron being among them. Honestly, Québec City has a lot of ties to various celebrities. Since the city basically looks like a movie set and also has the practical, money-saving advantage of being on the same continent as Hollywood, many movies that take place in Europe are actually filmed here. Alfred Hitchcock’s “I Confess!” and Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can”, for example.

Stop 10: Royal Battery

And now we’ve come to the last stop on this (maybe not-so-little) tour. The Royal Battery is the end of the line so to say. It’s where the city meets the river. Here you can see the ferry that travels across the St-Lawrence to Lévis, the often-forgotten little brother of Québec City. You can also find fishing expeditions or whale watching tours departing from these quays; this is where the river turns to ocean after all. When there’s no ice in the water, you might also see cruise ships and yachts docking at the Old Port, which I like to imagine is just as exciting as when Champlain and other early explorers rolled up in their ships.

From the Royal Battery, it’s easy to imagine how tough it would have been to take Québec City by sea. The British only managed a win because they fought on the Plains of Abraham (flat ground beyond the walls of the city). During the Revolutionary War, Generals Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery thought they’d give it a shot with the Siege of Québec, but it went very badly for them, and no one has tried since. Thus, Québec City gets to keep its impressive win/loss record.

Near the battery, you’ll also find the funicular, which leads back up to Haute-Ville, where we started this adventure. The funicular entrance is located in a house that dates back to 1682 and used to belong to Louis Jolliet, another famous North American explorer you might have heard of. Really everywhere you look in Québec City there’s another piece of the gigantic puzzle that is our history just waiting to fit into place. One of Québec City’s nicknames is The Old Capital, but I see it more as an entryway. Here you can enter North America, but you can also enter the annals of history. Hope you enjoyed the journey!

Initial Québec Observations

On April 12, 2025April 11, 2025 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

We’re almost halfway through April, and we’ve now officially been living in Québec for six weeks, which is crazy since it feels like the move was just last weekend, but that’s how the first few months always go. We get caught up in a daze of setting things up, collecting documents, making appointments, etc. But luckily, this isn’t our first rodeo! Not only are we completely on top of all our paperwork and logistical tasks, but we’ve also made good progress on our observations list. So how different is Québec from Ottawa? Well, here are the first few things that have caught our attention:

The French

Of course, the absolute first thing on the list has to be the use of French. While Ottawa is fairly bilingual, and we definitely got quite a bit of French exposure there, English was still absolutely the reigning language, sometimes even in Gatineau (which is technically in the province of Quebec). In Québec City, however, we’re not only expected to use French 100% of the time, we’re actually legally required to after six months of living here, which is honestly really great motivation!

The Salutations

Living in multi-story apartment buildings means we tend to have a lot of neighbors, so we’re usually pretty quick to notice how (and how often) acquaintances interact, like in an elevator, the lobby, the parking garage, etc. In Ottawa, most people kept to themselves or smiled politely in passing, but here in Québec, it’s a steady stream of “bonne journées” and “bonne soirées” no matter how brief your interaction is. It reminds me so much of all the “buenos días” and “buenas tardes” we got in Mexico, and it immediately feels so welcoming!

We’re in a Port City

Ottawa is definitely a water city of sorts with two major rivers and a canal running through it, but Québec is even more water-forward. The Québec City icon is fittingly a ship, and with ferries being a common means of transport, international cruise ships docking nearby, and whale watching tours every weekend, we’re not just between rivers anymore, we’re practically seafaring. At least the seagulls make more sense here.

Bizarre Hours

I have no idea if this is a French thing or a Quebec thing or a Québec City thing, but we have noticed that stores, restaurants, and pretty much every kind of business here has bizarre hours. Monday 8:30-4, Tuesday 9-6, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10-2…I mean, what? Do they just like to keep us guessing or is there some hidden meaning behind these choices? We definitely need more time to investigate.

Laidback Vibes

This might have more to do with Ottawa being the nation’s capital and less to do with Québec, but we’ve definitely noticed things are a little less official here. Our car registration (ou immatriculation) is printed on regular printer paper rather than fancy cardstock, our lease paperwork was submitted while we were still missing a few things, and we’ve gotten several messages along the lines of “X will be sent to you at a later date”. Definitely feels like a slower pace here in general.

Flashing Green Lights

Another thing we immediately noticed (and subsequently had to google) are the flashing green lights or “advanced greens”. Very often in Québec, you’ll come to a stop light and the green light will be flashing, which we learned means it’s basically both a green light and a green arrow. Apparently, this is common in a lot of Canadian provinces (including Ontario), but we had never seen it or at least not regularly enough to really register a difference.

Pedestrian-friendly

Ottawa is pretty pedestrian-friendly as well, but in Québec (at least downtown) the crosswalks are set up to allow for regular double crossing. Instead of waiting for the lights to change and basically taking your turn to cross when the flow of traffic changes direction, cars will be stopped in all directions allowing people to cross diagonally if they want/need. This and the no-touch crossing sensors make this particular pedestrian so happy!

Vestiges from France

I didn’t know how else to label this one, but smoking is much more common here. And by smoking, I mean cigarettes. We went from smelling a lot of marijuana in Ottawa to smelling a lot of cigarettes in Québec, and I can’t help but feel the cultural influences in that.

Drinking Culture

In a similar vein, Ontario seemed pretty strict when it came to alcohol sales/consumption. It was rare to see alcohol (even beer and wine) sold in stores, but in Quebec, that’s the norm. BYOB is also more frequent here, and it’s custom to bring wine to a park for a picnic.

Food Culture

We’ve also noticed a lot differences when it comes to food. The groceries here are overall cheaper, yet the selection of “fancy” food is definitely wider. There are like three types of caviar sold at the grocery store right next to our building, and if you wanted to try each type of cheese sold there, you’d need a few years. Restaurants here also seem to be a bit fancier – for example, there are fewer fast-casual options than in Ottawa, but way more multi-course menus.

Louder

We lived downtown in both cities, and we’re used to hearing a fair amount of shouting, singing, and laughing (especially on the weekends), but I think Québécois voices are literally just louder. Now we can hear the actual words being said, and even the volume of regular conversations here seems to be louder than what we grew accustomed to in Ottawa. Probably still not as loud as our country of origin, but a noticeable difference from the last two years nonetheless.

Colder, Windier, & More Humid

We had our suspicions about the weather being more extreme in Québec. I mean, we are further north and east, both of which usually get hit pretty hard, but we kind of thought we’d need a few months before we noticed if it was really much different. Turns out, we didn’t need long at all. The added humidity and constant wind means that the same temperature feels quite a bit colder. We keep seeing temperatures slightly above freezing, and then step outside only to realize that the real feel is significantly lower. Damp, windy cold is definitely tougher.

Snow-ready

Of course, both Ottawa and Québec are great at handling large amounts of snow, but it seems that they tackle the problem in different ways. Ottawa LOVES salt. The city and its inhabitants go hard on salting everything. Québec uses a mix of salt and sand, meaning that things are a bit slushier here. And maybe for that reason, it’s really common for buildings and houses here to put up tents in their driveways/entryways to keep the slush (and additional shoveling) at bay.

So that’s what we have on our list so far, but as usual, we plan to keep learning and sharing as we go. I’m sure by now it’s pretty apparent that these little differences are one of our favorite things about moving to a new place. Even one province over, there are just so many things to observe! How cool is that?

Surviving (and Loving) Yellowknife in Winter

On March 15, 2025March 14, 2025 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

We did it! We took a 4-day trip to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories in February with only a backpack each and the clothes on our backs. Did people question our decision? Yes. Did our friends and family worry about us when checking the weather? Yes. Would we do it all again? Gladly! Yellowknife exceeded every expectation we had for it, and in this month’s post, I’m going to share some of what surprised us so much about this city in the far north of Canada.

The Remoteness

The first surprise actually came when we took a closer look at our flight times. Of course, we know Canada is huge, but we weren’t flying from end to end, more like from east middle to north middle. Regardless, we were in the air for over 7 hours to get from Ottawa to Yellowknife. It would have been faster to fly to Europe! We also flew in on a prop plane, which was another indication that we weren’t headed to a super populous place. And when we looked out the windows of that prop plane and saw literally nothing from Edmonton to Yellowknife (roughly 1,500 km), the message really sank in: we were in the middle of a vastness I’m not sure we’ve ever experienced before.

While we did end up feeling very isolated at first, the longer we were in Yellowknife, the more it felt like, well, Canada. We stopped by a Shopper’s Drug Mart, we got President’s Choice brand snacks, and we still had français to read on all the signage. We were also surprised that the prices of things weren’t as high as we had thought. We had been sure we’d see a crazy increase on all the groceries and food stuffs that had to be shipped in from beyond far away, but it really wasn’t too bad. There were definitely limited options, but overall, not too different from a similar sized city in Ontario or Quebec. The only thing that really stuck out as being outrageously priced was any beer outside of NWT Brewing Co. At one restaurant, we saw $14 Heinekens! Talk about not worth it…

The Cold

We specifically chose to go to Yellowknife in winter because we like the cold, and we wanted to experience the extreme cold of the Canadian hinterland. For weeks ahead of our trip, we tracked Yellowknife’s weather, so we could be as prepared as possible. We had already been to places like Bergen, Norway and Ushuaia, Argentina in their respective cold seasons, and we took those trips without boots or proper winter coats, so all things considered, we were absolutely better equipped for this trip than any that came before it. But did that really matter when we were standing outside in “feels like” -50°F? Not so much lol. We had actually heard several times, from several different people that after you get below -30 or so, it all just feels cold. However, I very much beg to differ; -40 definitely felt much colder than -30.

Fortunately, some things did come back to us when dealing with the extreme cold. We remembered the feeling of our eyelashes and nose hairs freezing. We quickly remembered the importance of breathing through your nose only. And once again, we fell back on the age-old lesson: you get what you pay for. Our $30 thermal socks have probably saved a few toes at this point. If I could give any advice to future Canadians or fellow cold weather travelers, you’re absolutely better off buying the expensive gear from the start – it’s expensive because it’s truly the only thing that works.

We learned some new things during our time in Yellowknife as well though. It seems we do, in fact, fear the cold a lot more than the average NWT visitor (let alone resident/native). We opted to take the car pretty much any time we left after dark, mostly because that scene in “To Build a Fire” constantly replayed in our heads every time we took off our gloves! Also, you absolutely cannot function with glasses outdoors in Yellowknife, and even if you don’t need glasses, the cold weather can still really mess with your eyes. Our eyes struggled big time with the cold, the dryness, the ice crystals, the snow blindness, etc. It really felt like everything was out to hurt our eyes in Yellowknife!

The Lights

We have been super lucky with our northern lights sightings in Canada so far. Last May there was a big solar storm, and we actually saw them just about an hour north of Ottawa, so for this trip, we had our fingers crossed, but there wasn’t much pressure on the situation. And maybe that was key, because three of our four nights were full of gorgeous light shows. The colors were so much more vibrant and watching the lights spread out across such an expansive sky was absolutely incredible. Something we didn’t even know to account for in Ottawa were all the mountains and trees that would occasionally block our view of the lights, but we didn’t have that problem when standing on a massive frozen lake!

And just in case I never get around to writing anything about northern lights viewings in general, there are a few things I would have liked to know beforehand. 1) You must let your eyes adjust to the lights. They seem faint at first, but the more you watch, the clearer they become. 2) They move really quickly across the sky and make all sorts of crazy shapes. 3) There is no “peak time” so to say. They’re somewhat like storm clouds; they appear and disappear based on solar activity, so any forecasts are bound to be unreliable at best. 4) The darker it is, the brighter the lights appear, but neither the darkness nor the intensity matter if it’s cloudy, so if you’re hunting northern lights, pick a place known for having an abundance of clear nights. 5) Pictures simply can’t do the lights justice, not even those that have clearly been altered.

The Dettah Ice Road

One of the most surprising experiences of this trip was our time on the Dettah Ice Road. When doing some research on Yellowknife, I came across the Dettah Ice Road listed as a tourist attraction and thought it sounded cool, but actually experiencing it and realizing that it’s not really a tourist attraction at all put it at the top of my list of reasons to visit Yellowknife in winter. The Dettah ice road is exactly what it sounds like: a road made of ice that leads to Dettah, a village southeast of Yellowknife. Usually, you have to drive about 27 km (17 miles) around Yellowknife Bay to get to Dettah, but in winter, since the Great Slave Lake completely freezes over, you can cut right across the bay and drive straight there (only 6.5 km/4 miles). The road itself is amazing! It looks like it’d be slippery or somehow feel different from a normal road, but no, it was business as usual driving across. Well, except for the blinding sun reflecting off the ice and all the cool photo ops along the way. Another incredible thing to experience!

The Yellowknives Dene

As part of our on-going comparison between Canada’s provinces and territories, we were excited to see the influence of the various indigenous groups of Yellowknife as well. Like a lot of Canadian cities, the name Yellowknife comes from a name given to a specific First Nations group, but unlike other Canadian cities, that First Nations group still makes up a considerable portion of the city’s population. Interestingly, the “city” of Yellowknife didn’t really exist until the gold rush of 1934, but the Yellowknives Dene had been settled there for hundreds of years; therefore, the majority of the region’s history revolves around these indigenous groups and how they helped outsiders acclimate to the extremes of the Northwest Territories. Today, their influence can easily be seen in the government, language, and culture of the region.

The Variety

When I shared our Yellowknife photos on social media, there were so many people who said things like “better you than me” or “too cold for me”, but I think the extremes are part of what makes Yellowknife such an intriguing destination. It was perfect for us, cold-loving freaks, but if you visit in August, you could be swimming in the lake rather than driving across it. The variety of activities Yellowknife has to offer is absolutely amazing, and that’s in each and every season. It’s not too often that Tucker and I make it back to a destination (at least not without many years in between), but Yellowknife might just be one we HAVE to see in another season. It also compelled me to move Whitehorse and Iqaluit (the capitals of the other two Canadian territories) up on our to-visit list, so stay tuned!

This was definitely a trip to remember, and for that, all I can say is a huge thank you to Yellowknife for treating us so well and an additional shoutout to all the winter gear we’ve been collecting over the last two years – it really came in clutch here!

Some of the Prettiest Views in Ottawa

On February 15, 2025February 3, 2025 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

As I was writing about all the fun things to do in Ottawa, I realized some of my favorite places in the city wouldn’t make it on the list. They don’t have activities per se, but they’re really beautiful and perfect for just walking, sitting, thinking, and/or taking pictures. So, in no particular order, I give you:

Alexandra Bridge

Rideau Falls

Major’s Hill Park & the Chateau Laurier

Rockcliffe Lookout

The Corktown Footbridge

Stanley Park

Maman & the National Gallery of Canada

Hudson’s Bay Overpass

Parliament Hill

The Ottawa Sign

Ottawa is NOT Boring

On February 1, 2025January 31, 2025 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

When we first started looking into Canadian cities and where we might want to live, we were a little surprised to find that Ottawa has a reputation for being boring. In fact, one of its less-flattering nicknames is The City Fun Forgot, but over the two years we’ve lived here, I can honestly say I don’t get that at all! There is SO MUCH to do in and around Ottawa, and in order to do my part in shifting this perception, this month, I’ve made a list highlighting just some of the fun you can have in Canada’s capital city.

Food & Drink-related Activities

First up has to be food, right? In a city this diverse, of course there are tons of options. In our neighborhood alone we have not one, not two, but three amazing African grills, several French bistros, at least three fantastic Chinese noodle spots, a couple of taco windows, and more shawarma restaurants than pretty much anywhere else on the continent. But of course, there are plenty of drinks to be had as well! Here are just a few of my many, many food and drink-related suggestions for Ottawa:

Try several of the city’s amazing restaurants. Some of our favorites include Sammi & Soupe Dumpling, Prohibition Public House, Metropolitain Brasserie, The King Eddy, and Bistro Coqlicorne.

Grab a drink at a local brewery or pub. Our absolute favorites are Brigid’s (which is located in the basement a beautiful old church), Spark Pizza, Overflow Brewing Company, D’Arcy McGee’s, and Mill Street Brew Pub.

Meet new people while on a Thursty Pedaler or Palapa Tour.

See the sights and share a snack or drink on a canal cruise.

Feel fancy (and productive) at a cocktail-making class.

Outdoorsy Activities

Canada, in general, is known for its great outdoors. Even in the city, there are tons of outdoor adventures you can have, and if you’re willing to drive (or ride) just a little outside of the city, these options truly multiply. Here are some of the most famous (and fun) outdoor activities you can do in and around Ottawa:

Drive, bike, or walk around Gatineau Park.

Complete a ropes course or simply zip-line from Ontario to Quebec.

Go skiing or snowboarding at one of five resorts all within an hour of downtown Ottawa.

Get out on the water (i.e. go rafting, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing, skating, swimming, something!)

Take a hike. In the city, we love the Rideau River Trail, the Rockcliffe Rockeries, and Hog’s Back Park. Outside the city, it’s tough to beat Eagle’s Nest in Calabogie, but there are plenty of other, even closer trails that rival it.

Cultural Activities

If adventure sports aren’t really your thing, maybe you’d prefer to do something a little more cultural. Ottawa has you covered there as well. Ottawa has the most museums of any Canadian city, and as the country’s capital, there are more festivals, exhibits, shows, and other amazing events rolling through here than anyone could ever hope to keep up with! Here’s a quick look at some of the more cultural things you can do:

Attend a festival, such as Winterlude, the Tulip Festival, Bluesfest, Capital Pride, or any of the other countless festivals that are now synonymous with Ottawa. There’s actually a whole Wikipedia page dedicated to Ottawa’s Festivals, check it out!

Visit a museum or gallery. Our favorites are the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the best part is these and many of the other larger museums/galleries have free admission hours each week.

Watch a live Art Battle.

Do some crafts or else buy some at one of the many local markets.

Participate in a community event. If you find a place you like in Ottawa, follow them on social media, and I guarantee at some point they’ll share an event that interests you. This is how we found ourselves eating pierogi and making pisanki at Wedel in Westboro last Easter.

Game-like Activities

If you know me, you know I love games, and luckily, we’ve found a plethora of game-like activities in Ottawa as well. One of the many upsides to long winters is that people have to get more creative with their indoor time, and that is super obvious when it comes to indoor entertainment in Ottawa. Here are some of our favorite things to do when we want to play (or watch others play):

See how much you know at pub trivia.

Escape from one of the many escape rooms in the city. I personally love Escape Manor because they have a super cool speakeasy-type bar and other fun games and activities like bocce ball and interactive darts.

Play one of the thousands of games (both tabletop and video) that they have at Level One Game Pub.

Watch a sports game. Extra points if you support the Ottawa Senators, Redblacks, or Titans because we do too!

Enjoy a round of Bingo or two.

Just-plain-fun Activities

If you’ve already had your fill of all the food/drink, outdoorsy, cultural, and game-like activities on offer, might I suggest a few more things that might not fit neatly into one of those categories, but are still so much fun to do in and around Ottawa:

Head to a sugar shack for an incredibly unique Canadian experience.

Relax at a nature spa.

Drive through Park Omega.

Interact with a movie at Bytowne Cinema. Drunken Cinema Night is so much fun, but they also have High Tea Sundays, Sing-a-longs, Sleep-overs, and other fun events every month!

Take a free city walking tour or a DIY city murals tour.

I hope this is enough to prove to anyone that Ottawa is absolutely NOT boring. But if you still have doubts, I invite you here to see for yourself. I promise, you won’t regret it!

Life Updates: 2025 Edition

On January 11, 2025February 5, 2025 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Happy 2025! How strange to think we’re already a quarter of a century into this millennium. As I’ve shared before, I absolutely love this time of year, not only because I love winter, but also because I love beginnings. I find it really exciting to think about the year ahead and all the things we’ll do and see, and since we’ve got a few bigger changes on the horizon (as well as exciting travel plans, as usual), I thought I’d share a little life update for those who are trying to keep track of us, especially if you want to keep your address book current…which, honestly, good luck! 😆

Our Next Move

So, as you might have deduced, we are in fact moving again! We’ve been in Ottawa for just about two years now, so my feet are definitely starting to itch. Plus, I’ve been feeling extremely lazy as far as my language use is concerned. I mean, I could use French in Ottawa, but English is more common and obviously much less work for me; therefore, in addition to having a new home base to explore, I’m also looking forward to being forced out of my linguistic comfort zone much more frequently. So, with those things in mind, we have chosen to move to…drumroll, please…Québec City!

The good news is this move doesn’t feel quite as tricky as past moves because we’re only crossing provincial borders, not international borders, so there’s infinitely less paperwork! Hooray! The bad news is we decided on March 1^st as our move-in day, so we only have 50-odd days to make this happen. Oh, and it’s the dead of winter. Good thing I like a challenge!

You might be wondering why we chose Québec City instead of Montreal or pretty much any another city in Quebec since they’d all meet our very basic requirements of A) somewhere we’ve never lived before and B) French-speaking, and, honestly, you wouldn’t be alone in that. Just like when we chose Ottawa over Montreal or Toronto, people were a little confused, and well, I guess we’re doing it again. What can we say other than I think we must just be drawn to over-shadowed cities. Also, Québec City is even further north, so I’m hoping for even more snow and longer, colder winters! Who’s with me?!

On the Job Front

The next most common question we get after “Why QC?” is “What about your jobs?” Well, Tucker will be keeping his current job, just as a fully remote employee (again). He was actually hired as a remote employee back in 2023, but it just so happened that the umbrella company of the team that hired him had an office in Ottawa, which is how he became a “hybrid” employee in the first place. Anyway, since his entire team is remote (and spread quite far across the US and Canada), he doesn’t expect much of a difference for him aside from no more snowy commutes.

My job situation is a little less obvious at the moment. Duolingo is…going through…some…things right now, and they have not opted to renew my contract (at least not yet…but also, maybe never…?), so I’m in somewhat of a transitional phase. I’m not sure if I want to continue freelancing/working remotely or if when we move, I might want to teach in-person again. Honestly, I’m also playing around with the idea of applying for literally anything bilingual in an effort to improve my workplace French, so really, who knows what I’ll be doing this spring, but if you happen to know someone who needs a Quebec-based linguist/teacher/writer, do let me know!

Guess it’s time to update all the things…

What about Jenn?

Obviously, Jenn will be coming with us to Québec City, and I doubt the slight change in climate and scenery will matter much to her. She’s definitely got her snow legs now, and her much-loved heating pad will be making the journey with us as well, so no worries there. We’re also only looking at apartments that have balconies, entirely so she can sunbathe in the summer months. Plus, we have promised her that we’ll choose somewhere nearer the equator after Canada, so she can officially start her retirement somewhere warm and sunny (as she should).

Looking Ahead

Of course, where that next place might be is still a bit of a mystery, even for us. We’re planning on spending at least another two years in Canada, which will hopefully allow us to gain citizenship, enabling us to come and go as we please (without having to keep up with the paperwork). However, to complete this process, we’ll have to reside in the country for over three years, apply, take, and pass an exam and interview, and then wait a bit longer for everything to process. So, for now, we’re keeping track of the various deadlines, continuing to learn what it means to be Canadian-American, and just enjoying our time in the Great White North.

Actually, with all this time on our hands, we’re now toying around with the idea of buying property here, fixing it up, and then renting it out when we leave. Unfortunately, I have such a fear of commitment and strings that I’m really not sure we’ll go through with it, but we do love a good project and doing anything new, so stay tuned! We’ll most likely rent for at least six months to a year before we’d take that particular step, but if we do, I’m sure I’ll have a lot to share about the process!

Other Fun Things

We have plenty of other fun plans for 2025 as well! Tucker is going to be putting in more effort on his French now (he basically has no choice); we both dabbled in running a bit more last summer and are eager to start that up again when the temperatures rise a bit; and as a surprise to no one, we’ve got a plethora of trips planned for this year. Next month, we’re off to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories to hopefully see some more aurora and find out how much colder -40 feels. Then we’re looking at Newfoundland in the spring, Peru in July, Maine after that, and a family trip to Central America in the fall if we can swing it! And as always, our offer of hosting anyone who’s interested in visiting our home city is still good, so maybe we’ll see some of you in Québec City later this year!

Honestly, 2025 has a lot to live up to, but it’s off to a great start, and I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out! Happy New Year everyone!

Winter is Coming (Again)

On December 5, 2024 By Dani Francuz Rose1 Comment

Ah, December. The pinnacle of the holiday season, the last month of the year, and the official start of winter – yay! Last winter was our first in Canada, and we gleaned so much information. For example, we know that the first snow Ottawa had last year was on October 30th, and the last snow of the season was on April 24th. The coldest day was January 19th at -20°C (approximately -5°F), but overall, it was really a very mild winter. I, personally, hope this year we get a lot more snow and a much longer stretch of extremely low temperatures. How else will I put all our new northern climate knowledge to the test? Knowledge like:

Preparation is Key

One of the first surprises we encountered last winter was just how much preparation both the city and its inhabitants have to do before winter. Everyone started putting out salt chests and snow markers well before the first snowstorm. Businesses added tents and flaps to entranceways; boot trays and coat racks were everywhere, and we even saw insulated porta-potties at nearby construction sites. For our part, we were focused on acquiring all the right winter clothing, which I’m happy to say was well worth whatever we paid for it all! We also had to buy quite a few car accessories, such as shovels, scrapers, sand, winter tires, and non-freezing windshield wiper fluid. This time around, it has been less buying and more restocking, but still, the preparation really makes for a smoother transition.

Everything Takes a Little Longer

Even after all the preparation was taken care of, we were still surprised by how much longer literally everything takes in winter! Getting dressed, lacing up boots multiple times a day, warming up the car, walking carefully on the ice – it all adds up like we couldn’t believe! Maybe this year I’ll time how long it takes to get the three of us dressed and ready to go outside because I’d guess it’s an extra 10-15 minutes every time. The other time-suck that I didn’t even think about prior to having such long winters was how much more laundry we have. When you’re wearing so many more layers every day, it really turns into a mountain of laundry after just a couple of days.

Winter is Kinda Messy

Having only lived in northern climates as a child (and/or for short periods of time), I was completely unaware of just how messy snowy winters can be. Everyone walks inside constantly dripping on the floor – the floors of restaurants, our building’s lobby, and worst of all, the entryway of our apartment. It didn’t take long for me to put an extra mat and towels by the door (yay, more laundry), but it doesn’t matter because there’s no containing it all. And you might be thinking, “hey, no big deal, water dries”, which is true, except this isn’t just water. It’s salted, which means everything gets a nice crusty white layer of salt even after it’s dry. The salt and sludge obviously got to the car as well, and we ended up having to get a carwash halfway through last winter because we literally couldn’t see out of the windows. I’m pretty sure I could count on one hand the number of times we’ve ever washed our car, and I would have never thought we’d have to wash it in the dead of winter!

There’s Quite a Bit of Extra Work

Okay, so we learned you have to prepare in advance, spend more time than usual, and always expect a mess, which, of course, requires some extra work, but the amount of extra work really kept surprising us! Scrape this, shovel that, clear a path for the dog to get to the “grass” because the snow walls are taller than she is! On and on it goes! Jenn, too, has to put a bit more effort into her daily tasks. She has to endure the multiple layers of clothing, scale snowdrifts when looking for a place to pee, and get wiped down whenever she comes back inside – all to her chagrin. On the bright side, I do feel like we still meet our exercise quotas because walking in the snow and scraping ice are definitely high calorie-burning activities!

So Many New Tricks to Learn

Another huge positive is that we developed a whole new set of skills. The best way to stomp excess snow off your boots? We know it. The best way to layer for easy transitioning between indoors and out? We’ve got it down. We’re also now very attuned to the sounds of the snow plows, which comes in handy, and I’m very happy to report that I didn’t fall on the ice even once last year (which I cannot say about our first Polish winter). I’d also add that we’re now very good at switching between Fahrenheit and Celsius, and we’re pretty much experts in interpreting the various weather alerts and winter vocabulary, regardless of the source. If you want to know more about the difference between hail, freezing rain, and sleet, I got you fam.

Lots of Surprises

All in all, I think we took everything pretty well in stride last year, but there were still a few things that we just didn’t believe until we experienced them ourselves. For example, our neighbors told us to watch out for the sunny days because they’re often the coldest, and wow, they were absolutely right! Apparently, clouds signal warmer temperatures – who knew?! We were also extremely surprised by how quick and easy it was to do some of the winter challenges, like freezing ramen noodles in mid-air. It took less than ten minutes! Another thing we didn’t think much about was how gas mileage would be affected, nor did we think we’d even notice if it was. Spoiler, we absolutely did. And perhaps most surprisingly, it didn’t take long at all for 0°C (32°F) to not really feel all that cold. After a week at -10°C (15°F), hovering right around freezing felt downright balmy.

Luckily, It’s Incredibly Fun and Beautiful!

I know most people reading this will say things like “that’s why I hate winter” or “I never want to live somewhere like that”, but even with these added challenges, we had an absolute blast last winter and are so eager to do it all again (hopefully just a little more efficiently this time). Winter is definitely still my favorite season even if it does require a bit more effort up here. In fact, I’d say we actually enjoyed it more because of those extra efforts. Ultimately, it was fun to slow down, get a little messy, and learn a plethora of new things. For me, winters like these are so fun and so beautiful that I quickly forget about any negatives. So, who wants to come visit us in January and see for yourselves? Our winter wonderland will be waiting!

Our Top Picks for the Prettiest Places We’ve Visited (so far!)

On October 22, 2024October 22, 2024 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

October in Ottawa is absolutely stunning, but I think regardless of the season, Ottawa might just be the prettiest place we’ve ever lived! But what about all the places we’ve visited over the years? To answer this extremely important question, Tucker and I scrolled through my Facebook albums to come up with our gut-reaction, top 10 prettiest places we’ve been list (in rough geographical order). It wasn’t an easy task, but somebody’s got to do it, right? Okay, maybe not, but it was still fun to do!

#1 Banff, Canada

As I think will become quite clear as this lists progresses, we love a good mountain scene, especially in fall/winter, which is why Banff had to be mentioned. Even before stepping foot into Alberta, we knew Banff was going to be pretty based on all the media constantly swirling around this vacation destination, but we were still absolutely blown away by the dynamic beauty of the Canadian Rockies.

#2 Moab, USA

If you’ve known me for any length of time, you know my favorite place in the United States is Arches National Park, located in Moab, Utah. I don’t know exactly what it is that I love so much, but ever since I first laid eyes on it (around 20 years ago, mind you), it has been one of my favorite landscapes in the world.

#3 Quintana Roo, Mexico

Although not usually beach people, Tucker and I have to concede that the beaches along Mexico’s Caribbean coast are simply on another level. Of course, it’s not just the beaches that we found so alluring – the cliffs, the cenotes, the lagoons, all of the nature and even some human-made structures in Quintana Roo really stand out to us on the prettiness scale.

#4 Cotopaxi, Ecuador

For pure, rugged beauty, there might not be a better example than Ecuador’s Cotopaxi National Park. Volcanos, calderas, pampas – even if you’re not a geologist, you can easily see the beauty these amazing natural features bring to the table.

#5 Ushuaia, Argentina

With beautiful snowy mountains, clear waters, and pink skies, Ushuaia is the closet you can get to Antarctica without a boat, and not only is it pretty, it’s pretty freaking awesome. Known as the “End of the World”, the remoteness only added to the beauty of this far-flung location.

#6 Bergen, Norway

Tired of snowy mountains yet? Well, what if we add fjords to the mix? Bergen is another place we’ll always mention when talking about gorgeous surroundings. Of course, we loved it in winter, but I have friends who visited in summer, and their photos also took my breath away!

#7 Skopje, North Macedonia

North Macedonia surprised us from the moment we landed. We ended up in Skopje because it was one of the cheapest places we could fly to at the time, and I’m so glad it was! The city is full of beautiful architecture, and with Matka Canyon only a short bus ride away, I’m continually surprised that it isn’t yet packed with tourists!

#8 Gorkhi-Terelj, Mongolia

Another one for the “rugged beauty” column, Mongolia is truly in a world of its own. More wide-open spaces than I’ve ever seen in my life and the bluest of blue skies gave us such a pretty picture of a place we never imagined we’d be able to see in person.

#9 Yunnan, China

As with several countries already on this list, sometimes we found it difficult to narrow down to just one region. China has a lot of extremely beautiful places, but the one that tops the list for us (excluding any biases, of course) is Yunnan. A province in the southwest corner of the country, it is blessed with an abundance of flora and fauna, and its capital is known as the “City of Eternal Spring” – it doesn’t get much prettier than that!

#10 Brisbane, Australia

And last but not least, Brisbane, Australia rounds out our list! It’s located between Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, which even sounds pretty, but what struck us even more than the beautiful beaches nearby was the city itself. Gorgeous skylines, quirky architecture, and the only (and therefore most beautiful) “city beach” we’ve ever seen. Definitely worth the long trip Down Under!

Honestly, getting this list down to just 10 was really tricky, but in the end, I feel good about our choices. Of course, the pictures never really do the places justice, so if you can, I highly recommend seeing these beauties in person some day! If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a trip must be worth a million.

Merriment in the Maritimes

On August 12, 2024August 11, 2024 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

One of the things I love most about living abroad is getting to see much more of a country than I ever could on a more traditional vacation, and even though Canada is huge, I’m still setting my sights on visiting each and every province and territory while we’re here. So, to that end, we recently spent a week exploring the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick.

Of course, the Maritimes were high on our to-visit list for many reasons, including but not limited to famous lighthouses, rocky beaches, and vastly changing tides, but there were still many surprises for us to discover during our trip! Here are some of our favorite things we ate, drank, and did while wandering around in Eastern Canada:

Nova Scotia

Probably the most famous of the three Maritime Provinces, we opted to fly in and out of Nova Scotia’s capital and largest city: Halifax. Prior to our visit, I think the only thing I really knew about Halifax was that there was a large explosion here in the early 1900s. However, I now have a plethora of opinions about this coastal city and a whole host of recommendations for anyone who visits in the future!

Good eats:

If you know me, you know seafood is not really my jam, so I was thinking I might be underwhelmed by Nova Scotia’s cuisine. Luckily, that wasn’t the case at all! One of the most famous dishes associated with Halifax is the curious Halifax Donair. Donair, doner, kebabs, or whatever you want to call them are popular in many places around the world, very often as a late-night, post-drinking meal, but the ones in Halifax definitely hit different. It might be the sweetened condensed milk in the sauce or maybe it’s the general vibes coming from the locals who hang around the most popular take-out joints, but if you’re going to Halifax, you absolutely must experience this delicacy for yourself!

Although I typically prefer savory dishes/meals as opposed to sweet snacks/desserts, I can’t not mention Nova Scotia’s Moon Mist ice cream. It was on my list of local foods to try as a unique swirl of grape, banana, and bubblegum ice cream specific to this region, but honestly, I thought, “oh, that’ll be nice to taste, but it probably won’t be my favorite”. But I was wrong! I loved it! I have no idea if the ice cream quality there was just superior or if that seemingly random combination is just something special, but I absolutely loved carrying my brightly colored ice cream cone with me down the waterfront feeling very much like a kid enjoying the last days of summer vacation!

Great drinks:

Trying out several local breweries has now become a habit of ours on longer trips, and Halifax did not disappoint. In fact, we were spoilt for choice and really only tried a small portion of all the brewery options in the city. One of our favorite spots was a newly opened Beer Garden from Good Robot Brewing. Their beers were really good and the atmosphere was perfect. Another place we really liked was Propeller Brewing Company. They had flight boards in the shape of propeller blades (so on theme!), and in addition to a beautiful patio, they also had board games and an arcade to enjoy while you sip.

Fun activities:

The most iconic thing we did while in Nova Scotia was probably our time spent at Peggy’s Cove. One of the most photographed places in Canada, Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse and its surroundings were absolutely beautiful. Don’t forget your jacket though because even on a hot August day, the wind and fog really cut deep (I truly felt bad for those wearing shorts and tank tops)! Another fun (and cheap) activity to do in Halifax is to take the ferry from the waterfront across the water to Dartmouth for a different view of the city. The ferry is part of the public transport system, so it was super easy and convenient.

Prince Edward Island

Perhaps the most idyllic Canadian province, Prince Edward Island is the setting for the classic Anne of Green Gables stories. Driving onto the island (across the second longest bridge in Canada), it really felt like we stepped back in time. Old wooden farmhouses are aplenty on PEI, and we even saw a horse-and-buggy crossing sign. If “charming” is something you’re looking for in a vacation destination, PEI might be the perfect place for you!

Good eats:

We only spent one day on the island, so our meals were somewhat limited. However, we did stumble upon a really cool place called the Prince Edward Island Preserve Company. Part store, part restaurant, part tourist attraction; it really checked off a lot of boxes! They serve several PEI specialties like seafood bubbly bake, potato pie, and raspberry cream cheese pie, and you can enjoy these treats in what looks like a dining room straight out of someone’s grandma’s house. There were quilts decorating the walls, hummingbird feeders at every picture window, and enough wooden furniture to make me think about fire safety. But my favorite part was definitely the walk around the gardens – so pretty!

Great drinks:

PEI is definitely what I’d call “rural”, but luckily, there are still several places you can go to try out some local brews, especially in Charlottetown (the capital). We opted for Craft Beer Corner, where we sampled some of Upstreet Craft Brewing’s beers. The beers were really good and the bathroom had a disco party option, so what more could you possibly ask for? We also considered checking out Deep Roots Distillery, which makes their own liquors from local ingredients, but unfortunately, we just didn’t have the time. There’s always something that gets moved to the next-time list!

Fun activities:

A lot of our day on Prince Edward Island was spent driving around to the different sights. After checking out the capital, we went to Cavendish beach/dunes/cliffs to get a little hiking in, but my favorite activity of the day (aside from the general windows-down, Canadian-music-blasting, road trip vibe) was watching the sunset on the western side of the island. With the help of Google maps and a sun-tracking app (which showed us exactly when and where the sun would set that day), we carefully selected and made our way to Seacow Head Cove and watched nature do its thing from the comfort of two very picturesque Muskoka chairs. Pure PEI Perfection!

New Brunswick

As a non-Canadian, the only thing that initially came to mind for New Brunswick was Brunswick stew, which as it turns out is from Brunswick County, Virginia…so prior to our trip, I had a bit of research to do on this one. And mostly because it was totally unknown to us, we actually chose to spend more than half our trip based in Moncton (the largest city of NB), and I’m so glad we did because it allowed us to see several different sides of this diverse and (in my opinion) underrepresented province!

Good eats:

We had a lot of delicious food in New Brunswick, including a lobster roll from the lobster capital of the world, scallops fresh from the Bay of Fundy, and another Maritime specialty: garlic fingers! However, our absolute favorite dish came from Tide & Boar Gastropub. It was a burrata and tomato appetizer, and we both strongly considered ordering another (which is unheard of for Tucker). In fact, the Gastropub was so good that we later went to Tide & Boar Brewing just to try more of their food and drinks. Speaking of…

Great drinks:

I swear, I’m not being paid to hype up Tide & Boar, but they also had the best beers of the trip! Their watermelon sour was quite possibly the best sour I’ve ever had, and through multiple flights and multiple visits (plus a couple of free samples from the super friendly staff), we were able to try everything they had on tap, and it was all amazing. Tucker even made sure to compliment their brew master lol. Another amazing brewery we visited in NB was Holy Whale Brewery out in Alma. Holy Whale got its name from the old church that now houses the brewery, and the stained-glass windows alone are enough of a reason to visit. Luckily, the beers were also great!

Fun activities:

The main reason we wanted to spend several days in New Brunswick was to make sure we’d be able to experience both the high and low tides of the Bay of Fundy. This bay boasts the world’s greatest tidal change at over 50ft (16m), and it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At low tide, you get to walk around on what is essentially the ocean floor, and if you want, you can find a place to sit, and over the course of an hour or two, watch the water level rise by several feet right in front of your eyes. So cool!

And there we have it! Another amazing trip in the books and another part of the world explored! Until next time, Maritimes! Cheers!

US-Canada Differences Revisited

On June 10, 2024 By Dani Francuz RoseLeave a comment

Years ago, we came to Canada to see if it might be a place we’d want to move to in the future. During that month-long trip, we noticed many differences between Canada and the US, which ultimately piqued our interest enough to start the immigration paperwork. Of course, we had no idea that we’d be derailed by a pandemic and end up in Mexico for a few years first; alas, we eventually moved to Ottawa and recently celebrated one year of living in this beautiful city!

As always, the first year in a new place brings about so many fun new challenges and observations, which, of course, we did our best to keep track of! And in honor of our CAnniversary, I thought I’d share some of the most salient differences we’ve experienced as Americans living in Ottawa.

Differences in Administration:

One of the very first differences we encountered was when we went to make a copy of the key to our new apartment. They told us it was a “secure key”, which meant they’d have to contact the building’s board to make sure we were on the list of tenants, and thus legally able to copy the key. So thorough!
No matter how long we live outside the US, we still struggle with anything other than the month-day-year formula. When I see 10/4, I automatically think October, not my birthday.
We were also really confused the first time we looked at an expiration date that said “MA 2024”. Is that March or May?? In Canada, the months are abbreviated JA FE MR AL MA JN JL AU SE OC NO DE to make it work in both English and French.
Although we had experienced something like this in other countries, we were still surprised to learn that Canada doesn’t have joint tax filing. Tucker and I had to file separately even though my payment came from the same account his refund will be going to.

Differences in Cars & Driving:

After years in Mexico, driving in Canada felt like going back to beginner mode. In fact, there are some things that make us feel like drivers here are not really trusted to make good decisions, like the fact that there are more “no right on red” signs here than we’ve ever seen in our lives.
Another immediately obvious difference was the lack of locking clips on the gas pumps. Most gas stations force you to hold the nozzle the whole time you’re pumping (yes, even in -10° weather).
Something we’ve long gotten used to, but is still a pretty big US-CAN difference is the use of the metric system here. Our car, which was bought in FL, prominently displays miles per hour, thus we’ve gotten really good at converting on the go.
We also were surprised to learn that in some provinces of Canada winter tires are not just recommended, they’re mandatory. We had to provide proof of purchase to our insurance company as well.

Differences in Communication:

In our first week in Canada, strangers asked us questions at least 10 times in 10 different places (on the metro, in Canadian Tire, etc.), and it definitely surprised us. It’s common to talk to strangers in the US and Mexico, but to ask for anything other than directions or small talk felt different.
Canada (or at least the parts we’ve been to thus far) absolutely loves reservations! A place could be entirely empty at eleven a.m. on a weekday, but when you walk in, they’ll still ask you if you have a reservation. Only recently have I been able to suppress my eyeroll.
I’ve already shared some of my favorite Canadian English phrases, but I also have to mention how noticeable the pronunciation of some words is as well. The Canadian “soorry” will forever be engrained in my head!
And then there’s the bilingual bit. Always seeing street signs like “rue Clarence st” and Coke cans that say “goût original” definitely reminds us we’re not in Kansas anymore.

Differences in Allegiance:

There are probably many Americans who pay attention to celebrities, but I’d bet that even the most Hollywood-centric Americans likely don’t keep close track of where those celebrities are from. Canadians do though. If you so much as mention someone who happens to be from Canada, you can be pretty certain that fact will soon be pointed out.
In a difference that feels somewhat related to the previous one, Canadians seem a little touchy when it comes to comparisons with the US. I imagine it must be like growing up with a famous, somewhat annoying older sibling always stealing the spotlight, which anyone would resent.
Another clear difference comes from the past. Despite having separated from the UK over 150 years ago, the royal presence is still absolutely felt here. Canada has both a national anthem and a royal anthem (which, you guessed it, is “God Save the King”). Queen Elizabeth II is on several pieces of Canadian currency, and there are plans to get King Charles III on at least one bill by 2027. And some of the most popular streets around us include George, King Edward, and Queen Street.
Of course, the governments are also quite different, but that’s a long, boring topic for another time. For now, I’ll just say that one interesting difference is that the liberal party here is red and the conservative is blue. Not confusing at all…

Differences in Environment:

Another surprise early on in our move was when we received a pamphlet explaining all the city recycling rules, dates, exceptions, etc. There are even hazardous waste or electronic waste pick-up days and Christmas tree collection/composting!
Something else we noticed last summer and are eager to see if it holds true again was that any time we went to a restaurant with outdoor seating, they automatically assumed that would be our first choice.
In general, Canadians are very nonchalant about the weather, whatever it is. Freezing rain isn’t a reason to miss work or a night out with friends, okay? Just give’er!
Another difference (that we absolutely love!) is the abundance of seasonal menus. The food, the drinks, the specials all change with the seasons, which has actually given Tucker a reason to go back to places we’ve already been. Hooray!

Misc. Differences:

Here in Ontario, milk comes in bags. It’s incredibly unwieldy and honestly way too much milk (three 1.33 liter bags), but it’s definitely different.
Canada no longer has a penny. And can I just say, I don’t think anyone misses it. It’s time for the US to do the same.
Another interesting difference is the fact that the legal drinking age differs by province, and all of them are lower than the US’s standard of 21.
And one more difference that must be mentioned, but not in full because that would take much too long is the healthcare. Pretty much every aspect of it is different, but I think our biggest shock so far was when the dentist gave us both free Sonicare toothbrushes.

Bet you didn’t think I’d have that much to say about the differences between Canada and the US! Honestly, just like every other country we’ve lived in, the longer we’re here, the more differences become apparent. But also like our other homes, we’re quickly adapting to our surroundings and carefully choosing our favorite cultural gems to adopt and take with us to our next home. O Canada – thanks for a great first year!

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