Somehow this month marks ten years since Tucker and I first sold most of our belongings and moved abroad. We really had no idea what we were getting into or how we were going to maintain the kind of life we knew we wanted, and even now, I’m not sure I could tell you how exactly we’ve managed to continue moving abroad again and again. I think it’s mostly been an experiment in just how flexible we can be, which is fitting because that’s one of the first skills you develop when you move abroad!
Over the past ten years, we went from the US to Poland and back to the US (to pay off all our student loans), and then we headed to China for a few years and then back to the US (this time for global lockdown), and then onto Mexico, and now Canada. It’s been a crazy decade to say the least, but the places we’ve lived and the people we’ve met have continued to shape us year after year in innumerable ways. And for this month’s somewhat reflective post, I want to share some of the many ways we’ve changed and grown as a result of our expat ways.
Not so young anymore!
We’ve become flexible to the extreme
As I alluded to earlier, when I think of the many skills we’ve developed as a result of moving abroad, flexibility has to be at the top of the list. Whether it’s little things like using Celsius with some people and Fahrenheit with others or big things like not knowing where we’ll be living next year, we’ve gotten incredibly good at going with the flow. When I look back at my early observations from our first year abroad, it always makes me laugh at how hard it was for me to relinquish control. Now I feel like I struggle when I have too much control! It seems I’ve really grown to love letting the universe decide for me.
We’re totally fine with ambiguity
Another early observation I often made had to do with not always understanding what was going on around me. In unfamiliar places with new languages and customs, the level of ambiguity you experience on a daily basis skyrockets. Are we supposed to do something here? Should we ask about that? What does this mean? Questions like these and general uncertainty used to plague us. Until they didn’t. Until we learned that there’s really no wrong way, only different ways. Eventually, we also learned the difference between being expats as opposed to pioneers. Expats get to rely on the experiences of those who came before them, and we definitely do. But if/when that fails, we’ve also learned to simply accept not knowing.
Blissfully unaware as usual
We’re stoic bureaucracy-handlers
One of the most taxing parts of maintaining legal status as an expat has to be all the paperwork: visas, residencies, IDs, taxes, health cards, driver’s licenses, bank accounts, etc. The list is never-ending. After so many years and so many forms and appointments, I can very confidently say that bureaucracy is messy and incredibly frustrating everywhere. We now just assume every process will take a few attempts and several months (if not years) of our lives, which has really helped set expectations and allowed us to remain stoic and unfeeling while jumping through hoop after hoop after hoop. Government office waiting rooms are great places for mindful meditation, you know.
We’re accidental minimalists
In addition to becoming masters at handling immigration processes, we’ve also become expert movers. We know exactly what we need and want in our homes, and over the years, we’ve shed all the fluff. And whenever we happen to collect additional fluff, we’re systematic and unsentimental in removing it before the next move. People are often surprised that we’ve moved countries so many times with nothing but suitcases. Quite a few suitcases, but still. It’s actually pretty easy to do when I remember all the things we took on our first move that we never used. Or when I remember all the things we’ve used in a particular place that wouldn’t make sense anywhere else. These days we tend to take a lot more art with us and a lot fewer dead appliances.
We’re expert home-makers
Speaking of homes though, we’ve had a lot of them over the years. From country to country or even apartment to apartment, every place we’ve lived has always felt like home. Early on in our expat experience, someone advised me to prioritize setting up our home because we’d be surprised at how quickly “later” becomes “never”. Well, we took that to heart and always make sure our apartment is set up before tackling other tasks. We also work really hard to make sure we feel at home in the community as well, which means joining groups, meeting neighbors, learning names and faces. It can be difficult being the new people in town, but we’ve found the quicker we reach out, the quicker we feel at home.
We’re nothing if not adaptable
Another skill that makes itself known every time someone visits one of our far-flung homes is our adaptability. No dishwasher? No problem. Drinking hot water in summer? Sure, why not? Have to do everything over the phone? Got it. Everywhere we’ve called home has changed us in so many ways. Sometimes we forget what was normal for us before moving abroad because we’ve so strongly adapted to several different lifestyles now. This is how I know it doesn’t really matter where we live or what we do because the skill of adaptability is such a broad and encompassing one, that I know we’ll be just fine anywhere.
We’re always adopting new habits
Likely due to all the adapting we’ve had to do over the years, we’ve also gained quite an assortment of international habits. For example, at some point, we became a strict no-shoes-inside household, and when I think back to all the shoes that walked across our carpeted US apartment floors, I shudder. I also can’t believe we lived 25 years without an electric kettle! You’ll have to pry that out of our cold, dead hands now. Similarly, after living in both tea and coffee cultures, we now find ourselves enjoying both regularly. We also find ourselves checking sunset/sunrise times, the weather, and the air quality index more than most, which are all habits we picked up in different places at different times. It’s interesting to note which things stay behind in the places we leave versus which ones we take with us as the ghosts of homes’ past.
We’re an interesting mix of cultures to say the least
Similar to our eclectic mix of habits picked up from around the world, I would say that we ourselves have ended up a strange mix of all our homes. It’s rare that someone immediately places us as American. Even when hearing us speak, our accents don’t give much away, especially when speaking something other than English (you’re likely to hear a very strange combination of linguistic features depending on the day). We also have very strong inclinations toward European showerheads, the use of chopsticks, and what should and should not go on a taco. We self-identify as Polish-American-Canadian-Tapatío laowais, and we’ll happily talk your ear off about life in Poland, the US, Canada, Mexico, and/or China because each of those places is a part of us and always will be.
We’re excited to make every day an adventure
All these fun little quirks keep us tied to the places we used to call home, but one of the best parts of being a perpetual expat (no matter where we are) is the fact that every day becomes an adventure. The smallest tasks are new and exciting, and we never know what we’re going to learn. This is really why we keep doing it; why we haven’t “settled down” yet. We’ve learned to love the daily micro-adventures and mini-challenges that keep us on our toes and forever entertained. Every time we start over in a new place, we get to experience so many firsts again. We get to find a new set of favorites and develop new habits that only enhance our lives. An adventure a day certainly keeps the boredom away!
Definitely never boring!
We’re constantly learning and reflecting
And last, but not least, all this moving and growing and changing allows us to continually learn and reflect. Before each move, we get to look back at our time in a given place and reflect on everything we did, all the changes we experienced, and what we could or should have done differently if given the chance. And then…we get another chance! I sometimes refer to Poland as our “first pancake” because with hindsight, it’s easy to see how we’ve continually gotten better at being expats. All these skills (and more) have been honed over the years, and we’ve learned how to make the most of our time in the places we call home. Of course, we also realize just how lucky we are, so to all our homes: thank you, dziękuję, xièxie, gracias, and merci for the best decade of our lives!
Language is a funny thing. You never really think about just how many words and phrases there are in any given language (to say nothing of all the grammar features, pronunciation rules, and cultural nuances), but every time I find myself switching to a different daily-use language, I am always inundated with new (or sometimes, forgotten) vocabulary. Even with something like French, which I’ve definitely studied before and which has quite a lot in common with both English and Spanish, there is still SO MUCH to learn (and remember).
So, for this month’s post, I thought I’d share a few of the many entertaining direct translations that are living rent free in my mind now that I’ve gotten back into using français au quotidien. Amusez-vous bien!
Poules en liberté – literal meaning: “hens at liberty” – real meaning: “free run chickens”
This makes me laugh every time I buy eggs because I can’t help but picture chickens reenacting the French Revolution or something. Liberty, Fraternity, Egg-quality!
Nid-de-poule – literal meaning: “hen’s nest” – real meaning: “pothole”
Speaking of cultural nuances, chickens are super engrained in Francophone culture, which is clearly evidenced by the cute French name for this annoying modern-day obstacle.
Jaunes – literal meaning: “yellows” – real meaning: “yolks”
In English, we say “egg whites”, but “egg yellows” sounds ridiculous, non? Well, “yolks” actually comes from an Old English word meaning “yellow”, so maybe we’re the ridiculous ones.
Papillon de nuit – literal meaning: “butterfly of the night” – real meaning: “moth”
Another hauntingly beautiful (and delightfully descriptive) French noun! Of course moths should be called butterflies of the night! That’s exactly what they are, and it sounds très cool.
Porc-épic – meaning: “porcupine” (originally from Greek, meaning “spiny pig”)
Okay, this one is similar in English, but the way it’s written in French makes my franglais brain think “epic pork”, which I think really paints porcupines in a whole new light, don’t you?
Chauve-souris – literal meaning: “bald mouse” – real meaning: “bat”
What I want to know is who hated bats enough to stick them with this completely unfair name for the rest of éternité. I mean, even if you felt really strongly about their baldness and/or mousiness, what about the wings?!
Cerf-volant – literal meaning: “flying deer” – real meaning: “kite”
Another bizarre animal description here because I can’t really see a lot of similarities between kites and deer. What exactly was going on with the kites and deer of early France?
Barbe à papa – literal meaning: “dad’s beard” – real meaning: “cotton candy”
Explaining this to non-French speakers is always a little awkward. I’m aware that “cotton candy” doesn’t sound that appetizing either, but thinking about your father’s beard hair as a snack is just a bit étrange.
Pissenlit – literal meaning: “piss-in-bed” – real meaning: “dandelion”
I absolutely love that this name survived into modern times because what a cool way to learn that dandelions are diuretics!
Cul-de-sac – meaning, well, “cul-de-sac” or “dead end”, but the literal translation is “ass of the bag”
We all know the word “cul-de-sac”, but I bet now you have a whole new visual to associate with it! I love when languages use profanity to make a point.
Nez qui coule – literal meaning: “nose that flows” – real meaning: “runny nose”
This phrase is immediately clear upon first encounter, which I love, but what I now find disappointing is that English missed out on this glorious rhyming opportunity!
Oui, oui, “pouce” can mean either “thumb” or “inch”, but I first learned it as “thumb”; therefore, I now measure TVs in thumbs rather than inches. Honestly, I wish we’d just use centimeters anyway!
Pomme de terre – literal meaning: “apple of the Earth” – real meaning: “potato”
An oldie, but a goodie. This poetic way of naming the most basic of things is what I always associate with French. However, Canada is a bit more efficiency-based, which is why I see “patates” a lot now too.
Pommettes – literal meaning: “little apples” – real meaning: “cheekbones”
Another example of French flair contrasted with English frankness; one of which I love as a linguist, the other, I prefer as a student. Thank God for Google Translate though.
Et c’est tout! I hope you enjoyed these fun little tidbits about some common French and English words! Until next time, à bientôt!
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!
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.
Definitely not easy to remember…
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.
Still a hard “no” from me though.
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?
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.
FahrenheitCelcius
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!
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.
Probably still quite cold…These things are everywhere!Time for the seasonal tire switchNow we have quite the collectionGreat for keeping the salt and any Amazon packages dry lol
Everything Takes a Little Longer
So many layers!
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
This is why Canada is shoes off.
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 much fun!Good thing she’s adaptable!
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!
So, you may have noticed that we go on a lot of trips. I can tell you, very honestly, that I think about future trips pretty much every day. My mind is always putting together itineraries and thinking up plans for future adventures (both near and far) because I love every aspect of the process! However, I’ve noticed that some people get a little anxious when planning things either far in advance or far away, which is totally understandable. And if you’re one of such people, perhaps a little unsure of how to plan an international trip (or even if you’ve just wondered how exactly we do this so often and seemingly so quickly), this post is for you! Strap in, it’s time to plan!
Who?
We often start with the question of who. Is it just me and Tucker? Or do we have family or friends joining us? What about Jenn (our dog)? The number of people/animals and their particular interests and abilities often affect all the other questions, so first you have to know who will be with you.
When?
Next up is when. This is an important question both in regards to where you’re coming from and where you’re going. We always try to find a nice balance of traveling over a holiday (which means less PTO time needed) and avoiding the crowds at our chosen destination. Often this means choosing to travel over US-centric holidays like MLK Jr. Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, etc. Our preferred duration is typically eight days (ideally Saturday to the following Sunday if we can swing it). If you’re leaving the continent, it’s also good to remember that the travel days to and from your destination won’t really feel like vacation, and sometimes it’s really nice to have an extra day after you get home but before you have to go back to work: aka a buffer day.
Traveling can certainly wear you out!
In addition to carefully picking our days based on the holidays being celebrated around us, we also have to be aware of holidays in the places we might be visiting. Those are usually pretty easy to check online, but we also try to be aware of the seasons more broadly, which can be a little trickier. Depending on where you want to go and what you want to do, you might want to avoid peak travel seasons (like Europe in summer), rainy seasons (like Central America in fall), or even seasonal extremes (like the UAE in summer or Iceland in winter). Ultimately, it’s a bit of dance between what you want to spend (because some seasons are pricier than others), what vacation time is possible for you, and what you want to do/see at your destination.
Rainy season. NBD, right?
I will just add that there’s really never a wrong time to travel. There are busier times, more expensive times, good weather days, bad weather days, etc. And unfortunately, no amount of pre-planning is going to stop the occasional storm from blowing in or that surprise festival/event from happening, so don’t sweat it too much! We once went to Fuji, Japan and didn’t see Mount Fuji. How iconic is that?
Where?
Now the big question. Where to? Usually, this is an easy one when it’s just me and Tucker because we want to go everywhere, but even we still find ourselves asking questions like where is the cheapest flight? Where can we do a lot in a short amount of time? And other similar questions. More recently, we’ve also been asking ourselves about priorities. Where are the places we want to go most? Over the years, we’ve realized that you never know when a global pandemic or political unrest might arise to make a lifelong dream of yours come to a crashing halt, so when choosing where to go, just know that you won’t remember the price of the plane tickets, but you’ll be telling stories about what you did and where you went for the rest of your life.
The surprisingly polarizing Bratislava
If you’re not as much of a geography nerd as I am, you might also just not really know what kind of places you’d even like. Or what it’ll be like when you’re there. Luckily, the internet has this well and truly covered – there are countless YouTube videos, blogs, websites, documentaries, basically anything and everything you might want to know about a given destination online, so you can always start there. Of course, recommendations are also great, but definitely take them with a grain of salt because everything about travel is highly subjective, and in my experience, no two people feel the same way about a place (just ask Tucker and I how we both feel about Bratislava).
If you’re still struggling with narrowing down all the options, I also think it’s a good idea to combine your other interests with travel, so if you like hiking/nature, maybe a trip to South America would be perfect for you. Or if you’re history buff, it’s hard to beat Europe. Foodies typically love Asia, and those really up for an adventure don’t mind the long flights needed to go trekking in Africa or scuba diving in Oceania. There’s really so much to see in every corner of the world, so again, don’t sweat it too much! It’s all about the journey not the destination, right?
How?
Speaking of the journey, once you’ve decided (roughly) where you want to go, how do you put it into action? The order in which we typically book things is pretty much always FLIGHTS -> LODGINGS -> EXCURSIONS. Essentially, I have an idea of where I want to go, very often the main country or region I want to see and a possible “home base” or “anchor city”, which is where we’ll fly in and out of, but until we officially look at flights, even that might change.
When we check the flights, we might see that it’s much cheaper to go to a different, nearby city and take a train to where I initially wanted to go. Or I might see there are a lot more flights to a different city in the area and start researching why that is, possibly choosing that as our base instead. We like to let the flights guide us somewhat, but if you already know where you want to go, just book it! Unfortunately, post-pandemic travel is super variable, and there’s no longer a reliable system of finding cheap flights. Gone are the days when leaving on a Tuesday or booking 4 months out might save you some money, so save yourself the headache and just book when it makes sense for you. We usually start our flight search on an aggregator site like Momondo, which allows us to play around with the days, times, and paths to find the best option, but when we do our actual booking, we prefer use the airlines’ websites because they’re much easier to contact if there’s an issue.
Just one of many similar sites
Once we’ve figured out how we’ll get in and out, we then work on where we’ll spend our days. If we’re somewhere like Europe and we can easily get from city to city or even country to country, I might split the trip into two or three stops, usually in somewhat of a circle to ensure we get back to the airport city. Other times, I rely on day trips to see more for my money. This is often the easiest way because then I only need to find one hotel/hostel/Airbnb for the duration. In any case, when booking a place to stay, we tend to use Booking.com because the filters really help us narrow down all the options based on what we need for a given trip (i.e. “parking”, “dog-friendly”, etc.). We also have the added bonus of being able to look back at places we’ve stayed in the past, which we’ve used on several return trips.
Whether we go for a loop or a series of day trips, I love a good map!
Throughout our years of traveling together, we’ve basically run the gamut, staying in dormitories, pods, hotels, inns, apartments, houses, etc. It really all depends on what you want to spend, what you’re comfortable with, and what’s available in the destination. My advice when choosing a place is to really focus on the most recent reviews. If there aren’t any reviews from the last few months, there’s probably a reason for that. You should also pay particular attention to the things that are most relevant to you. If you can’t sleep when there’s too much noise, search for that in the reviews. If you have to have AC, make sure you check that on the amenities list, etc. Also, remember that if you are bringing any electronics, you’ll likely need adapters to be able to use them abroad. We’ve forgotten so many times that I now have an army of adapters at home.
Okay, now that flights and hotels are taken care of, we can start looking into the things we might want to do while there. Usually, there are very few things I book in advance aside from transportation and lodging, but if we’re going somewhere very touristy (like Paris, Angor Wat, etc.) then we might need to pre-purchase tickets to the main attractions. Similarly, if we’re making a trip down to Peru with the main goal of seeing Machu Picchu, then I’d like to make sure we have any tickets, tours, or whatever else we might need for a large-scale excursion like that. Thankfully, so much of this can be done online these days although the final process might not be super clear until you actually arrive. There have been many times when we weren’t sure if we did what we were supposed to do ahead of time, but it has absolutely always worked out once we were there. Embrace the ambiguity as part of the adventure and remember that you’re a tourist, not a pioneer – there’s always someone to ask for help if you need it!
What?
And finally, the best part! How will you spend your days? Usually right after we book our flights, I like to start with a general Google search of “things to see in _____”, and go from there. I also love to read blogs written either by other tourists/travelers or even better, by people who live there. This is not only practical, but it also serves to get me super excited for the upcoming trip! Once I have enough ideas/information, I usually end up making a general list of things we might want to do, see, and eat while on the trip, which we can then check off as we go. Of course, I don’t think I’ve ever checked everything off of one of these lists, and things are typically added to it throughout our trip as well, but ultimately, it really helps us in coming up with plans while on the go and making sure we don’t forget anything in all the excitement of exploring a new place.
Even before we had smartphones lol
Once we’ve made it to our destination, we typically spend the first day or two just walking around to get our bearings and get acquainted with the area. We’ll usually wander around the major points of interest on a map or group some of the items from my list and do our own sort of walking tour. Most major cities have their own free walking tours that you can join if you prefer something with more structure. We’ve done many of these throughout the years and have always enjoyed them. Tucker tends to focus on the food during our travels, so whenever we’re hungry, we’ll usually find a park bench or a café, and he’ll go on the hunt (through heaps of Google reviews) for a place that possibly ticks even more things off our list.
Of course, our own research only goes so far, so another thing we love to do is ask locals what they would recommend. Usually starting with taxi/Uber drivers, we try to ask several people throughout our stay what they would recommend to tourists as far as things to see, foods to try, places to go, etc. This is why the list usually ends up with so many amendments! But some of our absolute favorite places were only discovered once we landed and started talking to locals about their home, so don’t be shy! Things are always changing, and those who live there always know best!
So that’s how we do it! As I was writing this, I started worrying whether or not this would be helpful to anyone since there really is so much variance between people, destinations, trips, etc. But hopefully something in here stuck out to you and might be of use during your next trip-planning session! Happy planning and bon voyage!
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!
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!
Quickly becoming honorary Ottawans
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!
Just your average day in January
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!
For as long as we’ve been traveling internationally, somehow, we had never made it to Paris. But thankfully, that wrong has now been righted as we recently spent nine incredible days in the City of Lights! I knew going into this trip we would have to make some tough choices because there’s so much to do and see in Paris, and it’s one of the most visited cities in the world, making it necessary to both plan ahead and have contingencies. However, despite the challenges of touristing in such popular location, I think we did a pretty good job hitting the major points of interest without getting lost in the crowds. There were, however, a few things that still surprised us when visiting some of the most popular Parisian attractions. Things like…
Eiffel Tower
It takes multiple days to get the full Eiffel Tower experience. For some reason, I thought we’d just stop by the Eiffel Tower, take a few pictures, and continue on our way, but that’s not how it turned out. We did have that initial viewing and walk through the parks around the base, but then we decided we wanted to go back and ride/walk up and down the tower, view Paris from above, and see the Eiffel Tower from directly underneath – all of which were SO COOL, but took a lot more time because we had to buy tickets, go through security, wait in line, etc.
Of course, we also wanted to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night, especially with the twinkling lights, which meant that we’d have to go back at the top of the hour sometime between 10pm and 1am. So, at the very least, it’s absolutely necessary to be there at some point during the day and at a specific time after dark, but what about having a picnic on the lawn? Or sharing a glass of wine with the Eiffel Tower in view? Essentially, all roads kept leading us back to the Eiffel Tower.
Champs-Élysées & L’Arc de Triomphe
Speaking of roads, Avenue des Champs-Élysées was another surprise for me. I knew we’d be walking down it at some point because of the sights at either end, but I definitely didn’t plan enough time there. Even though we’re not big on shopping, there were so many cool stores (and restaurants) on this street, so for any subsequent trips, I’ve already made a mental note to give this area a little more time. The Arc de Triomphe might also get a special highlight on a future trip to Paris because you can (much like the Eiffel Tower) climb to the top of the arch and get a different view of Paris from above, this time with the Tower in the picture as well.
Le Louvre
I’m pretty sure I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again, but Tucker and I are not the best at museums. We have trouble slowing down when we’re in a new city, and honestly, I feel like I’ve seen enough ancient pottery to last me a lifetime. However, the Louvre was absolutely my favorite ticketed activity in Paris. We originally planned to spend three hours at the museum, but could easily have spent the whole day. There is just so much to see in every wing, on every floor! As you might expect, it was very crowded though, which, to me, is all the more reason to plan a whole day there. Take breaks, walk into the courtyards, get a cup of coffee, and then get back in there and marvel at not only the 40,000 pieces on display, but also the eight-hundred-year-old palace they’re housed in. And seriously, no matter how much you may dislike crowds or museums, you absolutely cannot skip this one.
The Catacombs
The Paris Catacombs were something I’d heard about many times, but whatever I’d heard or seen was nothing like experiencing them in person. Although they’re a little bit of a hike from the other sights, their uniqueness definitely makes them well-worth a visit. I’m actually really glad we jumped on the tickets-and-reservations bandwagon early in our Paris trip, because this was another one that we almost missed out on because there are limited spaces and most were already sold out by the time we decided to add this to our itinerary. I can only imagine how far in advance things have to be booked in the high season!
Disneyland Paris
If you’re a Disney fan, like me and my family, you might have heard some negative things about Disneyland Paris. Before visiting, we had heard the food wasn’t really good, it’s not as clean as other Disney properties, it’s really small, etc. but now that we have been there, I definitely beg to differ. I, personally, loved the food. I mean, of course it doesn’t have the variety of Paris proper, but as far as the various Disneylands go, there were several things I preferred at this park! Overall, it felt very much on brand to me: spotlessly clean and with so much attention to detail throughout. There are also two parks there, so definitely not the smallest when combined. I do understand why people wouldn’t necessarily want to give up time in Paris to go to Disney, but I don’t regret it at all! We had a magical time, as always.
Vernon/Giverny & Monet’s Gardens
Anytime we’re in a city longer than a week, we try to do at least one day-trip to somewhere outside the city. For Paris, I contemplated several options, but in the end, we went for Vernon/Giverny to see Claude Monet’s incredible gardens. As amazing as the Louvre and other Paris landmarks were, and as fun and nostalgic as Disneyland was, getting away from the crowds was the perfect choice for our last full day in France (sorry Versailles, maybe another time). We loved everything about this little trip within a trip. The train ride out to the sleepy little town, walking down the many narrow cobblestoned streets, seeing all the flowers in bloom – everything.
Of course, our main reason for going to this little town was to see Claude Monet’s house and gardens, and they also exceeded every expectation. The whole area has really leaned into the artistry and beauty of the French countryside, and it was lovely to be a part of it, even if only for an afternoon.
Ultimately, no matter how many places we visit, we’re always in awe of what there is to do and see in every corner of the world. And, for me, the surprises we encounter along the way, make it that much more fun! I’m already ready for another trip! On y va!
Dani Francuz Rose 