Lauren and her husband Evan traveled north of the border to Montreal and Quebec City in August.  Their trip began in Montreal for Lauren to compete in the World Masters Weightlifting Championships held in one of the 1976 Olympic venues.  We enjoyed exploring the Olympic sites and a visit to the top of the Montreal Tower for amazing city views.  At an astonishing 45-degree angle, it holds the Guinness World Record as the tallest inclined tower in the world.  Nearby are excellent dining options in Hochelega neighborhood.  We also explored Montreal’s Old Town with its vibrant shops, cafes, waterfront promenade along with several important churches, squares, government buildings and parks.  Our reason to visit the Historic Jewish section of the city was twofold: to see the myriad of murals that are painted on buildings as part of the annual Mural Festival each June and to eat smoked meat at the famous Schwartz’s Deli!  We also ventured into nearby Mont Royal park.  A fun activity was maneuvering through Montreal’s underground city with 20 miles worth of tunnels.  Our stay at the Le Westin Montreal proved to be an ideal location between the Old Town and newer city sections.  It offers an indoor pool, nice gym and several dining options.  Unfortunately our Heavenly Bed was not so heavenly, but our very spacious room was comfortable otherwise.

We took the train from Montreal to Quebec City; an easy 3-hour ride with nice bathrooms, foodservice and free internet.  We stayed in the hipster St. Roch neighborhood at the Best Western City Centre; a good 4-star hotel with a friendly and helpful staff, restaurant, indoor pool and small gym.  This area showcases lots of dining and shopping options.  It was an easy, 25-minute walk (uphill) to the Old Town.  They have an elevator part way if the stairs are too much.  We enjoyed exploring the quaint Old Town and its charming gates, street performers, cafes, shops, parks and historical buildings including a visit to the Citadel fortress.  Our walk along the Governors Promenade was enjoyable as well. This giant boardwalk facing the St. Lawrence River connects the Plains of Abraham Park to the Dufferin Terrace.  The highlight of our time in Quebec City was a half day bike ride to the Montmorency Falls with Cyclo Services.  We traveled through the beautiful Quebec countryside.  At Montmorency, we took a cable car to the top and walked across the suspended bridge over the falls.  The ride ended with some time in the Old Port area of Quebec.  This region showcases over 3,000 miles of bike paths (Rue Verte); an awesome opportunity for exploring on your own as well.  Overall the trip was a delight!