Blissful Adventures

The weather gods had been kind to us. After overnight rain, we awoke to a beautiful, warm and cloudless morning in Quebec City.
Perched high above the old city, the Château Frontenac is a building that seems to belong in a fairytale. Opened in 1893, it was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway as part of the grand tradition of railway hotels designed to encourage travellers to explore Canada. Today, it remains one of the country's most recognizable landmarks and most popular hotels.

The foyer may look deserted but the 610 guest rooms were bursting at the seams. And if you're going to have breakfast, you might as well do it in style.The croissants were excellent, the pain aux raisins delicious...

The views were rather special, too. From our vantage point, we could look out across the mighty St. Lawrence River, which has played such a pivotal role in the history of Canada...

The morning sunshine illuminated the Château's magnificent architecture, while puddles left by the overnight rain reflected the golden light. It was one of those mornings when you find yourself lingering a little longer than planned...

Quebec City is a place where history is never far away. The previous evening, we had encountered one of the most important figures in that history: Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer who founded Quebec in 1608. Champlain chose this strategic position on the St. Lawrence as the base for a French settlement that would eventually grow into the city we know today. His vision helped establish a foothold for New France, and his legacy remains deeply woven into Quebec's identity. His statue stands proudly overlooking the river, a fitting tribute to the man whose decision to settle here changed the course of Canadian history. And we were fortunate enough to photograph him beneath a rainbow...

More than four centuries after Champlain established his settlement, the city he founded continues to attract visitors from across the world. The old streets, historic buildings and imposing Château Frontenac all tell the story of a place that has managed to preserve its distinctive French character. With breakfast behind us and Quebec City bidding us farewell, it was time to head back towards Ottawa.
The journey offered another reminder that autumn in this part of Canada can be quite spectacular. The countryside was ablaze with colour, and the trees were magnificent in the warm sunshine. Among the most striking were trees laden with crab apples, their branches heavy with little red fruits. Against the autumn foliage and brilliant blue sky, they made a wonderful sight...

And so, our short Quebec adventure came to an end. We had enjoyed historic streets, impressive architecture, unexpected encounters, good food and some beautiful autumn scenery. And, perhaps most importantly, had spent a wonderful few days with our generous friends in Ottawa en-route.
Our flight home took us over the Rocky Mountains - already sliding into winter...

We are now back home on Gabriola Island, surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of our own little corner of the world. But, as regular readers will know, staying at home for too long has never been one of our strongest points. With 97 countries behind us, more than a million kilometres travelled, and countless stories to tell, there is still a great deal of this wonderful world waiting to be explored.

We had been promised rain, but Quebec had other ideas. The day was dry, if a little cloudy, as we left the Laurentians and followed almost deserted country roads through the forests ablaze with autumn colours. Five hours later, we arrived in the heart of historic Quebec City. No visit here would be complete without the Château Frontenac, perched dramatically above the old city. Built in 1893, this magnificent hotel has become one of Canada's most recognizable landmarks...

Maybe you can join us for breakfast there tomorrow - Don't worry - there's no poutine.
Just a short walk away stands Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral, one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals in North America. Founded in 1647, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries. While it doesn't compare to the baroque masterpieces of Europe, its ornate interior is a reminder that Quebec City is not merely old by Canadian standards, but genuinely old...

There was a real buzz in the air this morning as a marching band led a colourful parade from the cathedral to the City Hall...

The marchers looked remarkably military, but they were actually a Belgian-Québécois folkloric group taking part in a cultural twinning between Cerfontaine in Belgium and Louiseville in Quebec. Their wonderfully elaborate costumes, drums and axes are part of the traditional Marcheurs de Napoléon.
The city was busy, too, with tourists everywhere and two enormous cruise liners in port.

For James, Quebec has a particular history. More than 60 years ago he arrived here as a young chef aboard a Cunard liner. In those days, political tensions were considerably higher and going ashore was not always considered wise. Today, whatever one thinks about Quebec's long-running independence debate, the city enthusiastically welcomes visitors from around the world.
And there are still plenty of perfectly serviceable cannons pointing southwards — just in case...

For now, we're heading down into the old city, where the streets are full of people. The cafés, shops and buildings along the cobbled streets make you wonder whether you've somehow wandered across the Atlantic...

And the squares are getting dressed up ready for Halloween...

We even thought we had been teleported back to the middle ages for a moment...

But wait a minute. Those aren't real houses and people at all. They're a remarkably clever trompe-l'œil mural - French for an optical illusion designed to fool the eye.

Everything here certainly feels very French. And, surprisingly, quite a few locals seem to have little English. Perhaps that's not entirely surprising. The British defeated the French here in 1759, and judging by the language, they may still be slightly annoyed about it.

There are places where autumn arrives with a paintbrush, and then there are the Laurentians. Around Mont-Tremblant, the hills are ablaze with red, orange and gold, the roads wind through brilliant forests and almost every bend reveals another spectacular view. Maybe someone secretly turned up the colour saturation...

And there are lakes. An astonishing number of them. Pristine, sparkling lakes tucked between forested hills, looking as though they belong on a tourism poster. Unfortunately, actually getting to them is another matter. We repeatedly found ourselves admiring beautiful lakes from the car because parking and public access is remarkably scarce. The Quebecois apparently believes that visitors should see their country through a car window....

After several days investigating authentic Quebecois cuisine, including suffering poutine, we moved upmarket. We had booked a six-course haute-cuisine dinner at a lakeside château several weeks ahead, expecting elegant surroundings, sophisticated service and exquisite food. We should have run when we discovered there was only one other diner and the young waiter appeared in jeans and a baseball cap. We suspected he might also be the chef and dishwasher, but we had booked weeks ahead, so we stayed. The menu was certainly ambitious, but the food was - well judge for yourself...

The chicken was so tough that we wondered, How d'ye do that? Finally came the lemon tart which looked as though it had been dropped on the floor somewhere between the kitchen and our table. After six courses of experimental Quebec cuisine, we think we might stick to poutine for the rest of the week!

Fortunately, the next day provided a much more elevating experience. The gondola ride up Mont-Tremblant was spectacular....

As we climbed, the autumn landscape unfolded beneath us in brilliant layers of red, orange and gold, with blue lakes appearing between the forests. From the summit, the Laurentians seemed to stretch forever...

The gondola ride was considerably more spectacular than the dinner And, despite the lack of access to the beautiful lakes, the Laurentians have delivered everything we came for: mountains, forests, brilliant autumn colour and scenery that needs no embellishment....

Equally impressive is our hotel in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts. This is Stonehaven - Le Manoir...

This 1908 mansion above Lac-des-Sables, has wonderful views across the lake and mountains. It has had several lives, including as a sanatorium and religious retreat, but today it is a peaceful step back into another era. With its stone walls, creaky floors and sprawling grounds, we kept expecting someone to appear in a suit of armour. If it were a mere 400 years older, it could easily pass for a medieval English manor. The heated pools, spa and saunas were a welcome bonus after a day exploring the Laurentians...

And the breakfasts were so good we will invite you to join us next time.

As summer slips into fall on the West Coast of British Columbia, we are heading east to Quebec. Our summer in British Colombia was glorious, with months of warm sunshine and several interesting events, including a sand sculpture contest on the beach at Parksville. It is amazing what people can create with nothing more than sand, water and considerably more patience than we possess.

Last fall, we spent several weeks travelling through Hokkaido, Japan, chasing the brilliant autumn colours of the maples, the golden ginkgos and just about every other tree that seemed determined to put on a spectacular show. So, this year, we thought it was only fair to give our own country a chance. Quebec is reputed to have some of the most spectacular fall colours in Canada, and since timing is everything with autumn foliage, we were keeping our fingers crossed that we had chosen the right week. As it turned out, we seem to have hit it pretty much perfectly.

Thanks to our special friend Trudy and her friend Ann, we also had the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful boat trip on Grand Lake. It was a beautiful way to see the colours from a completely different perspective, with the hillsides reflected in the water and the trees seemingly competing with one another to see who could put on the best display. This is Captain Ann at the helm...

And here is Trudy, enjoying the cruise as she relaxes from the exertion of celebrating a very significant birthday.

The colours were amazing. Everywhere we looked there were brilliant reds, oranges, yellows and greens, often all mixed together on the same hillside. After last year's spectacular display in Hokkaido, we had wondered whether Quebec could really compete.
It certainly can.

Our trip actually began in Ottawa, Canada's capital city just over the border in Ontario. While we didn't meet our celebrated Prime Minister Mark Carney, we did see his lovely lakeside home where, it is said, he is so busy running the country that he no longer has time to visit.
We did, however, visit the Parliament buildings, which are currently undergoing a rather extensive renovation. Apparently, even governments occasionally decide that their homes need a little work. We also enjoyed the very scenic locks on the Rideau Canal, which run alongside the Parliament buildings.

Quebec is very French, including the language, the architecture and, of course, the cuisine. No visit to this historic part of North America would be complete without sampling its most famous contribution to French-Canadian gastronomy: poutine.
There is nothing quite like poutine for the true connoisseurs and gourmands of fine French cuisine. It consists of a large plate of french fries, smothered in goopy gravy and topped with tasteless cheese curds and, in our case, chopped wiener sausages. This is apparently what happens when French cuisine meets a Canadian winter. It is actually surprisingly edible. In fact, it is quite good - once!

We will be spending the next seven days exploring Quebec, which is a good thing because it has now started to rain. We have discovered that autumn in Quebec is apparently not all brilliant sunshine, colourful hillsides and picturesque lakes.
Still, we have seven days ahead of us, plenty of places to explore and, hopefully, lots more spectacular scenery like this...

...and the many whitewashed churches...

And if the rain continues, there is always poutine.

Our eleven-week journey through Japan, Korea, and southern China became a fascinating lesson in history, culture, and beauty woven into daily life. The highlights began with a peaceful visit to Nikko, where the shrines dedicated to the Tokugawa shoguns, the architects of more than 250 years of Edo-period stability, stood quietly among towering cedars and moss-covered stone lanterns…

From ancient tranquillity we moved south to the intense heat of Osaka, joining the crowds at Expo 2025 before finding peace in the mountains of Hokkaido, arriving just in time for the island’s spectacular autumn colours…

Our first time in Korea added new historical layers to our journey. In Seoul, we explored the grand Joseon palaces, whose kings shaped Korea’s cultural foundations for more than five centuries, while the striking modern skyline of Jongno rose around them.
Busan’s Gamcheon Culture Village, built by refugees from the brutal civil war that ripped Korea apart, offered a moving sense of resilience and determination despite the odds…

Gyeongju, the former capital of the Silla Kingdom, greeted us with its ancient royal burial mounds preserving more than a thousand years of history...

Southern China brought us the timeless karst landscapes of Guangxi, long celebrated in classical poetry and ink paintings. We drifted along the Yulong and Li Rivers, explored ancient markets and climbed the soaring walkways of Peak Ruyi, a dramatic piece of modern engineering set amid mountains that feel eternal…

…and we stayed in the amazing Tea Cozy Hotel in Xiatangzhai – a solid 10 and our most favourite hotel in the world.
Returning to Tokyo to meet up with old friends and celebrate a special birthday was the perfect finale to a journey rich in history, landscapes, and warm connections across three remarkable countries. Here we are with the birthday girl, Sumiko, (on the left) along with Tom, Taiko, and Melanie from Vancouver…

With just a few days left in Tokyo, we visited Rikugien Gardens, where there were reminders of the amazing colours that have been a key feature of this trip…

As if the natural colours were not enough, in the evening we watched an extraordinary light show at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku …

We called this trip From Fuji to Everest without intending to climb either. While we didn’t get to see the Himalayas, we enjoyed a beautiful early-morning view of Fuji from the top of the Government Building …

While there have been so many amazing experiences on this journey, perhaps most notable has been the weather. We’ve had weeks of gloriously warm days with almost endless sunshine and only one wet day – Sheila’s birthday!

So that is it, another journey complete as we fly home for Christmas with our minds full of fabulous memories. A huge thank you to all the people who helped us along the way, many whose names we will never know, and especially big hugs to the wonderful friends and “relatives” in China and Japan who made this trip so memorable. And thank you, dear reader, for following along and giving us a reason to keep writing.
Bye for now. We look forward to seeing you on our next Blissful Adventure.