Farsighted Fly Girl

My first glimpse of Quebec City history and culture was the stately Parliament building just outside of Old Quebec. I thought the building looked distinctly French with its Second Empire architecture so I wasn't surprised to learn that it was inspired by the expansion of Paris' Louvre Museum when it was constructed in 1877. I was surprised, however, when I discovered that the Parliament houses a restaurant, Le Parlimentaire, that's open to the public. Anyone can make a reservation and eat with the prime minister if he's in the building. I watched the restaurant's chef pick herbs from the garden and then show visitors what they were used for. With a highly rated restaurant in the province's capitol building and a chef that works with fresh ingredients, it's clear that the French influence in Quebec shows up on every level!

For the first time ever, I will forgo, my first Quebecois love, Montreal and travel to  historic Quebec City. I'll check out the Le Festival de'ete de Quebec  (French hip hop!) as well as the UNESCO Word Heritage Site of Old Quebec City and all its cobblestone and walled charms. My visit is sponsored by  Quebec Tourism so I'll be diving into all aspects of Quebec City history and culture. I expect to be dazzled so stay tuned!