Travel Quebec
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T R A V E L s unfairly maligned as ‘boring’ Belgium (which is anything but, btw) poor old Canada has shivered in the shadow of the good ol’ USA like Solange with Beyonce, Dannii behind Kylie, or Emma Bunton with, well... anyone. AWhile America is a land of big ideas, QUEBEC shocks and delights – safer, fairer, kinder, THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL HEART OF FRENCH CANADA: QUEBEC CITY cuddlier Canada has been unfairly maligned as the Kimberley Walsh of the North AND MONTREAL – BIRTHPLACE OF GOURMET CHEESY CHIPS AND GRAVY American family. Yet, even as I walk home WORDS: ANDREW FRASER in the early hours through the centre of one of North America’s biggest and most exciting cities – with no police in sight, yet feeling completely at ease and secure – Montreal part of the French heart of North America, Quebec, is far from a safe bet. French Canada is seriously weird. And what more could a gay traveller want? Quebec is like France through a looking glass – a vision of what could have been for the majority of North America if one of the many Louis’ had pulled their socks up. Quebec City was lost to France in 1759; Montreal, the Gallic island twin of Manhattan, a year later – events which may well have helped prod la France towards la revolution. Cut of from the motherland, French Canada mosied on – surviving as an island within the predominantly Anglo Saxon and Hispanic North American sea. Quebec is about more than France, though. The UK and Ireland all played their part in last decade or so, there has been a massive elegant despite their size. We stay in the the formation of this unique culture – not explosion in the artisan food movement here gorgeous Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu to mention the nations which came later; – with some incredibly good cheeses and – with hot tubs over-looking the ocean in Vietnamese, Moroccan, Ukrainian. inevitably, amazing bread. The climate isn’t my room and I learn to drive a golf buggy, Continuing with the seriously odd – best suited to wine production, but Quebec channelling my inner Grace Kelly. Quebec’s national dish is the amazing, treats its ice ciders with all the gravitas But it’s in Montreal that I find my real the sublime, poutine. Now you could be that France treats its Bordeaux. Made from Canadien home-from-home. I’m staying at forgiven for thinking this confection is just frozen apples, plucked from the tree in the glorious boutique Hotel Gault on the posh chips and gravy – but the Quebecois their icy state, this is brilliantly elegant and edge of the Old Town. The Gault is housed treasure it as their own invention. At its complex stuf which more than compensates in a five storey building built in 1871. This is most basic, it’s a big steaming mound of for a lack of domestic vin rouge. a grown-up hotel, with an almost-church- French fries, luscious thick gravy and cheese Quebec City doesn’t have a big gay scene, like air of tranquillity and calm. Vast French curds. Cheese which squeaks when you bite but it does have the brilliant Le Drague – windows flood each suite with light. If into it, and which goes deliciously melty and where boys with a beautiful mix of French there is a more beautifully designed and stringy when engulfed in the thick poutine handsomeness, stylishness and North conceived hotel in North America, I am yet sauce. There are as many varieties of poutine American muscularity go wild to a never- to find it. It’s walking distance to Le Village, as there are – well hot dinners. La Banquaise endingly bamboozling array of French drag Montreal’s delightful gay quarter which is in Montreal [labanquise.com] ofers some of the queens channelling Diana Ross. God knows packed with cabaret clubs, discos, saunas best. Try La Kamikaze with spicy merguez, what they were saying but it was funny in and some proper old-school gay boozers like hot peppers and Tabasco sauce, or L’Asterix any lingo. From there we headed out into the Le Stud – which, despite its hot and heavy with sour cream, smoked meat [a Montrealer countryside for some whale watching and title, is actually quite a sweet little hang-out speciality] mushrooms and pepper sauce. moose observing in the glorious Canadian with karaoke most nights and ultra-lovely Yum! Perfect to make even the coldest night wilds. This is an epic land bursting with bar staf willing to give you the low-down on time walk home warmer. vivid colour as we entered the early weeks what’s going down locally. Safe, sexy, sultry While Montreal has all the zing of a major of autumn. The whales, in particular, and salubrious – Montreal and Quebec metropolis, Quebec City – the historic which come to the baie St Catherine for an embody the best of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon heart of French Canada, is like a Gallic all-you-can-eat swim-up seafood bufet, are cultures. There may be times when you York transported to North America. In the a particular delight. Beautiful creatures, forget that you’ve left Europe at all. It’s 74 253_FEAT_TRAVEL_M�Q#.indd 74 19/12/2014 13:01:54 North America, but not as you know it. with Édith Piaf but without the Nazis. This bar and cabaret and a super up-for-it crowd. Vive la diférence! is a truly wonderful bolthole for a truly LE STUD gorgeous slice of Gallic chic in Quebec City. Montreal’s most chilled-out gay spot (and WHERE TO STAY fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec that’s saying something in this horizontal GAULT HOTEL town!) Le Stud profers hot French Montreal is cool as fuck. And if you want WHERE TO EAT Canadiens who look like they could wrestle a hotel which reflects this, then the Gault CHEZ VICTOIRE and beat a bear. studbar.com QUEBEC has to be the one. Not cool in an annoying, There are few places better to sample the STOCK BAR try-hard way, the Gault appears efortless in unique flavours of old France and new It’ll cost you – and you can guarantee you its stylishness and simplicity. A real haven North America than this charming bistro. won’t escape the attentions of limbering, and a gorgeous bolthole for those looking for The menu may be inspired by Paris, but limber dancers, but if gay go-go boys are a romantic break – it has a Canadian sense it liberally uses current must-have North your thing then Montreal’s Stock Bar builds of calm and enduring class which makes it American ingredients such as sprouts, them big, broad and beefy. stockbar.com worth booking for an extra night, just so you edamame, hemp seeds and white balsamic. can spend a whole day in bed here without Go for the Ravioli Carbonara with braised WHAT TO DO missing out on this city. hotelgault.com/en bacon and Parmesan cream. Yum! MONTREAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY FAIRMONT LE MANOIR RICHELIEU Chezvictoire.com AND HISTORY Perched over a beautiful bay in Charlevoix, GARDE MANGER: Get to grips with the tumultuous history of this is a great place to explore the Quebecois Restaurant founder Chuck Hughes won Iron the second biggest French-speaking city in countryside or indulge in an atmosphere Chef America in 2011 with his make-you- the world after Paris. pacmuseum.qc.ca more old-France and old-England than old go-weak-at-the-knees lobster poutine. It’s a THE TRAIN OF LE MASSIF DE CHARLEVOIX England and old France. blackboard menu but all the crowd-pleasers FROM QUEBEC CITY TO BAIE SANT PAUL fairmont.com/richelieu-charlevoix can be found there. Breakfast on mimosas and delectable FAIRMONT LE CHATEAU FRONTENAC crownsalts.com/gardemanger morsels as the gorgeous, bucolic landscape Within the walls of Old Quebec, Le Manoir WHERE TO PARTY slides by. lemassif.com/en Frontenac recently underwent a multi- LE DRAGUE GO WHALE WATCHING IN BAIE STE CATHERINE million dollar revamp bringing it back to Beloved of Quebec’s gay kids and their cool Get up close with those almighty beasts at the its original splendour. Think 1940s Paris straight mates – Le Drague features a club, mouth of the St Lawrence River. dufour.ca/en 75 253_FEAT_TRAVEL_M�Q#.indd 75 19/12/2014 13:00:58.