I think I must be one of the only people in the world that doesn’t love France. I really don’t know what it is but I always feel slightly out of control and end up so stressed worrying about the language and every other thing. I have decided that my future French expeditions will all occur in oh so very sensible Canada. You get the lovely French welcome, Bonjour, but then the switch to English happens instantaneously.
It is really clear why Quebec City needed to be built on a massive fairy tale hill. If you are going to have food that good you must create some way to work it off. Anyone for crepes with mascarpone, lemon curd, white chocolate and pistachio? I had some of the most sublime meals ever.
I do work pretty hard for IIQM and the lovely Bailey, Alex and Yvette took me to dinner at the seriously gorgeous Le Saint-Amour. They have a tradition at the end of each conference where they go somewhere that has a tasting menu. Well, the theory was a tasting menu in Quebec City, but the reality was far from a taste. It was like eating ten full dinners and then when you thought – I am going to pass out if I eat one more thing, the chocolate arrives with the little glass of mint chocolate that you drink through a straw. The food was indescribably beautiful. Most times I would far prefer to eat vegetables than any sort of creature who runs in the Canadian wild but I thought, when you are in a gorgeous French Salon with great company and the reputation of one of Quebec’s finest restaurants you just have to go with it. I still really can’t believe that I ate Canadian Red Deer and hare terrine but do not regret one mouth full.
Carol and I went to the Chateau and sipped on champagne and lovely cocktails. If you are sitting in a fairy castle surrounded by flying geese and old opulence you really do have to behave like princesses. It was lovely. We went on to a beautiful place for dinner – Chez Boulay (a little sister of my ten course extravagance). We did feel quite French dining at 9.30pm but the lovely climb home helped with any feelings of guilt about eating and going straight to bed. I can reassure you we floated up the hill and slept like princesses in our lovely tower.
Sleeping under the stars 