L'Express dinner review, Montreal

The Bottom Line 

Authentic looking French restaurant with above average food.

Rating: 7/10

Recommended Dishes

• Bone marrow with coarse salt

Overview

Address: 3927 Rue Saint-Denis, Montreal. H2W 2M4

Recommended duration: budget 2.5 hours

The Atmosphere

My friend, a self proclaimed foodie, insisted on visiting Restaurant L'Express at every Montreal trip. The restaurant is a charming Parisian style bistro, with a long bar and classic black and white checkered floor. Classic and authentic. By the time we arrived, the place is already bustling with guests.

The Food

For appetizers we ordered the french onion soup, fish soup, and bone marrow with coarse salt. My favourite was bone marrow. It's not what I would normally eat at home, but the marrow was surprisingly flavourful and soft.

French onion soup

Fish soup

Bone marrow

For the main course, I ordered the hanger steak with shallot butter and fries. While I would say that the steak was delicious, I thought that the fries were only average.

Hanger steak with shallot butter and fries

Related posts

• Dessert at Creperie Chez Suzette, Montreal
• Dinner at Les 400 Coups, Montreal
• Things to do in Montreal

Hotel La Ferme Review, Le Massif de Charlevoix, Baie Saint Paul, Quebec

The Bottom Line

A delightful gem away from the city bustle.

Rating: 9/10

Overview

Address: 50 rue de la Ferme, Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec. G3Z 0G2
Website: http://www.lemassif.com/en/hotel/
Recommended visit: can easily spend half a day here with a spa visit

Hotel La Ferme

Hotel La Ferme is a unique 150 room hotel located in the Charlevoix region. Isolated and tucked away from the city, this hotel will surely carve a special place in your heart. I say unique because from the exterior, you will never guess that this is a hotel. I originally thought this is some sort of learning institution, a college or a school maybe.

Original toilet sign

Outdoor Spa

Unlike other resorts, this complex comprises of several small buildings (hence the collage misconception). This is designed to foster a sense of openness and community. 

A ski destination, the hotel has a direct train line that takes you up to the mountains. there is also an outdoor skating rink for guests, as well as an outdoor spa.

Related Posts

• Fairmont le Manoir Richelieu, La Malbaie
• Charlevoix Cottage Review
• Things to do in Charlevoix region
• Things to do in Quebec City

Peru Trip Budget

How much will a trip to Machu Picchu cost?

For our 8 day tour, we are budgeting ~$3,000 Cdn per person.

This is the rough breakdown of our budget (in Canadian dollars):

Flight - $850
Tour (including hotels) - $1,400
Daily spendings - $100/ day

As my annual travel budget is $5,000, that leaves a healthy $2,000 to maybe squeeze in a mini-vacation later on in the year. I'll think about where after Peru!  :)

Related Posts

• Back to Peru Trip Review

G Adventures Peru Itinerary

We visited Peru in spring of 2015.  It was definitely a memorable experience.  We are a group of 16 - all couples, all friends.  We joined a private tour with G Adventures and had an amazing trip!  Some highlights include - trying exotic food (alpaca burger, guinea pig), getting food poisoning, crazy 28 course tasting menu, and watching people practice yoga on top of Machu Picchu!

Itinerary

• Day 1 (Sat) - Toronto/ Lima
• Day 2 (Sun) - Lima/ Cusco
• Lunch @ Aguaymento Resto Bar
• Plaza de Armas
• Qorikancha and Santa Domingo
• Drinks @ Starbucks, Plaza de Armas
• San Pedro Market
• Dinner @ PaPaCho's Burger Restaurant
• Day 3 (Mon) - Cusco/ Sacred Valley/ Ollayantambo
• Inka Paradise Hotel
• Lunch @ Hearts Cafe
• Day 4 (Tues) - Ollantaytambo/ Aguas Calientes
• Aguas Calientes
• Day 5 (Wed) - Machu Picchu/ Cusco
• Lunch @ Hot Springs, Aguas Calientes
• Dinner @ Uchu Peruvian Steakhouse, Cusco
• Day 6 (Thur) - Cusco/ Maras
• Moray Inca Ruins, Maras (8.5/10)
• Salineras Salt Mines, Maras (10/10)
• Chinchero Village, Sacred Valley (10/10)
• McDonald's vs KFC Showdown, Cusco (8/10)
• Day 7 (Fri) - Cusco/ Lima
• Day 8 (Sat) - Lima/ Toronto

Related Posts

• Back to Peru

Peru Trip Review

Planning

• G Adventures Peru Itinerary

• Budget

Places (coming soon!)

• Lima

• Cusco

• Ollayamtambo

• Sacred Valley

• Patacancha Hike

• Aguas Caliente

• Machu Picchu

Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre Review, Quebec.

Beautiful catholic cathedral 30km east of Quebec City.

• Rating: 8/10
• Recommended time: 1 hour

We chanced across this gorgeous cathedral on our way from Quebec City to the Charlevoix region. This is a majestic cathedral in a small town, just 30 km east of Quebec City.

Inside the church, there is a display wall of crutches - which I thought was bizarre until I found out that the location has been credited by the Catholic Church with many miracles of curing the sick and disabled.

Personally, it's just bizarre for me to chance across this majestic cathedral in such a small town. What an unexpected surprise! That being said, I'm pretty sure that this is a well known tourist spot, as the church is filled with tour bus tourists. 

Related Posts

• Vieux (Old) Quebec City
• Things to do in Quebec City
• Things to do in the Charlevoix Region

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Review, La Malbaie, Quebec

Bottom Line

I love, love, love this place. It's a bit far out of the way, but if I have a week's vacation, I would make this trek and stay at this beautiful resort.

• Rating: 9/10

Overview

Address: 181 rue Richelieu, La Malbaie, Quebec. G5A 1X7
Website: Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

Review

What a nice hidden gem! Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu is probably one of the least known Fairmont (I for one don't know of its existence until my friend told me about it), and more lovely in comparison to its more popular sister Cheauteau Frontenac in Quebec City.

We visited the Manoir during one cold winter day, and boy was it cold (-30 degrees Celcius cold). The hotel is about a 20 minutes drive from our cottage, and majestically stood on a hill overlooking the St. Lawrence River. 

The beautiful ice skating rink allows guests to skate leisurely while overlooking the St.Lawrence River. There is even a small hut in the middle to allow guests to warm up those cold digits. How thoughtful!

During the summer months, guests can also hike along the various trails in the region.

Adjacent to the hotel is a casino, as well as a sports centre for the active ones. This is a beautiful hotel, and I wish we got the chance to stay here for a night.

Related Posts

• Things to do in Charlevoix Region
• Charlevoix Cottage Review
• Hotel la Ferme, Baie Saint Paul
• Explore other cities in Canada

Charlevoix Cottage Review, Quebec

Overview

We rented a cottage out at Charlevoix region. It was a bit of a treacherous drive from Quebec City, with lots of winding roads and steep slopes. I would not recommend when there is snow, and make sure you have snow tires.

Once we got there, the region is breathtakingly beautiful. Unlike in View Quebec City, tourists were few, and has a genuine Quebec feel.

We went grocery shopping on our way to the cottage, and cooked for the next few days. I definitely recommend going off the beaten path and visiting Charlevoix. I would love to return here during the summer months to see the difference.

The Drive

From Quebec CIty, the Charlevoix region is about a 1.5 - 2 hour drive east of Quebec City. Again, please ensure you have snow tires if taking this trek in the winter, and avoid driving during snow if possible. Some of the winding roads have a slope of 17 degrees. Safety first! I can imagine this being a beautiful drive in the summer however.

Bottom Line

Rating: 9/10

A must for those of us that are tired of visiting the same old Toronto- Montreal - Quebec City routine. 

Related Posts

• Hotel la Ferme, Baie Saint Paul
• Things to do in Charlevoix region
• Things to do in Quebec City
• Explore other cities in Canada

Vieux Quebec City Review

The Bottom Line

Crowded with tourists during high seasons, this is only worth visiting once. Explore other parts of Quebec if given the chance to get off the beaten path.

• Time: allow for 2 hours
• Rating: 6/10

Summary

Old Quebec (or Vieux Quebec) is a UNESCO world heritage site. We visited Old Quebec during the high christmas season, so unfortunately it was packed with tourists. I've been to Old Quebec during the low seasons, and I can tell you, it makes a BIG difference when it comes to your experience to go during low seasons when you can slowly wander around and absorb the atmosphere, versus high season when the area is flooded with tourists from tour buses.

Chateau Frontenac

Start at lovely Chateau Frontenac, then walk down the steps to the cobblestoned shopping area. A funicular is available, but if you are fit and can walk down the adjacent steps (just a few minutes of walking and a few flight of steps), I would recommend saving the money and walking down the steps.

I would skip the main street and go off towards the quieter side streets.

Related Posts

• Things to do in Quebec City
• Delta Quebec City
• Things to do in Montreal
• Explore other cities in Canada

Delta Quebec City, Quebec City

Overview

We stayed at the Delta Quebec during our one night stay at Quebec City, and it sure was a pleasant stay. Located within walking distance to Old Quebec City, it is in a good location as well. 

Room

The rooms on the lower floors were newly renovated, clean, and spacious. Ask for a corner suite in the lower floors.

Bottom Line

Great location, great value, comfortable rooms - ask for renovated rooms on the lower floors. (9.5/10)

Related posts:

• Things to do in Quebec City
• Things to do in Montreal