Quebec City might not traditionally top client bucket lists, but Andrew Doherty discovers a Canadian gem with more than enough credentials to earn its place.
As my coach rumbles across the outskirts of Quebec City I can’t help but think, what did the French explorer Samuel Champlain think when he first laid eyes on the grandeur of this landscape in 1608?
Sailing his ship down the Saint Lawrence, he must have gazed across the wilds with both intrepidation and fear.
The jagged cliffs towering hundreds of meters above the water, trees stripped of their foliage because of the cold, and the smoke from the villages of the native Huron people thick and black in the distance.
Canada, originating from the Huron-Iroquois word Kanata; meaning land of many long houses, is both imposing and impressive.
There is a buzz of excitement on the bus; our guide has just mentioned that we will have a chance to sample the local’s favourite alcoholic drink. It’s minus one outside and a little warm-up is certainly welcomed.