One of my favorite places on the planet is the province of Quebec in Canada.
No matter what the season, its beauty, hospitality, fine food and accommodations make for the perfect weekend getaway — or hopefully longer.
In the summer, it’s all about festivals.
One of the newest ones is the 2007 SAQ New France Festival, August 1-5 in Quebec City.
Its 13 venues present shows, parades, conferences and of course, live entertainment. More than 1,000 events are planned featuring 200 artists, along with 30,000 costumed visitors.
One of my favorite Quebec City hotels is located in the Old Port at Basse-Ville (Lower Town). Auberge Saint-Antoine got its start as an early 1800s maritime warehouse, and today it’s a lovely 94-room boutique hotel, facing the St. Lawrence River and right next door to the Musee de la Civilisation.
The rooms feature luxury linens, goose down duvet and pillows, “We Live Like This” amenities, bathrobes, large windows that open and free, high-speed Internet access.
Cafe Artefact and Panache are on site, serving New Quebecois cuisine in lovely settings. There’s even a small cinema in the hotel.
August has been declared as Archeo Month at the auberge. Evan Price, co-owner of the hotel, will share the history of the archaeological digs that uncovered more than 700 artifacts that are on display throughout the hotel. Complimentary hour-long tours will be given on August 12 and 19 at 1 PM and 2:30 PM.
Auberge Saint-Antoine
8 rue St-Antoine, Quebec City
888.692.2211
www.saint-antoine.com
Member of Relas & Chateaux
Conde Nast Gold List 2007 : World’s Best Places to Stay
Rates: $159-$549 CDN
The Auberge Saint-Antoine is located near Quartier Petit Champlain, the oldest commercial district in North America.