Jack got up early to go for a run (in the rain). Show off!
The girls and I woke up in a more leisurely manner and got ourselves going by around 11 local time. After greeting Daphnie, the mascot of Chateau Frontenac, we went out in search of caffeine and carbs! Goodbye ketosis; hello croissants!
We stopped first at the 3rd wave coffee joint called Cantook . (According to Wikipedia, "the third wave of coffee is a movement to produce high-quality coffee, and consider coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, like wine, rather than a commodity.") The earnest and bespectackled hipsters who run the place would look very at home on Valencia Street in San Francisco! And, although I was very tired, this was quite possibly THE BEST CUP OF COFFEE I'VE EVER HAD! You'd better watch out, Timmy!! The resident roaster at Cantook, Simon, generously sat down with us and gave us lots of great tips on visiting Quebec City including the restaurant where we had dinner tonight; Pizza Nina.
Then we stopped at Le Paingruel for their famous citrus croissant, among other snacks then on to the Quebec Aquarium which was underwhelming after the Shed Aquarium in Chicago but perfectly enjoyable for the kids. We most enjoyed the baby walruses and the Aire du Jeux (a ropes course that was just the right amount of challenging/dangerous).
After arriving back at the hotel, we took the kids for a dip in the hotel pool and then off to Pizza Nina for dinner, The food was great and the service felt very French. Friendly and completely Unrushed. Normally I enjoy the chance to linger over my aperitif but, dining with 3 hungry kids puts the passage of time into quite sharp focus! 20 minutes to order, another 40 to get our pizzas. Natalie was so over it that she fell asleep *on* the table. We were prepared for the worst but she woke up hungry and in surprisingly good spirits. We wrapped things up with a Nutella pizza. A cherry on top of a sundae of a day!
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