Tis Me Michelle

My first fully solo trip is in the books. In the past I’ve broken away from the group or had maybe a day on my own, but this was the actual first trip I planned solo. I was itching for a quick trip. When I mean quick, I mean real quick. A Thursday or Friday to Sunday type trip. Being that I still operate with minimal to no PTO, I opted for Friday to Sunday.

After going back and forth between a few places, I had to eliminate the west coast due to the travel time. I even considered another London trip, which I may consider for a future weekend trip since there were direct flights. Also the price wasn’t so bad considering how expensive places in the US were. I landed on the next closest place, well Mexico would have been close, but I was recommended against a solo trip there. So Canada it was. Quebec to be specific. I remember it from my French class days, but no I still don’t know any French, it would have come in handy though. It looked super cute and as European as I could find without actually going there.

For a first foray into solo travel it was a good spot in terms of safety. I stayed right in the heart of Old Quebec City, and for the most part it was a very quiet little city. The sun set way too early and was dark by like 4:30PM. Even for it being dark and quiet, I felt very safe. The Canadians proved the stereotype of being very nice to be true. Pretty much everyone I encountered was very friendly and accommodating to my lack of French speaking abilities.

When I landed, the very attractive security men who were asking about my stay were a) Confused why I was visiting Quebec City and b) Why it was such a short visit. Now I kind of understand their confusion on a) but considering QC was my only destination b) was the right move. Within the first night I felt like I walked the entirety of the old city. The only problem being the stores were already closed and aside from a couple streets, it was dark, so didn’t feel like much.

That first evening I walked around a bit over to a fancy dinner spot I saw highly recommended, Chez Rioux et Pettigrew. This was one of those moments I had a stark realization of how awkward I am. My bartender was good at his job and good to look at. But after a bit of chatter I felt awkward to keep staring at him make drinks, as entertaining as it was. I took out my Kindle and that closed off any more conversation. The dinner itself was good, nothing overly exciting, the cocktails were fantastic. Things were generally expensive in QC, but these were probably the only drinks I thought matched the price point. After that I popped over to a cute, moody speakeasy called Justine. A cool vibe, but too dark for me to bring out my Kindle. So I enjoyed my drink, but this was not as fun alone. Same with my last stop at the end of the night, an Irish pub right next to my hotel. I love me an Irish pub, but I don’t actually like drinking alone. So both of those stops were a bit lackluster.

I woke up early the next day so that I could take advantage of the daylight. I’m glad I did because I appreciated the beauty of the old city so much more. The architecture is very European and charming. I booked a bus tour which took us around the city and over to Montmorency Falls. The bus tour was okay, we basically drove around the area I’d already seen by foot, plus a couple extra spots. Then we went to the falls. Online I saw there was a bridge right over the falls. I had psyched myself up to conquer a fear, just to find out it was not included. The waterfall was beautiful, the lighting was fantastic for photos and there was even a lovely rainbow. I’m glad I went, but maybe should have planned it for myself so I could do the whole enchilada.

After the tour I wanted to try a coffee shop my bartender from Justine the night before recommended. It was located by the art museum, so I thought that would be the plan. For once, I wasn’t in the mood to go to an art museum or any museum. I looked up the coffee shop, Cafe Olive, on Insta and saw it was opening day of their second location right by the area I was already in. I went there instead and took a minute to chill. The cafe had an industrial lux vibe going and the menu was no fuss. I got a cappuccino and cardamom bun. We need to make cardamom buns a thing in the US. I saw them all over London and now at this coffee shop, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the States. Anyways, the coffee, like the menu was simple and solid. The bun was absolutely wonderful. Soft and fluffy, buttery and with an actually strong cardamom flavor. They did not play. Sometimes cardamom can be faint but I could see the specs. I almost got one to go. Clearly this was a highlight of the trip. I enjoyed my afternoon pick me up but was at a loss on where to go next.

Ultimately I ran of things to do… All I had bookmarked were more restaurants and bars. As much of a foodie, coffee and drink connoisseur as I am, there’s only so much I can consume. If I had come a couple weeks later, the Christmas markets would have been open and probably some more activities. I went for a walk up the street I was staying on cause I’d seen articles that there were a bunch of good stores (and restaurants). I walked for a bit but nothing was really calling out to me aside from one book store I stopped in. I got me a tiny plate of poutine before I headed to my room for a bit.

As someone who doesn’t mind doing things alone, I felt rather lonely on this trip. There was a random disco night out by the Place Royale. I stopped by and left.. It’s not really a setup to meet people, and not fun alone. I took a bus to another part of town for my next foodie adventure. A Vietnamese spot, Chez Tao, that was small with a lot of character. I had a drink and pork bao buns. Similar to my first dinner, good drinks, okay food, and again really nice servers. The place was really busy, and seemed to cater to both locals and tourists. Since it was busy I decided to head out. There was another speakeasy spot that I had bookmarked and came recommended, a short walk away. Made the mistake of not making a reservation so I was turned away. Instead I went to Le Bijou bar at the hotel across the street from my hotel. The drink I had was alright, but nothing unique. Honestly this place wasn’t my vibe, kind of like a place hoping to be an Instagram/TikTok hot spot. There was a jazz bar I had found close by I was hoping to go to, but it only opened at 8pm, and I was struggling to kill the time. I ended up going back to the room to relax a bit. I found an interesting Canadian procedural with a German shepherd as a main character. This was not an animated show. I’ll be looking up to keep watching.

Eight o’clock I went to the jazz bar. It was a tiny spot, and it was full. This was the first place where the hosts weren’t very warm or welcoming. I found out the music was only starting even later and didn’t want any more to drink. I figured the universe was telling me my night was over. I left, grabbed a snack then headed back to the hotel and enjoyed another Canadian procedural with Brandon from Beverly Hills, 90210.

I am glad the trip was as short as it was, because I really don’t know how I would have spent any more time. If I had more time I would have probably tried to fit in another city. QC may actually be better suited as a day-ish trip from one of the other major cities. It was the right option for a super quick trip. Maybe it would have been more fun with someone, but I think the fact there just wasn’t a whole lot to do would have still have been the case.

The sense of loneliness did hit harder than I thought. I do have a freedom to do what I want almost whenever I want, which I love and know others don’t have that luxury. But there were moments I simply wished I had a freaking cute man to do cute things with. All things considered, I’m not deterred from doing more solo tripping. Til I find that man, I’m more than happy to take myself out on adventures. And listen, the last few weeks have been a lot, so that could have played into my overall mood. I saw some pretty places, had some good meals, and got a mental break to relax. Sounds like a success.