The Most Romantic Victorian Hotel in Quebec City

Exhibition – From April 22nd to April 4th 2010

The theme of death in Ancient Egypt is treated in a particular manner through the discovery of mummies and funeral tombs, funerary rituals, mommification and the recent archeological search…

This exceptional and magnificent exhibition unveils much information about the Ancient Egyptians’s belief in the afterlife, the process of mummification and the eternal resting place, the tomb.  This exceptional and magnificent exhibition unveils much information about the Ancient Egyptians’s belief in the afterlife, the process of mummification and the eternal resting place, the tomb.

Some 225 fabulous artefacts are presented as well as an authentic reproduction of Sennedjem’s funerary chamber.  The exhibition is also the opportunity to show one of the most treasured actefact from one of the Musée de la civilisation’s collections – the Séminaire de Québec Foundation –  the 3 500 years old Nen-Oun-Ef’s mummy which was scanned for the purpose of the exhibition and the results are displayed.

February 9 to April 18, 2010

Taking off in the 1960s, Barbie became a model of refinement for millions of girls around the globe. Elegant suits inspired by Balanciaga, splendid Balmain-style sheath dresses, sumptuous evening gowns à la Dior. Between 1959 and 1966, the famous doll dazzled the world with her chic, wide-ranging wardrobe.
The exhibition is arranged around seven themes sure to bring back happy childhood memories: Barbie’s Closet, Shopping, Suits, Cocktail Dresses, The Photo Shoot, Ball Gowns and Evening Dresses, and The Collector.
Always a trend-setter, this iconic figure has influenced fashion for more than 50 years. Barbie and Fashion. 1959-1966 features some of her most memorable looks in a playful complement to the exhibition The Golden Age of Couture. Paris and London 1947-1957.

QUICK FACT: SINCE 1959, 105 MILLION YARDS OF FABRIC HAVE GONE INTO MAKING BARBIE AND FRIENDS’ FASHIONS, MAKING MATTEL ONE THE LARGEST APPAREL MANUFACTURERS IN THE WORLD!

Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec

Parc des Champs-de-Batailles, Québec

418 643-2150

1 866 220-2150

Until April 25 2010

Golden Age of Couture : Paris and London, 1947-1957

This winter, Dior, Balenciaga, Fath and a number of other designers have a date with the Musée! Splendid gowns, period footwear, and all manner of accessories await you at this exhibition dedicated to haute couture. Come admire more than 250 original creations and marvel at the finesse of the work of these icons in the history of fashion. An exhibition produced in collaboration with the world’s greatest museum of art and design, the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London, England. Don’t miss this spectacular opportunity!

ORGANIZED BY THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON, ENGLAND

Evening dress (robe grand soir), Cristóbal Balenciaga. About 1955. Given by Miss Caroline oombe, V&A

Evening dress, Pierre Balmain. About 1950. Silk organza with ostrich feathers, sequins and rhinestones, lined with silk, silk tulle and a stiff nylon petticoat. Worn by the Hon. Mrs Pleydell-Bouverie and given by Miss Karslake, V&A

Shoe. Late 1950s. Satin embroidered with beads and silk and metal thread. Given by Roger Vivier, V&A

Evening dress and stole, Charles Frederick Worth, Late 1950s. V&A

Winter left us one month early, this year.  Gone the snow, the cold weather, hats and mits!  Bears come out of their dens, Quebecers take down winter carports and scour their BBQ.  No doubt, Spring has arrived to warm up bodies and souls.  After long Winter months, Quebecers, with renewed energy, are out to enjoy the warmth of the sun.  Getting ready for seasonal chores to come, they frantically run to garden centres, hardware stores, boutiques, but also take a ‘springbreak’ by visiting a Museum and sometimes the day ends in a good restaurant!  There is always a good reason to celebrate in Québec, and Spring is one of them!

This Spring in Québec, it is…

The joys of sugar time…

As soon as thawing begins, maple sap starts to rise and it is time to meet at the sugar shack to taste maple syrup and old-time food in a rustic and warm de crisse’, maple taffy on the snow and maple syrup desserts, delicious…

The history of maple syrup in Quebec

One thousand seven hundred (1700): It was the method used by our ancestors.  They carved the inside of a half log to fabricate a container.  With a branch of cedar tree, they builded a tube to recuperate the water (spout).  The water was poured in the wood container, at the bottom of the tree.  When the log was full, they poured the water in a cauldron of cast-iron.  They boiled outside, in the wood. To avoid wind and rain, they built a little camp.

One thousand eight hundred fifty (1850): The sugar shack arrived as we know it today.  We improved the method in recuperating the maple water.  We builded wood pail (bucket) and little spout.  We poured the water in large barrel that the horses or the bulls carried to the sugar shack.  At this time, the maple sugar was the only available sugar, so we call it the “country sugar�.

One thousand nine hundred fifteen (1915):  The metal was introduced.  At this time, we began to build metalic pails, spouts and evaporator.  This method is still used today for those who own one thousand maples or less. It is a party in spring, all the family take part to make the maple syrup. For those who own a lot of trees, the method used is the tubulure (pipe).  Every tree is notched and connected at a pipe to the main pipe which carry the water directly to the boiler.

The maple tree is knotched when it reaches twenty-five years old.  It will produce one liter of maple syrup during the spring time.  The maple tree could live up to two hundred fifty years.. At the end of the season, we take out the spout.  The tree healed by himself and the next year we drill a new hole to start the process again.

The products made with the maple water are:

• The maple syrup, delicious on pancakes.
• The maple taffy on the snow, it is hot maple syrup that we pour on the snow and with a little stick we do a candy.
• The maple butter, it is maple syrup whipp untill it’s become creamy.
• The soft sugar, we make candy out of it.
• The hard sugar.
• The granulated sugar.

The maple sugar still good for five years and more.  When it is open, put it in the refrigerator and it still good for two years.

For us, quebecers, it is a tradition to go to the sugar shack on spring time, drink “caribou� and eat a good meal.  The caribou is an animal but it is also a mix of wine and alcohol who put you in the ambiance in a short time.  The meal, also called “Sugar time feast�  is compose of the pea soup, ham, omelet, pork beans, the “oreilles de crisse� (salted back bacon), meat pie, very good with the fruit ketchup, and potatoes.  For desert, the pancakes served with maple syrup.  It is served family style, they bring big plates on the table and we served ourselves as we wish.

If action is your thing, imagine a skating race along some of the city’s steepest streets with a breakneck descent that would make even the most hardened daredevils think twice. Welcome to the Red Bull Crashed Ice extreme skating competition in fabulous Old Québec!

Sharpen your blades, Red Bull Crashed Ice is back. A combination of downhill skiing, hockey and boardercross, Red Bull Crashed Ice will return to the historic district of Old Québec at the end of March 2010. Last year, over 90,000 screaming fans lined the cobblestone streets as they watched 80 participants soar down the icy course.

The one-of-a-kind 550-meter urban ice track (with a 56-meter vertical drop) will wind and dive its way through the city’s historic heart. But there won’t be any time for racers to stop and taste the maple taffy as they navigate the course’s massive vertical drops, razor-sharp turns, jumps and steps, all at speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour.

To enhance your winter, for the romantic break you deserve

From January 30th to May 15th, 2010:

• Book two nights and get a third one at half price
• 5 Choices breakfast menu, included

Prices:

For toll-free reservations, call 1-800-461-1311 Canada/USA, or click on “Reserve this package”

St-Valentine’s Day

St-Valentine’s Day is for lovers from all over the world, as love has no frontier! In Italy, small breads called “Baci perugini” are sold, they represent a lovers tradition. In England, lovers exchange symbolic paper hearts for flowers. In North America, chocolates are offered, the sweetheart invited to the restaurant and a visit to Québec is planned. The many ways to say “I love you” vary from country to country, in Québec, we say “je t’aime” in many languages.

	En Allemand : Ich liebe diche			En Créole : En ka emé ou
	En Anglais : I love you			En Français : Je t’aime
	En Chinois : Wo ai ni			En Espagnol : Te quiero
	En Japonais : Kimi o ai shiteru			En Grèque : S’agapo
	En Portugais : Eu te amo			En Italien : Ti amo

To say “Je t’aime” in the most romantic city in the world, Québec, in the most romantic hotel of this City, will make this special day one of the most memorable of the year.

St.Valentine’s Day coincides with the last weekend of the Carnaval de Québec, take a break at an affordable price, and offer your loved one a most exciting weekend.

Québec City offers outstanding snow conditions for your favorite gliding sports!

Hit the slopes at Mont-Sainte-Anne, one of eastern North America’s premium winter resorts and the host of numerous international competitions. With its spectacular St. Lawrence River views, the mountain boasts runs for skiers and riders of all stripes, as well as an impressive snowpark.

Ski three mountains and stretch the fun until late into the evening at Stoneham Mountain Resort, the biggest night skiing resort in Canada! Check out the popular après-ski scene and the hot tubs just outside the bar!

And Le Relais Ski Resort is tops for family fun with its snowparks and illuminated runs.

I love Winter. this blessed time of the year when nature is quiet, when silence promotes meditation. I love to walk when the snow crunches under my feet and snow flakes fall gently like stars upon us; I love winter activities, the warmth of the fireplace and hot chocolate! But, what I appreciate most is a big winter storm when secure in this comfortable and warm big house, with a good book to read or, even better, snuggled with my loved one.

I wish to share with you all the beauties of Winter and the activities that make Québec the ideal place to appreciate this great season.

The season starts with the greatest Winter Carnival in the world

From January 28 to Febuary 15, 2010

Come discover the world’s biggest winter carnival in the very heart of Québec City. Snow bath, parades, winter slides, giant soccer game, shows, snow sculptures, sleigh rides, ice palace and skating are just a few of the fun activities on the program for the Carnival’s 56th edition