Easter with the Cousins

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We had been excitedly awaiting the visit for Easter by Karen, Laurel and boys. They were to fly in Wednesday night and fly out Tuesday after Easter. Unfortunately we had a huge spring snow storm in the Quebec City area on Wednesday and they got stuck in Toronto overnight. Our boys were very disappointed but at least they were put up in an nice hotel by Westjet and brought in on a special flight Thursday morning. Poor Eric ended up sick that evening in Toronto so probably best he didn't have to fly again that evening. The storm dropped almost a foot and half of snow on us, so it certainly wasn't very spring like when they arrived. As the weekend progressed we got quite a bit of rain on Saturday and warm on the other days so most of it was back melted by the time they left. Maybe spring can finally come now!

We didn't really have space at our house for all 4 of them and given the time change our boys are up way to early for theirs, so they rented a little cabin down the road at Lac Sept Iles. This is the lake we had gone skating on in the winter. the Manoir du Lac Sept Iles has separate cabins as well as rooms in the inn. It was a beautiful little cabin right on the lake with an outdoor hot tub. We all enjoyed the hot tub inthe evenings. Marc thought that the bunk beds in Eric's room were pretty cool and wants us to rent it one night!

On Friday we went in to Old Quebec to tour around. It was a beautiful sunny day. The boys enjoyed the old city, especially playing around the cannons. They had a great snowball fight with the dads in the one cannon outlook. We rode the Funicular, the inclinded glassed elevator down from the Chateau Frontenac to the lower town (Quartier de Petit Champlain). We decided to try a beaver tail with the boys. We hadn't had one yet since we had been waiting to have them in Ottawa (birthplace of the beaver tail), but this was the only chance for Aiden and Eric to try them. They were as yummy as I remember them as kids.

Saturday was supposed to be our day to go to the sugar shack, but Aiden woke up sick so we postponed. It turned out to be a very rainy day so the other 3 boys had a great time just playing together at our house and Aiden and Laurel hung out at the cabin.

By Easter morning Aiden was back well. The Easter bunny sent Aiden and Eric to our house for the hunt. Aiden was paired with Marc and Eric with Paul. They had a great time. Laurel was impressed that the bunny was able to find so many hiding spots in such a tiny house. Marc carried his own treat bag for awhile and then decided that Uncle Laurel should be his official carrier. It's always good to have help. That afternoon to wear off the sugar shack food, we headed up to Riviere St. Pierre to see the Chute de Marmite. The falls were high, but not nearly as much as when they were in flood this fall and winter. By late afternoon Marc was starting to feel sick so he spent most of the afternoon and the evening on the couch or in bed. Karen also got sick by late afternoon so she also didn't join us for Easter dinner. Instead of having our traditional easter desserts, we had a version of Quebec sugar pie that Claude called "pettes de soeur" or Nun farts, as the little swirls of pastry and maple in the pie are the same as a dessert he had as a kid by the same name. The boys loved the name, and the dessert itself. I made mom's traditional devilled egg easter chicks, and we cooked up two goose in our infrared cooker, and had the last of the squash that we picked this fall. It was a stuffed Turban squash. A yummy meal.

By Monday everyone seemed to be well. It was finally time to take the cousins to the sugar shack. We went to a different local one, Mart-L, near Pont Rouge. It was good food like the others and they had live singing too. The boys liked the tire on the snow at the end. They also did sleigh rides. From there we went to Pont Rouge to play on the playground and wear off brunch. And since we had such a shortage of sweets already this weekend 😊 , we went to St.Catherine for ice cream. If you are in Quebec in ice cream season, you have to try the soft ice cream dipped in dark belgian chocolate. It just doesn't get any better! And for all the ones we have tried in the area, Marcotte in St,Catherine's is the best. All the boys seemed to agree.

Tuesday morning Paul woke up sick. He didn't even want to get off the couch to play Wii with the boys. Now everyone but Claude and I had had the flu. Luckily we managed to miss it even after they left. It was a s fast visit as they packed up to head home Tuesday evening, but it sure was fun to have them for a visit and to be able to share our little world with them. The boys loved the chance to play with their cousins once again.

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Photos

View of the funicular from below
The inclined tram is an easy way to get from top of the hill to the Petit Champlain district

overlooking mural in Old Quebec
Such a cool mural. In the photo it almost looks real.

Cabin on Lac Sept Isles that Karen, Laurel and boys stayed at
It was a very picturesque setting and a beautifully decorated cabin inside.

Eating "Pettes de soeur" pie (Nun fart pie).
I think the official name is tourbillons tarte, but claude said growing up the little swirls of pastry were called pettes de soeur (not sure of the spelling)

Chocolate fish
Quebec had many really unique shapes of chocolate for Easter. the fish was almost a foot long.

Easter dinner
Marc and Karen both missed dinner as this was their day to be sick

Boilhouse at the sugar shack
old fashioned sled for collecting syrup in front of it.

Comments

[Diane Lebel]

so jealous
Seeing those pictures i am so jealous of things you got to eat the beaver tail and the nun farts those are my two favourites lol

[Tracyandboys]

Yes, and if you didn't know better, neither one sounds like a very yummy dessert based on its name!