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Carnaval!By Robert PainterNo, not Rio or New Orleans. Would you believe Quebec in the middle of winter? Can you imagine a hotel made of ice? Have you ever seen sculptures carved out of giant blocks of snow? How about rosy cheeked little children bundled up so much that they look like turtles if they tumble over on their backs and can’t get up? Can you imagine a giant snowman as the beloved symbol of this annual extravaganza?
I began my adventure in Quebec City late in the evening thanks to a couple of weather delays en route to Canada. After checking into the Hilton I went up to my room and discovered a terrific view of the Parliament building across the street and a view of the ever changing colors of Mr. Bonhomme’s Ice Palace in the next block. In the morning I discover that I am within walking distance of almost everything I want to visit on this trip. I’m in Quebec City the day before the Carnaval begins so that I can walk around and see other sights as well as have an opportunity to view some of the preparations for the Carnaval. It’s worth a couple of dollars to take the ferry across the St. Lawrence River and back to get another view of the city. Just cruising through the ice covered water is exciting. There is a choice of staying on the outside deck or moving inside for the warmth. I chose to alternate between the two. Photos on the outside and hot cocoa on the inside! Back on shore it’s time for an orientation walk around the
city. First, the lower part. For the shopper’s there are plenty of quaint
little boutiques and restaurants. Here you will find the Rue Petit-Champlain,
North America’s oldest shopping street. You can buy anything here from kitschy
souvenirs to fabulous furs and jewelry.
Old Quebec is a walled city with fortifications built at this relatively narrow part of the St. Lawrence River beginning almost 400 years ago. You will find winding streets and town squares in this proclaimed “cradle of French civilization in America.” Quebec prides itself as a gourmet destination. And for good reason. The fine French cuisine, hearty Quebec country meat pies and stews as well as a large selection of ethnic restaurants warrants this pride. The best part of beginning each day here consists of sampling the crepes in maple syrup. They must be the mainstay of every hotel and restaurant in the city. They are unquestionably delicious! A particular delight at Carnaval - and any time there is snow to be found - is the custom of making tire d’erable, a maple taffy made by pouring hot syrup onto fresh white snow that has been smoothed onto a long board or trough. As the syrup hardens you simply dip a large wooden popsicle type stick into the end and roll the syrup onto the stick. Of course, you can frost it with a bit of clean white snow to top it off. What a treat!
Across the street from the Palace is the main entrance to Carnaval. Inside the gates are the seemingly endless variety of activities to enjoy. Because this event continues over a period of three weeks you probably won’t get to see everything, but every moment you are there you will find plenty to do. I really enjoyed the snow slides and snow rafting. The slides are run sitting on tubes (like auto inner tubes, but a bit larger and sturdier) and the rafting is done in what appear to be white water rafts. These are great fun with a friendly group, especially when you go over the humps and bumps. Another favorite is the Giant Table-Soccer Game. Think foosball with humans. Nine players on a team in alternating rows of three. Each is anchored to a side to side movable rod. The object is to kick the ball (you can’t touch it with your hands) through the opponent’s goal. Everybody cheers and shouts and it can get a bit rough - especially the kicking part. A word to the wise - protect your shins! There are dog agility competitions at all levels, sleigh rides, canoe races, snow sculpting competitions (both amateur and professional), skiing lessons for the little guys, and even a sugar shack for the sweet tooth.
I don’t have room to mention all the activities that take place during Carnaval so I’ll add the website at the end of this story for you to discover even more for yourself.
The structure is stunning. When the light shines through the ice walls or the fire glows through the ice columns there is a spectacular kaleidoscope of color that you won’t see anywhere else in the world. Except maybe in the other ice hotel located in Sweden. The art in the galleries is framed in snow and the art itself is under ice instead of glass. The ice carvings are elaborate as are some of the snow carvings in the walls of many of the suites. Even the beds are often elaborately carved from blocks of ice. And, to answer your next question, the room temperature is around -5 degrees celsius overnight. But the provided sleeping bags are good to -40 degrees. As a matter of fact I had to remove part of the bag and unzip mine when I got too warm in the middle of the night. I had been warned that this might happen, but was a little skeptical. But, now I know better. Because the Carnaval lasts only three weeks and you may not be able to arrange your time to fit, let me tell you about something else of importance in the area. About 30 minutes outside of Quebec City is a place called Valcartier Vacation Village that has been around for more than 40 years. It’s a year round destination with the largest waterpark in Canada and the largest winter playground in America. It has all the rafting and tubing of Carnaval, plus an additional high accelerating slide called Everest which will really give you a thrill if you have the courage to take the drop. There are 42 inner tube and carpet slides including a high speed section with very long slopes, appropriately named The Himalaya! And not to be missed is a ride in a Tornado - a round raft that swirls down the hill at a dizzying pace. In the summer there are 32 water slides, rafting on the Jadques-Cartier river and an ultra-modern 700 site campground, beside the water park. All in all an outstanding family destination on its own. Anytime is a good time to visit Quebec City - a European experience in America! When You Go: Quebec City Tourism: www.quebecregion.com. For all the latest information on events and things to do in Quebec City. Quebec City’s 400th Anniversary Celebration in 2008: http://www.quebec400.qc.ca/en/. http://www.quebec400.qc.ca. Lots of exciting events are scheduled. Quebec’s Ice Hotel: www.icehotel-canada.com. Valcartier Village Vacances: http://www.valcartier.com/ Hilton Quebec: http://www.hiltonquebec.com/ Aux Anciens Canadiens: www.auxancienscanadiens.qc.ca. If you visit in summer and have a bit more time click on www.sepaq.com for extensive, detailed information on the Quebec Parks. Photos by Robert Painter |
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Well, there is a hotel of ice. One of only two in the
world. And not only are there snow sculptures at the Carnaval, but also ice
sculptures all over the lower level of Old Quebec. The delightful little
bundles of infants and children are pulled around on little plastic sleds and
carts. And Bonhomme Carnaval, the giant snowman seems to pop up at every
venue much to the delight of youngsters and oldsters alike.
And when you’ve toured this part of
town you can ride the funicular up to the higher part where you’ll arrive
directly in front of the fabulous Fairmont Chateau Frontenac, the most visible
and most easily recognizable landmark in Old Quebec. >From here you can venture
along the river front promenade, past the Frontenac, around the Citadelle and
into Battlefield Park, also known as the Plains of Abraham. Beside the
Frontenac you may find the special snow slide. Or, you can explore the upper
part of Old Quebec - all inside the walls - where you will find more shopping
and fine restaurants, including Aux Anciens Canadiens located in the oldest
house in Quebec (1675).
There is much to do at Carnaval. I began at the dog sled
races through the streets of Old Quebec ( they hauled in snow for this event and
laid a track on the streets for the dogs). Everyone in Quebec must come to
watch this event. The walkways were packed and great cheers were given for
every dog team. These dogs love to run and were exciting to watch.
After the races my next visit was to Bonhomme’s Palace,
made entirely of Ice. This is a fitting residence for Bonhomme - he won’t melt
away here. This structure is different every year and is a big draw with ever
changing colorful lights and music until 11 pm every night during Carnaval.
Within
a special section just for kids you’ll find a clown, stage shows, and many
children only events. Even a large enclosed tent full of games, puzzles
and free samples of Kraft cookies and milk. Adults are welcome to help
themselves to the cookies, too.
I do want to tell you about the fabulous Hotel de Glace.
The Ice Hotel opens in mid January and melts away in early April. There are 34
rooms and suites with a capacity of about 84 people per night. Imagine 15,000
tons of snow and 500 tons of ice to form a 30,000 square ft. hotel with 18 ft.
ceilings. Two art galleries, a chapel, fireplaces, the N’Ice Club (bar and
reception area) and the Absolut Ice Bar. My suite had bedside tables, a dressing
table, benches and chairs - all made from blocks of ice.