We have crisscrossed Canada several times now, but haven't visited Quebec City 
Bryan and Madonna, muses
for several years. This year we coordinated travel plans with our older son Bryan and his wife Madonna, and spent five lively days in this exciting city. We started with discovering the walls around much of the city, and soon found ourselves walking here and there, enjoying all of the different sights in a city where much of the energy is devoted to tourism, with a healthy seasoning of historic appreciation.
There are, of course, statues everywhere. Famous Canadians with names absolutely unknown to Americans, mingle with statues celebrating literary and historic figures. The weather was ideal: crisp sunny mornings followed by warmer 
Street entertainers
afternoons, with only a small number of showers during our visit. We were in Quebec City at an ideal time -- after the high summer tourist rush and before the full onset of bus and cruise ship tours hunting autumn colors. Most of the seasonal attractions were still open although winding down, with shorter hours and some attached exhibits closed. The obvious places (for example, the Hotel Frontenac) still were crowded with all of the tourists who had read the guidebooks telling them to walk through the lobbies. We encountered one gentleman at an entrance who told us that he was staying there. It was, he said, an excellent hotel. Then he added, looking carefully at us, there are many parts of it that you can see even though you are not a guest here.
We walked into the Frontenac, where Bryan and Donna treated us to high tea. 
Huron tour guide
It was delicious, a special treat because of all of the accompanying details like specially cut little sandwiches and the three-layer serving tray and the tea menu where we each chose the variety of tea we wanted. We liked seeing the over-the-top shop windows where mannequins were dressed in strange ways.
We enjoyed a great variety of delicious food, thanks to the French tradition of excellent cuisine. We had one breakfast at a creperie decorated with a Breton wooden shoe and a waitress sporting a beautiful lace headdress. On our outing to 
Francophone fashion art
L'isle d'Orleans, the large island in the St. Lawrence outside of Quebec City, we found lunch at The Relais des Pins where we were served French Canadian foods -- pea soup, potatoes, meat pie, ham, baked beans-- with lots and lots of maple syrup. And while we ate, the musician by the fireplace played his accordion while anybody who wanted had a clapper to thump in accompaniment.
We shopped, checking out souvenirs and treats of various kinds. On our island drive we sampled wines, including ice wine, and looked at the cider distillery, and enjoyed tasting various black current products. The cheeses were delicious and there were apples and pumpkins everywhere. It was Sunday and so Quebecois families were visiting the farms and the many pick-it-yourself orchards.
One day we visited the local museum of the Huron Indians, who were almost 
Mother and son take a rest
destroyed by the British settlers and the diseases and wars they had brought with them. Lately the Hurons are recovering and have created a worthwhile reconstructed village including a long house built of birchbark. Our guide has devoted himself to helping make this village grow and prosper, and had interesting stories to tell.
We grew tired each day hours earlier than the younger generation, who found all kinds of different activities, including the film festival in which pop-up theaters had been set up to show films which were mostly in French. At least one such theater was made of shipping containers, apparently quite successfully.
The museum of the Francophone (French-speaking) gave a good introduction to 
Falls of the Chaudiere
the history of the province with videos and other interactive displays. We visited a former jail which became the first English-language library in Quebec City, now a historical location. Learning at the same time about prisoners and books is unusual.
Wanting to do something outside the town walls, we drove to The Falls of the Chaudiere River, which has a spectacular suspended bridge to be enjoyed by those who are not put off by heights. There are many such parks in Canada, where Hydro Canada has domesticated rivers to provide power; these waterfalls, even at the end of summer, were quite lovely.
On the final day we spent several hours at the Museum of Fine Arts, admiring the building, enjoying the variety of exhibits but most of all, once again sharing an excellent feast in the museum lunch room. We finished our meal with profiteroles, gorging ourselves with whipped cream and berries and thinking, as we did after just about ever meal, that this was the best food yet.
It seems like an excellent way to appreciate a new location to explore.