Arrive To: Arrivals and independent transfers to the program hotel after 3:00 pm. Please note that rooms are not generally available until mid to late afternoon.

Dinner: Dinner at the program hotel is at 6:00 pm.

Evening: INTRODUCTIONS: You will meet for introductions, a review of the program and site orientation. PRESENTATION: Québec, World Heritage City - A power point presentation and lecture will give you an excellent overview of Québec City. Relive the dramatic history of Canada's oldest city founded in 1608 by the intrepid Samuel de Champlain. Historic images and pertinent commentaries will provide a summary of noteworthy events and notorious characters that have shaped the illustrious history of this World Heritage City.

Lodging: Hotel Manoir Victoria

Meals Included: Dinner

From a Traditional to a Modern Society/Good Shepherd Museum/Musée de la Civilisation/Festive Evening Bus Excursion through the Old City

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: LECTURE: From a Traditional to a Modern Society - From its foundation in 1608 Quebec has developed under the ascendancy of the Roman Catholic Church. For much of its history the Church was omnipresent and omnipotent in French Canadian society but the period of the 1960s also known as the "Quiet Revolution" will mark a radical change where Quebec will develop into a modern and a secular society. Today, Quebec is a collectivity that has assumed itself and developed a self-identity. FIELD TRIP: Good Shepherd Museum - During a guided visit participants will discover, through the history of the Congregation and its mission, the role of religious communities in the development of Québec society. More specifically, they will discover important aspects of the social and religious history of women during the 19th century. Indeed, while meeting the needs of marginalized women and abandoned children, the Good Shepherd Sisters were also present in the educational and artistic fields, both in Québec and abroad. During this educational visit, participants will be encouraged to draw parallels between life today and life before the Quiet Revolution.

Lunch: Lunch Aux Anciens Canadiens Restaurant – Québec cuisine at its best in this charming historical restaurant. Experience traditional Québec cuisine such as Tourtière (meat pie), Ragout or chicken fricassee which brings you closer to the Québec traditional meals then top off your meal with a dessert made of maple products of the area.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Musée de la Civilisation (Civilization Museum) Explore the museum with an experienced guide, the city’s most popular museum, located close to the historic site of Place-Royale. This internationally renowned museum features four permanent and six temporary thematic exhibitions. You will go through the “People of Québec, Now and Then”. This exhibit focuses on life in the province of Québec throughout the centuries of European habitation, which encourages discovery of artifacts, photos and recreations of historic and domestic scenes. Immerse yourself in the ups and downs, the successes and setbacks, intense heat and extreme cold of a history that belongs to all those who have lived in and built Québec.

Dinner: Dinner at le Patriarche - Nestled in the heart of Old Québec near the Saint-Jean Gate, Le Patriarche beckons with its intimate setting and the refined décor of a beautiful, circa 1827 stone house. In each of the chef’s courses you’ll find products from small livestock farmers, new finds from dedicated foragers, and the most succulent items from area market gardens. The menu gives pride of place to game and other products from the Québec terroir.

Evening: Explore by bus, the Old City in its Holiday splendor as we marvel at the neighborhoods dressed with all its festive glitter and holiday lights.

Lodging: Hotel Manoir Victoria

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Evolution of Nationalism in Quebec/Musée National des Beaux Arts/Musee du Fort

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: LECTURE: Evolution of Nationalism in Quebec - What are some of the political and social events that have given rise to a strong nationalism and the creation of a political party whose main objective is to separate from Canada and create an independent country? Following the British conquest, in 1763, French Canadians will fight attempts of assimilation in order to insure the survival of their distinct culture. Today, this culture is vibrant and alive but many feel that it is continuously under pressure. FIELD TRIP: Musée National des Beaux Arts – The National Museum of Fine Arts. We will meet a museum expert for an in-depth presentation and examination of the works of art. Musée National des Beaux Arts du Québec is home to the most important collection of paintings and sculpture by Québécois artists. Over 22,000 selections of works are displayed in three chronological exhibitions: The earliest date from the beginnings of Québécois art and are largely influenced by religion. The second covers the European-influenced modernist period up to 1945. The third showcases figurative and abstract art from the mid-20th century.

Lunch: Lunch at Café du Musée

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Musée du Fort - Guided visit followed by a sound and light show tells the story of the six sieges of Quebec including the famous battle of the Plains of Abraham and Benedict Arnold's walk to Quebec. Through the impressive 400 foot model of Quebec and its outlying region of 1750, you will fully appreciate the strategic importance of this historic City.

Dinner: Dinner on your own to enjoy local fare or join the Group Leader (at a local restaurant).

Evening: Free evening to enjoy the ambiance of Christmas in the Old City.

Lodging: Hotel Manoir Victoria

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: FIELD TRIP: Your historian will lead you through Upper and Lower Town. Visit Place Royale, lined with fine old stone merchant houses and dominated by the church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. Walk through the lively commercial district of rue du Petit-Champlain, lined with craft shops and cafés. End your morning walk at the Christmas market where you can see the merchant’s treasures and sample some of the food if you wish.

Lunch: Lunch on own to enjoy the market or try one of the many bistro’s and restaurants in the area.

Afternoon: FREE TIME: Enjoy some free time in the Old City. You may wish to stroll through the Marché du Vieux-Port de Québec (Farmers' Market) where dozens of Québec producers and artisans provide you with a taste of Québec countryside. Take in over 400 years of history in a single glance, from Québec City's highest point, the Observatory de la Capitale. Remember that winter has much to offer for outdoor lovers and it is during the cold season that Québecers express their “Joie de Vivre”. Enjoy one of Québec's favorite winter sports and skate in the very heart of Old Québec, next to Saint-Jean Gate, in Place d'Youville. Skate rental available on site.

Dinner: Enjoy a Réveillon dinner with some traditional foods of Québec at the hotel. The Réveillon de Noël (réveillon means "to stay awake") typically begins a few hours before the Midnight Mass with a traditional feast and lasts well into the wee hours of the night. Friends and relatives, children and adults, join in traditional songs, dances and exchanges of presents. This French-Canadian tradition, still alive today in many households, stems from centuries-old traditions imported to the New World from France. Experience a “Réveillon de Noël” in the company of newfound friends.

Evening: OPTIONAL: Solemn and impressive, filled with hymns of joy, the Midnight Mass reaches its high point with the procession of the Christ Child.

Lodging: Hotel Manoir Victoria

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Christmas Brunch/Horse-Drawn Carriage Ride/Christmas Dinner and Dancing at the Chateau Frontenac

Brunch: Breakfast on your own if you wish. Free morning to rest or explore Old Québec. Christmas brunch at Hotel Manoir Victoria.

Afternoon: EXCURSION: Old Québec by a Horse-Drawn Carriage - Delight in the little hidden treasures of the Old City in this horse drawn carriage ride with a guide that will draw you into the spirit of the holiday season. You will have warm blankets to keep the chill out but dress for the weather. Your carriage ride ends at the Chateau Frontenac where you will have cocktails (Dutch Treat) before you enjoy your elegant Christmas dinner.

Dinner: CHRISTMAS DINNER-DANCE: Perhaps the grandest Christmas tradition in Québec City is the annual dinner-dance at the Chateau Frontenac — the most photographed grand hotel in the world and a proud symbol of the city. The centerpiece is a semi-formal, six-course dinner in the ballroom.

Evening: Along with the fine cuisine, you're welcome to join in the dancing as the band plays contemporary popular music accompanied by a singer throughout the evening. Complete your Christmas Day festivities with this celebratory feast in a setting that is trés magnifique! Truly an unforgettable experience.

Lodging: Hotel Manoir Victoria

Meals Included: Brunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Farewell Breakfast at 8:00 am at the hotel.

Morning: Independent departures after breakfast; check-out of hotel is 12:00 noon.

Meals Included: Breakfast