We’ve traveled for decades across many locales, in varied seasons, and for many reasons. June 29-July 8, 2025, we went to Quebec, Canada! We wanted to go north, because the summer in our Kentucky home was so dang hot! We also decided to travel to Canada for political reasons—in protest of the current administration’s treatment of our northern neighbors.

Book it!

A primary reason for selecting Quebec was because of our love for Louise Penny’s Three Pines/Inspector Gamache book-series. Erlene devoured all 19 of her books; Larry is intentionally reading them slowly in order to savor them. Our friends, Jura and Doug, who live in Chicago, share our Louise Love and joined us in Montreal for this trip.

This was our first ever “literary travel” experience. (Check it out!) As is typical for our travels, we didn’t book a tour; in this case, we toured a book—series, that is. 😊Penny’s books are set primarily in a fictional town, Three Pines, which is patterned after her hometown, Knowlton, nestled in the Eastern Townships area. Montreal and Quebec City are also common settings for the books.

In a self-directed itinerary, we flew into Montreal, met up with Jura and Doug, rented a car, and drove to Quebec City, stopping along the way for local cheese nibbles and historic sites. In Quebec City, we stayed at Hotel Art de Vivre for a few days, exploring this gorgeous old, French city. Ooh! La! La! Next, we meandered through bucolic countryside, on a misty day, to arrive in Knowlton where we rented an Airbnb on Lake Brome. Throughout this journey, from libraries to restaurants to monasteries, we sought out sites and sights featured in Penny’s books. It was so fun!

Surprised by Joy

Louise Penny’s fictional Three Pines features a bookstore and café. In Knowlton, we arrived at the Three Pines mecca—with a bookstore and café—and were, indeed, Surprised by Joy! (Louise Penny’s poignant and wonderful mantra) Four seniors agog with wonder, the dear store manager greeted our literary excitement with kindness and humor; the young staff were delightful in their enthusiastic embrace of our nerdiness.

Whilst in the Eastern Townships, we enjoyed the serene beauty of nature, the lovely ambiance of the villages, and imagined ourselves living in Three Pines. Penny’s first book in the series is titled, Still Life. The book—and her writing style—is about quiet life, which is layered with depth of human experience. Although we visited in the summer and enjoyed those aspects, our time in this area evoked a season of cozily reading in front of a fireplace, whilst snow blankets the ground outside. The harshness of traveling through life’s winters is softened by the comfort and joy found in nature, companionship, a good book…and a yummy croissant.

Bon Appetit!

We now understand why Louise Penny’s books are so replete with descriptions of delicious food. We would go back there just to eat! As part of our Quebec Adventure, we folded in “The Great Croissant Quest” (How many Croissants in Canadian Coffee Cafes Can we Consume?) We diligently ate our way through this challenge. The hotel in Quebec City was the winner, as their daily breakfast featured local bakery items, including an amazing croissant! And, we could write an entire article about the meals, especially in Montreal. They were incredible!

Doing our part, as proud Kentuckians, we set out on a mission of diplomacy to deliver Happy Balls! Fun Fact: Kentucky supplies 95% of the world’s bourbon. Not so fun fact: Canada is boycotting many U.S. items, including bourbon, due to the current U.S. administration’s tariffs on them. In solidarity with our neighbors, we went to spend our travel dollars in Canada. And, in neighborly hospitality and global diplomacy, we carried several two-packs of the BEST bourbon balls to distribute. When we had a neighborly encounter—oftentimes in a hospitality exchange, such as at restaurants and hotels—we would gift the person who had extended such kindness with a Happy pack!

This literary travel in Quebec was a wonderful way to experience a part of the world that we had already been introduced to by reading. As Augustine declared, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” And, as Anna Quindlen explained, “Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination and the journey. They are home.”

This trip to Quebec both satisfied and sharpened our appetites for more reading and more travel. We’re back home, even as we’re still traveling…as we read.