It's been a while since I've done one of these cold-to-hot swings - last week I was in Quebec sleeping at the Ice Hotel, now I'm in St. Maarten and donning a shirt is the last thing on my mind.

Every traveler no doubt has memories of when they were young, experiences that led him or her to the current point in time. I grew very fond of the active winter lifestyle that was on display in Quebec City, but it seems like last night's sunset was trying to remind me where I came from. 

The Caribbean was the first place that really infected me when I was a kid - I simply wanted the sun and the sand and the weather in my life every day. Not just one week during the summer - every day.

When I was here in 2005, I discovered an amazing spot at the entrance to a cave where the water rises and falls about two feet in a matter of seconds. Back then I would sit and have a beer almost every day, watching the water and thinking about how good I felt.

Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Almost seven years have passed since my last visit to St. Maarten, yet there I was back in the same spot - drinking a beer, watching the water, thinking it all over. It was an absolutely gorgeous sky last night, perfect for a writer to sit and ponder. 

Here are a few photos. More coverage to come - I'm here the next two weeks. 

 

 

 

The temperature may have been in the teens, but the cold air was no match for the warm winter vibe pouring out of Quebec City's European streets and the friendly smiles of the French Canadians. 

I've heard of cultures embracing the seasons, yet I don't believe I've seen a city go crazy for winter quite like Quebec. Between the largest outdoor winter carnival in the world, a cross-country ski trail downtown by the river, and small shops serving up hot chocolate, it became hard to imagine the place without a few inches of snow on the ground. 

I snowshoed, slept at the Ice Hotel, and watched grown men and women canoe through an ice-infested river (see photo). Factor in that French is the number one language in an otherwise English-speaking country, and a trip to Quebec City becomes far more than a trip to Canada. 

Photos:

Streets of Old Quebec.

 

Aerial view of Old Quebec and the St. Lawrence River.

 

Ski and walking trails on the Plains of Abraham. 

 

Cross-country skiing on the Plains of Abraham.

 

Ice skating and cross-country skiing on the Plains of Abraham.

 

Ice canoe races at the Winter Carnival.