Alexandria Bridge
by janika
Here is the bridge that takes you across the Ottawa river and as soon as you're at the Quebec side, you can see the Canadian Museum of the Civilization on your left hand side. At your right hand side you can see the Jacques Cartier park. There are more bridges that connect Ottawa with Hull but this is the most convenient when coming from Downtown Ottawa. Quebecers use these bridges to commute back and frorth to & from work. Thousands of Quebecers live in Hull / Gatineau and work in Ottawa, since there are not enough jobs in Quebec for them. My fondest memory of Hull is eating Poutine. I know this section should be under the restaurants tips but there is no poutine restaurant in particular. Poutine is basically junk food. Nothing complicated. French fries with cheese pieces and hot gravy poured on top. The hot gravy melts the cheese and it slowly flows in between the fries. It looks gross at first but tastes very good and it is loaded with trans-fats and calories.
Ice Fishing
by johngayton
When I first saw this on the north bank of the frozen Ottawa River, just below the Museum of Civilizations I initially thought that it was some sort of testing to check the ice thickness, perhaps being conducted by the museum itself. But nope, this is ice fishing.
What the fishermen do is drill a couple of holes to test the ice thickness and if it seems OK then they drill larger ones and drop their lines into them to see what they catch. By all accounts there are plenty of fish with walleye, pike and largemouth bass being the most common catches.
Speak French
by Carmanah
Québec is primarily a French-speaking province. There are cities, like Montréal, where it is more bilingual... and there are places, like Québec City, where the workers in the hotels, restaurants and shops offer bilingual service for the tourists. But generally speaking, French is the main language spoken in Québec. Since Hull is located in Québec, French is the language you'll encounter.
The road signs, for example, are only in French. The signs of the shops and restaurants too will be in French. If you don't know French, please take a bit of time before you leave to to familiarize yourself with some key words and phrases, to make your trip easier.
Do not come to Québec with the assumption that you'll be served in English. Come with the assumption that French will be spoken. Generally I found that Hull is more bilingual because it's across the river from Ottawa, and it attracts a lot of tourism due to the Museum of Civilization and Gatineau Park. The people working in the service industry would greet me with "Bonjour, hello", to which, if I was feeling adventurous, I'd respond back with a "bonjour" - but if I thought that their English was better than my French, I'd speak in English.
You could get by in Hull without speaking French, but it would make life a whole lot easier if you did.
Dress well
by janika
Leave your bags in a hotel where you stay. Dress well. it is very cold during Winterlude You can buy those things locally. Don't bother carrying them with you. Digital camera + extra batteries No beach in Hull You need sunglasses.
Dogsledding
by Sprucebeer
Dogsledding is becoming a popular activity in the region. An expensive sport, but great for those who want to try something different. You need dogs and a sled... oh yeah and learn how to mush. hehehehee
The Photo He Let Me Keep
Spaghetti Robusto
Perusing The Menu
Location in Daylight
