The many pleasures of walking in picturesque Québec are entirely comparable to walking in similar quartiers in northern European cities. Stone houses huddle close together; carriage wheels creak behind muscular horses; sunlight filters through leafy canopies, falling on drinkers and diners in sidewalk cafes; and childish shrieks of laughter echo down cobblestone streets. Not common to other cities, however, is the bewitching vista of river and mountains that the Dufferin promenade bestows. In winter, Old Québec takes on a Dickensian quality, with lamp glow flickering behind curtains of falling snow. A man who should know -- Dickens himself -- described the city as having "splendid views which burst upon the eye at every turn."