Update 12 - Will of the Wisps

Quebec is so full of culture and there are so many things to see. When we have visitors from out of town one of the places we like to bring them to is Atelier Pare. Atelier Pare is a museum that tells the legends of Quebec through wood sculptures. There are many beautiful sculptures and Scott and Francoise, the owners, are amazing story tellers. The above picture is a collage of the Will O the Wisps. These sculptures are mounted on tall poles and set in a semicircle in behind the museum. If you click on the picture to enlarge it you can read the legend.

Day 252 - Traffic!

I know I've mentioned the amount of construction happening in Quebec City this year but I couldn't resist talking about it once again. I just happened to have the camera on the passenger seat for the drive home. Okay, I anticipated I might be stuck in traffic so I put it there just in case. Anyway, I thought I would make use of the time I was stuck in traffic to take a few pics. Shhh, don't tell. After all I wasn't talking on my cell phone. It was a gray day so I thought I'd put the pic in BandW and bring back the colour of signs and stop lights.

Day 187 - Chairs that take a stand

The train station in Quebec City is a beautiful piece of architecture. In celebration of Quebec's 400th birthday a few years ago, a local artist was commissioned to create a lasting reminder. The piece reminds us to re-discover a new world from the comfort of our home. This is just one part of the display. There is another section that has 40 chairs each representing one of 40 decades. The chairs are placed in juxtaposition to each other . Well worth a visit.

Day 175 - Happy St. Jean

On June 23rd and 24th many people in Quebec celebrate St. Jean Bapiste Day. Many people find their way to the Plains of Abraham on the evening of the 23rd. There is music, fireworks and unfortunately lots of drinking. On the 24th pretty much every thing is closed. Those who were more reckless the night before spend the day recovering. Others spend the day with family and friends, enjoying each other's company and the pride of living in Quebec. Like many things in Quebec, this holiday can be quite controversial. It is after all called a 'National' holiday even though it's celebrated only in the province of Quebec.
Personally, it's not a holiday I feel a kinship to. I love living in Quebec and think it's a beautiful and interesting part of the world. But in my heart of hearts, I am Canadian and to me Quebec is but one piece to the puzzle we call Canada.

Day 162 - More Quebec Architecture

Planned on taking pictures at our staff party this evening but due to a lame dog (Sadie) we couldn't go. So, I decided to use one of my pictures from our tourist day a couple of weeks ago. This is a picture of our train station. As you can see, the architecture is similar to that of the Chateau Frontenac. It's beautiful inside as well. Just inside the building there is a beautiful stained glass skylight on the ceiling. In the middle is a reversed map of Canada (East is on the left & west on the right) with the railway map and on the outside are all the provincial flags. When the sun shines through you can see the reflection on the granite floor . It's quite a sight.

Day 152 - Hanging Out

While visiting Old Quebec we happened upon these hanging silhouettes. There are a variety of figures strung between buildings. They're present above streets only used for walking. The characters can be seen skateboarding, watering flowers, rollerblading, hanging upside down and even walking a dog. Most of them are also holding a bouquet of flowers. I thought they were cute and a nice touch to the ambiance.

Day 150 - Quebec Tourist

We had a nice visit with Peg's niece Ali and her husband Anthony today. They're on a cruise (Montreal, Quebec, Charlottetown, Halifax, Boston, Montreal) and their ship is docked here for the day. We met them at the port and walked around Old Quebec for a few hours before coming home for lunch. It was fun to see the city through tourist eyes. Although we live here we don't often take the time to explore this part of town. Of course, a set of tourist photos from Quebec City wouldn't be complete without a few shots of the famous Chateau Frontenac. The building is over 100 years old and is probably the most famous building in the city. It's definitely one of the most known.

Day 123 - Signs of Spring in Quebec

Yes, the grass is green, flowers are blooming, the snow is gone. But, that's not the most definitive sign of spring in Quebec. Here in Quebec we know it's spring when the tractors, trucks and construction workers are out in large numbers, roads are blocked and there's a detour at almost every corner. Yes, that's spring in Quebec. Now that I think of it, it's also summer and yes, sometimes fall. I guess winter's not so bad after all.

Day 120 - Birthday Bulbs

Went for lunch with my godkids and their mom. I arrived before them so I decided to take out the camera and capture some of their blooming tulips. Although it was a beautiful sunny day, photos were tricky because of the glare. The tulips above are from Quebec's 400th birthday. They were bred especially for the occasion. If you walk around Quebec City you'll see them in many gardens.