Day: September 7, 2019

August 16, 2019

I saw these pieces of art, which make me think of weathervanes, shortly after arriving downtown on Friday.  They were high up on poles along a busy city street.  They seemed to all be aligned the same direction and, thankfully, didn’t move as I was taking pictures.  It was hard enough trying to get a “clean” background to show them off and I wasn’t always able to do so.  I tried my best with what I had to work with (and I hadn’t brought my “Safety Sam” vest to be out dodging traffic).  I tried to get silhouettes and “in sun” shots wherever technically possible.

 

 

August 16, 2019

These are pieces of art I saw in the Jean-Paul-L’Allier Garden (Park) shortly after walking down into “Old City” from my Airbnb on the near north side of town.  I walked downtown every day I was staying in Québec.

Hey ladies – get your heads out of your…. uh…. cloud??

And this “something” was out walking it’s… uh… “something”:

 

There was another person there taking photos as well and she said this work was, by far, her favorite:

And finally, lots of closeups of arguably the most complex work:

August 16, 2019

Here are more things I saw Friday as I walked around “Old City”:

This is a large piece of art located on a street corner:

And more streets with shops and restaurants:

August 16, 2019

Here are more things I saw Friday as I walked around “Old City”:

The building below is City Hall.  I couldn’t get a good shot from a distance because of all the trees in front of it.

And who says the plants have to be inside the planter??

 

August 16, 2019

Here are more things I saw Friday as I walked around “Old City”:

I had seen small signs for Comedi Ha! earlier in the day and assumed it was promoting a comedy club.  I was wrong.  It was a huge music festival being held at various venues around the city.

Vidéotron, the major sponsor, is a large telecommunications company which offers cable, internet and cell phone service throughout Canada.

 

Vidéotron also holds the naming rights to the indoor Major Junior Ice Hockey League stadium across town:

I’ll talk more about that in a future post.

Here is a large fountain in front of the (Québec province) Parliament Building.

And this is the (Québec province) Parliament Building.

Remember, contrary to what Québec province wants you to believe, the Parliament Building is in OTTAWA, the CAPITAL of CANADA.

August 16, 2019

Here are more things I saw Friday as I walked around “Old City”:

There was a park with statues or busts of many notable world leaders.  As I took this all I could think about was the movie Fight Club (which for some odd reason is one of my favorite movies).  If you’ve seen the movie you should remember how Gandhi factors in to it.

This is part of the massive stone fortification which surrounds Vieux-Québec (Old City):

And I realize that the photo below is terrible.  I took it while eating lunch after I realized that if I had been there earlier in the day I’d literally have been in the shadow of Château Frontenac hotel, perhaps the most photographed building in the city.

I selected this restaurant for lunch because as I was walking past the entrance I saw that one of their daily specials was French onion soup.  I had certain foods which I wanted to enjoy while I was here and I had somehow left French onion soup off the list.  I ordered escargot as a remembrance of the first time I ever had it while in Québec 30 years ago, and a Grand Marnier sour.  I often enjoy “sours” and I love Grand Marnier but I had never put the two together.  It was yummy, but I think Grand Marnier is best enjoyed straight up.  And I need to learn how to make escargot at home.  The ingredients are pretty basic, though I need to find a source of quality, edible snails, and I can’t think you need to be a rocket scientist to assemble it.  Hell, if you put enough butter and garlic on it I could be eating Silly Putty for all I know (especially after a few Grand Marnier sours)….

August 16, 2019

Here are more things I saw Friday as I walked around “Old City”:

The first two photos represent a dilemma I sometimes face when trying to photograph a large building in close quarters.  I often can’t get far enough back to get a good “horizontal” shot and the “vertical” shot doesn’t indicate just how big the building is.  These shots were also diminished in quality because I was facing towards the sun (even though I was in the shade).

The photo below is of a piece of art which was a gift to the city.  I took a photo of the plaque explaining the gift but it is blurry and I can’t read it!  One reason I “usually” take duplicate photos…

You’ve already seen the building with the red roof in the photo below.  I took this because it shows the steeples of Notre Dame Basilica in the background.

Still searching for that perfect holiday gift (to give or suggest for yourself)??  How about musical spoons!  Collect all 11!!

August 16, 2019

Here are more things I saw Friday as I walked around “Old City”:

These photos are all of or near Rue de Petit Champlain, a narrow, pedestrian walkway lined with restaurants and shops located down near the St. Lawrence River below the majestic Château Frontenac hotel.

 

 

August 16, 2019

Here are more things I saw Friday as I walked around “Old City”:

These cannons were down by the St. Lawrence River.  Québec is ready in case Trump gets the bright idea that he wants to buy Canada…

This is the lower part of a “Funicular,” a little tram-like car which traverses a steep track going either up or down the hill.  Two cars are connected and as one goes up the other one goes down.  The majestic Château Frontenac hotel is located at the top of the hill.  You’ll see the top level of the Funicular in another post in the next day or two.

A clever use of old terra cotta flowerpots:

The sign below is part of the “Comedi Ha!” music festival which was being held at various venues around town.  Too bad there wasn’t a single person around to take a photo of me poking me head out of the cutout  (** rolling eyes **)…

The photo below is of a large picture frame set up around a swinging chair.  I took several pictures of couples or families sitting on the chair (using their cameras, obviously).

August 16, 2019

Here are more things I saw Friday as I walked around “Old City”: