PlanetEye

I strongly believe that the best way to see a city is to walk.   Some of my friends complain at first when they come to visit but when ever we stop for a beer or for a meal, they all end up agreeing with me.   In Quebec City, you have two interesting options.  You can use anyone of the two but a combination of the two is definitely the best.  When you enter the historical district (some call it the down town area) you will notice green dots on the side walk.  They indicate a pedestrian route that will take you through attractions, parks, public squares, monuments, and commercial streets.  A fold-up map with details on various spots is available in any tourist office, major hotels and public libraries of the city.

My recommendation is to combine this with the Quebec Trail audio tour offered by the Société du Patrimoine Urbain de Québec and which consists of 32 audio terminals that you can have access to with a pair of earphones that you can purchase for 15.00$ + taxes at the Maison Chevalier or at any tourist office.  A map indicating the position of the varioous termnals is provided. It is a convenient self-guided tour that you take through the old city and the parliament area, at your convenience, day or night, and that provides ample information on landmarks, historical places and neighbourhoods in three languages.

Believe me, there is no better way to visit Quebec.

Last Friday, July 11, Quebec's summer festival welcomed Wyclef Jean, international hip-hop celebrity.  Had it been winter, all of the snow would have melted ‘cause the show was Hot, Hot, Hot.   Akon, the rapper, former wrongdoer of Senegalese origin opened the show and, once more, demonstrated his talents as a performer (He performed in Quebec once already).  The contact with an euphoric public was intense for he was often in their midst, singing and dancing with all the necessary security of course.

Once referred to as the ambassador of hip-hop, the star of the evening, Wyclef Jean made a joke insinuating that he was aiming for a higher position:  As he came on stage so came two spectators holding signs saying «Wyclef for President». In deed, had he run for office that night he would surely have gotten the votes of the huge crowd that filled the Plains of Abraham. (No official estimation was published but I would say that there were more that 100.00 people there).  The man is pure dynamite, he is generous, talented.  He loves music and knows how to get people exited about his music that varies from Rap to Hip-hop to Reggae to Folk to Compa, a sound original to his native Haiti.   Unavoidably, Wyclef showed his political side by blasting Georges Bush and showing his support for Obama.   During his performance, he was joined on stage by the Fugee, the two singers with whom he first gained famed, and by Akon who had previously set the table for this musical feast.  

It was so intense that I honestly find it difficult to describe that evening in details.   I can only say that it was memorable.

I don't think that there has been a time when Quebec City had that many visitors.   Of course the 400th anniversary celebrations and the publicity around these events can provide us with an explanation.  But the truth is that Quebec is an extraordinary destination with excellent deals, more things to do that you can imagine and, most of all, a unique atmosphere.

Things offered these days can be as simple as a pleasant sidewalk café and as unusual, but extraordinary, ephemeral gardens planned and designed by landscape artists from France, the US and of course various provinces in Canada.   Each of the 11 gardens (you can get a 45 minutes free guided tour) has a different aesthetic and ideological concept but all of them deal essentially with the environment and its protection for future generations.   They all provide an enjoyable walk along the marina in the city's old port.

A bit further, along the river side, are the most surprising vegetable gardens built of the steps above the Museum of Civilisation.  This "exhibition" is a call to protect water, abundant today in our regions but so scarce in other parts of the world.

If you are environmentally conscious, if you enjoy an immersion in nature, Quebec City is one of the rare places on earth to have access to so many parks and forests.   One of them, within the city it self is the Parc du Bois de Coulonge where you have a 3 km trail through grounds planted with maple trees.   From time to time, you come upon a garden showing French or British influences, planted with bushes of seasonal flowers.  The gravel alleys also take you to a gazebo overlooking the Saint Lawrence River.  The former residence (burned not so long ago) and grounds of the residence of various representatives of the British Crown, some of the utilitarian buildings still remain.

A fee is charged for parking on weekdays and the park is accessible by bus (line 11).   Picnic tables are available.

Quebec's national fine arts Museum opened a spectacular exhibition this week, featuring some remarkable pieces from the collection of the Louvre Museum in Paris.  The Louvre is may be the largest Museum in the world and has collections varying from antiquity to the 19th century.  Rarely have elements of those collections traveled to other institutions.  So the show in Quebec is a first and a must see not only because of the quality of the works exhibited but also because of the design of the exhibition itself.For the first time, the Quebec population and visitor who have never traveled to France will get to see rare pieces from antique Egypt and antique Greece, works from the Middle East created in accordance with by the Islamic religion, works from the Ottoman Empire as well as works from 17th and 18th century Europe, all together 274 pieces.A whole program of activities is also offered with lectures and guided visits.  These do require reservation in advance so in planning your trip to Quebec City do make a call to the Museum at (418) 643-2150 to reserve your place in a group. If you do form your own group (20 people maximum) you can require the assistance of a trained guide at (418) 644-6460 extension 5547.   This is an opportunity not to be missed.  The exhibition will go on until October 26.

Don't worry if you travel to Quebec City with your kids. They'll have plenty to do and you yourselves will not get bored, many of these activities are family oriented.

The city has many parks with playgrounds, wading pools and picnic areas.  One of these parks is that of the Montmorency Falls, about half an hour from the center of town.  All summer long, you can go hiking on the trails that crisscross the site and introduce you and tour family to natural wonders.  You can admire the force and splendour of the falls (higher that those of Niagara) from the suspension bridges, from the stairs that take you to the bottom of the falls and/or from the cable car that passes over the falls.   I you stay until night fall, you will enjoy the superb lighting of the waters falling from the cliffs 83 meters high.

Needless to say that in such turbulent waters, bathing is impossible, but that's not the case at the Base de Plein Air La Découverte where there is a public pool and many activities for children. While there enjoy the fabulous view of the city and the surrounding mountains

The best place to go remains however the Valcartier Village, the largest water park in Canada.  Rest assured, the park has 65 qualified lifeguards monitoring at all times the waterways, and further, free life jackets are provided on request.  When you hear of the many features offered by the park, you will make it a sure destination for one or more day trips.

Light color and water were three elements blended together to make wonders this week-end in Québec City.  Two different events were scheduled:   the lighting of the Montmorency falls, a few miles east of the city and the International Aqua show, graciously offered by the French province of Alsace, in a public square in the center of town, near the Parliament building.   Of the two, my friends and I chose the latter simply because only three performances scheduled, whereas the falls are going to be lit every night of the season (we'll tell you more about the Montmorency Park soon).

The show started precisely at nine thirty, at night falls because, obviously, quasi total darkness was required for the full impact of the lighting effects.  And the music played, and jets of water emerging from the pond on the square began to dance to the music, coloured by the light projected on to them.  From time to time, water was sprayed in a mist that served as a screen for the projections of images of sites in Alsace and of people from the province greeting the population and visitors alike who are participating in the city's anniversary.  The most extraordinary part was when, on a couple of occasion, laser beams crossed the jets of water, making tiny droplets sprinkle like emeralds and rubies. The music varied from the works of classical masters to popular Alsatian songs and beer cellar music.  Occasionally, and superbly in the finale, a display of fireworks accompanied the sound and the colors of this most interesting event that lasted only 30 minutes.  The huge crowd attending the performance on Saturday would certainly appreciate a little more but as they say, good things often come in small packages.

As part of Quebec's Carrefour International de Theatre, La Bordée one of the city's major theatres presented Regard 9.   If translated literally, the title would mean 9 visions or perceptions.  But it could also mean new visions or perceptions.   Actually both translations can be applied because the idea was to have 9 authors (men and women) write 9 short plays (20 minutes) that would tell of a situation if 9 places in the Quebec City.  This was required because this theatrical event was part of the celebrations of the city's 400^th anniversary.

It is a remarkable experience.  The public is invited o choose from menu projected on a screen one place at a time where the action is to take place.   The master of ceremony then proposes the various productions possible. Once again the public chooses.  Then 6 comedians (three women and three men), who of course ignored the choices made, had one minute to put up the décor, dress in the appropriate costumes and perform what was chosen by the public.  About twenty minutes after, the menu was again projected and the whole process started over again.  The nine texts (ranging from dramas to comedies) were thus presented at random by the same six actors.  As one can imagine, this was an extraordinary performance by professional actors so remarkable that no one felt the time go by.

There were only two evening performances and one matinee but it seems that Regard 9 will be part of La Bordée's 2008-2009 season.  Let's hope it does so that more people can see participate and enjoy this most extraordinary theatrical experiment.