Final Day in Quebec: Art and l'Ile de Orleans

For our last full day in Quebec, I took Annika out for a morning scavenger hunt to find all of the public art.  Turns out canned soup is for the birds!

From a distance we thought this art piece was a play structure, but it turned out to be 2D.  Entitled "The Era of the American Dream," it was meant to explore the idea of how things aren't always quite like they appear.

Staring eyes everywhere.   A funny joke, or is Big Brother watching?

More than just a temporary exhibition, this sculpture and wavy waterway honors the nautical history of Quebec City.

While easy to miss, AnonyMouse was one of my favorite exhibits.  Standing only 12" high, it explored the hidden world right at our feet.

These concentric circles were probably the most impressive art installation.  Seen up close, they look like tinfoil or silver paint randomly adorning the buildings.  When viewed from the right angle, the interlocking circles suddenly pop out, creating this magical optical illusion.

Other fun art: a solid tractor, jet ski, and jeep--none of which is likely to move.

And of course, being Quebec City, cannons.  Always more cannons to climb.

A few more shots of the city.

Tough place to make deliveries!

Back to the art, with "They Whisper" you could hear the crows telling tales as you passed through the alley between buildings.

Running is worth the Pain.   (Alas, the bakery was closed.)

Oh Québec, you large double bed.  (I kind of want to see where Chat GPT would go with this...)

Remember back to when Christy created a walking scavenger hunt on the very first day?  Well, we searched for a pet in a window but never saw one.  On our last day, we finally met a hissing black kitty who came to the window to say hi.

Later that morning, we loaded up in the cars to drive to the Île d’Orléans.  Foodie paradise, this enchanting island is filled with family farms that all produce local specialties, ranging from berries and cheese to chocolate and maple syrup.  We could have spent days here sampling all the treasures.  Charmante!  

Artistry never tasted so divine.

Between the chocolate and the moody oceanscape, I'm totally reminded of Pete's Dragon.

Christy and Talia sharing a moment, having bonded this summer through their European travels.

The first shall be last!  One of our first stops (after chocolate, of course) was to pick fresh blueberries at this little farm.  Well, mostly the little kids picked.  It turns out that the grownups weren't allowed to help the kids fill theirs.  So many rules! 

We took a few photos before being advised about proper procedure.  This picture is a good reminder of God's tender mercies.  Turns out I foolishly left my backpack (with my wallet inside) underneath the picnic table.  We didn't figure it out until several hours later, but fortunately it was still there when I came back, waiting in a rain storm.  Thus, our first stop was also our last!  I'm SOOO grateful that we were able to recover it, even though it meant backtracking instead of driving the full loop that we'd originally planned.

Churches big and small (although I'm quite certain the first has been repurposed as a boutique.)

This farm was may favorite!  They sold the creamiest ice cream made from goat's milk.  Incredibly fresh, it didn't have the strong goat flavor that Jason dislikes.  (Personally, I kinda like the tang--bring on the cheese in any form!)  Delicious, albeit super messy, right Lance?

Balancing our dessert with baguettes, prosciutto, and a hard cheese.  In other words, living the dream.

Plus, did I mention that you could pet the baby goats and hold the chickens?  It really doesn't get more bucolic than this.  Violet was definitely a fan.

Annika in similar pastoral bliss.  Sometimes I wish we lived on a farm.  This girl would thrive there.

Climbing a nearby tower to look out over the island farms.  

Last but not least, the sugar shack!  Can't leave Canada without learning how the maple syrup is made.   Did you know that Canada as a maple syrup reserve that can accommodate up to 52 million pounds of maple syrup?  Pretty sweet.

Back home for some play time, literally.  A budding thespian, Ruby often recruits Annika into collaborating on theatrical compositions.  If I remember correctly, this original work involved a couple of cats and dancing.

Game time with Grandma Susie for the big kids.

That evening we tried to go to the circus but it got rained out.  Since we were already downtown,  Annika and I were tried to share some of the art we'd found that morning as a consolation prize.  This piece still blows my mind!

A new AnonyMouse radio station!

Colorful umbrellas.

Back to the jet ski.

Pretty place to pose with my hubby.

Love pics with my daughters too...even when they behave strangely.

Enjoying the glow of our final evening in Quebec City.  

Leaving with a splash.

Merci, Quebec.

 Au revoir!

Quebec: Day 4

Oof, one week since I last checked in.  It's been a doozy!  Jason had knee surgery a week ago today.  He was hoping they would be able to get away with a "Healing Response" but they ended up replacing his ACL using his own hamstring.  Then the MCL was still a bit loose, so they did the Healing Response on that bit as well.  Turns out that the "healing" is more brutal than it sounds.  They basically take a meat tenderizer to the ligament and rough it up by poking a bunch of holes in it to promote blood flow.  The bruising is quite impressive!

All in all, Jason's been a champ.  While he has one more week in the straight brace, he got the thumbs up to drive.  Unsurprisingly, his first errand was to Home Depot.  I think he's a bit sore now that his nerve block is wearing off, but he hasn't whined at all.  No, instead it's me that's really dragging.  I caught a nasty cold and have basically stopped functioning.  Aside from forcing myself to class and essential appointments, I've been curling up in bed every chance that I get.  Yuck.  In moments like this, you wonder if the world will feel right again.

At least today I have enough energy to blog. Quebec!  Oh Canada, what to say.  I'd like you better if you hadn't just sent us a speeding ticket in the mail.  I am sure we were never traveling faster than the traffic around us.  Rather, I suspect we were targeted because of our out-of-country license plates.  Ah well, c'est la vie!

July 27th.  Another morning, another run.  So many gems to discover!

I enjoy experiencing busy streets in the empty morning hours.

Love the Maple Leaf flag. These ships are a reminder of how the St. Lawrence River is an important trade route.

Instead of following the known route back, I headed up this crazy long staircase which dumped me out at a park quite a bit farther down the road than I anticipated.  It added a couple miles to my run but was totally worth it.

If you are going to write graffiti in Quebec City, make sure you do it right!  Otherwise someone might come along to correct your grammar and give you poor marks.

That morning we went the Citadelle--an active military base that is home to the Governor General of Quebec.  Highlights included listening to the military band, meeting Batiste the royal goat, and learning more about he Van Doos, or Quebecoise 22nd regiment. (Apparently the British couldn't pronounce Vingt-deux, so they just rolled with it.)  I forgot my phone, so no pictures, but you can imagine the fun.

Afterward we settled in for the best part--authentic French meat pie!  After all, I think this sampling was the real reason we made the pilgrimage to Quebec.

Touring the town after.

Talia looks too big for this car, but it might be just right for Ruby and Annie!

That evening we gathered for an outdoor concert in the park on the Plains of Abraham.

Thanks to Uncle Lance for picking up the amazing pizza!

Violet liked it too.

Great place to toss a disc as well.

I don't remember who sang, but she was a crowd favorite with her crooning voice.  We may not have understood much of her Canadian French, but it was fun to be there!

A few close-ups of Ruby and Violet.  Just can't get enough of their adorable mugs.

Wrapping up the day with some swing dancing.  Great fun while it lasted!  We finally had to cut it short because we worried the rafters might fail.  Still, good times!

Nothing better than family!