Postcards from Québéc City

A shark rearing to chomp up a Fleur de Lys on a fishing line

Whenever I go somewhere new, I'm always lookout for street art and graffiti.  I think that you can learn a lot about political and social situations, as well as get a sense for a places humor through street art that you stumble across.  It is a way to visually connect with people from a place that is foreign to you through signs and symbols. In a way, these messages can help you make sense of an environment that is strange to you.  On my trip to Québéc City, I was quite impressed at the amount and the quality of street art on the old fortress walls of Old Québéc.  Québéc street artists create large, colourful pieces that appear to be stenciled or free handed onto walls.  I noticed that the use of text and words is abundant, and often acknowledges social situations in the area.

On The Weekend: Québéc City

A vista from the walls of Vieux-Québéc

This weekend was a little out of the ordinary.  A friend and I ventured up to Québéc City for two days to indulge in some Franco-Canadian fun.  We mostly kept to the old city, which is the only preserved fortified city in North America (North of Mexico).  It feels European, many of the buildings were constructed in the 1600's - 1800's and are very authentic.  We also took a half-day trip to visit Montmorency Falls, a very large waterfall just outside of Québéc City.

Julep Maven Box

Beauty subscription companies seem to be very popular on the web.  They have always peaked my curiosity, and I have wondered what the quality of the product and the service is like.  I noticed that the company Julep had an offer where you could  receive a free box, so I jumped at the chance to try it out.

On The Weekend: The Grand Prix and Chocolate

This weekend was the Grand Prix in Montréal.  Fast, expensive cars were parked everywhere downtown, and you could even hear the races far off into the distance (those cars are loud!).  Aside from cool cars, another prevailing theme of the weekend seemed to be chocolate; I visited a student favorite: Juliette et Chocolat in St. Laurent.

On The Weekend: 21 Balançoires

This weekend, I went to see the public art exhibition  21 Balançoires in Montréal.  The public is invited to swing on colourful swing sets.  The swinging action makes music, and with some cooperation with some other swinging friends, you can create some beautiful sounds.