Bienvenue Au Projet

Le Projet

Alison and I found a lovely dinner at Le Projet on the western end of Rue Saint-Jean, the "Carytown of Quebec," according to Alison. The eastern end of Rue Saint-Jean caters to tourists; the western end to the locals. Although we were on the western end, we were unmistakable as tourists in our baseball caps and the camera around my neck. Here are a few photos from our walk to the restaurant and back.

Working backwards

Before dinner, we enjoyed a happy hour in the back yard with Amélie, our artist neighbor. We could fill a book with the many stories we heard from her in just 90 minutes. The full book will have to wait for now, but here's one morsel: the French in Canada take their vulgarities from the church (be careful to whom you say tabernacle); the French in France take their vulgarities from the sex trade.

​Before happy hour, Alison spent the afternoon atop a tour bus, her preferred way to quickly acquaint herself with a new area. 

Before the tour, we ate a light lunch on the small deck behind our flat.

Before lunch, as I worked from a small desk by the front window, I watched as the ever-present throngs of American teenagers flowed by, heading for the nearby tourist sites. They travel in herds, individual students indistinguishable, like wildebeests across the African plain.

Today, Alison learned...

(1) There are no bugs in Quebec! The sugar bowl is open on top, nary an ant to be seen. The windows in all apartments and restaurants are always open, without the need for any screens.

(2) Amélie claims that Quebec City is boring. "Nothing happens here. There is no crime. The only thing you might worry about is being hit by a tour bus." Boring!