The Lumineers

Scène Bell, Take 2

Despite our unpleasant experience at Scène Bell on opening night of the the Summer Music Festival of Québec on Thursday night, we took our chances and returned on Friday to hear The Lumineers, an American folk rock band. Our assumption was that since this group didn't have the mononymous star power of Sting, the crowd might be more manageable. We were right! 

Before the late-evening concert, Alison went on a relatively disappointing ghost tour of the Old City of Québec with our friends from Lexington. I was able to successfully anticipate the disappointment and chose not to join them.

Before the ghost tour, we had another wonderful dinner out, this one at a small restaurant on a side street off of Rue Saint Jean. I enjoyed a rare sandwich of smoked meats on gluten-free rye bread, while Alison similarly enjoyed her salad with smoked salmon and pears.

Before dinner, Alison shared her time between sewing and walks along the promenade. I continued to work from my small desk here in the corner, overlooking Rue Saint Louis.

Video

A 14-year old boy and his dad perform on the promenade.

Tidbit #1

Alexander Graham Bell was born and raised in Scotland, the middle child of three sons. When he was in his early twenties, he lost both of his brothers to tuberculosis. His father then picked up what remained of the family and moved them to Canada, since Alexander himself was also ailing at that point and the clean, Canadian air was thought to be beneficial (it was). Their ship landed at Québec City, after which they made their way to their new home in Ontario.

For a while, Bell shared his time between Canada and the United States, but spent the vast majority of the last 30 years of his life at his home in Nova Scotia.

Tidbit #2

The inventor of the telephone was born as Alexander Bell. When he was ten years old, he complained to his parents that he didn't have a middle name, like his two brothers and both parents did. His parents allowed him to adopt "Graham" as his middle name. Sadly, it was chosen not out of love for the eponymous cracker, but rather a family friend.