Local Expert
Gerald Alexis
My name is Gerald and after traveling around the world, after living in various cities in Europe, North America and the Caribbean, I made my home in Quebec City. I am an art historian involved…
My name is Gerald and after traveling around the world, after living in various cities in Europe, North America and the Caribbean, I made my home in Quebec City. I am an art historian involved in contemporary art but have in recent years developed a great interest in the world’s architectural heritage. I do consulting work for private as well as state institutions and from time to time I work as an independent curator of exhibition. I do a lot of writing and find that, with its rich and diverse artistic and cultural attractions, Quebec is very inspiring for me.
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Review Articles
With summer ending, the theatre season started and they did so superbly. History being of great interest during this year that marks the 400th anniversary of Quebec City, one of the major theatrical productions this season was based on the life story of Marie Guyart (Tours, France 28 Oct 1599 - Québec Apr 1672), a young widow, mother of a son, who became a nun under the name Marie de l'Incarnation at the age of 34. She came to New France (now Quebec) and was one of the founders of the Ursuline congregation here in the city. She was involved in education and was also an artist, specialised in embroidery on silk, and her works are today in the collections of the Ursuline convent. The play however focuses mainly of her personality and her mysticism,
The text was elaborated by Jean Daniel Lafond, a well known cineaste, who has been for a long time fascinated by the character of Marie Guyart. He worked from a selection of letter she wrote from Québec to her son. Marie Tifo, who plays Marie l'Incarnation also, contributed greatly to the preparation of the text. Her performance was spectacular in this monologue where she relives the life of this exceptional woman, her encounter with Christ that, because of her experience as a wife and a mother, takes on a very sensual overtone.
The play (in French) will be presented at the Trident, Quebec City's Grand Theatre until October 11, 2008.
When in Quebec City, if you feel like exploring nature and enjoy an adventure, I suggest you do what I did last week with some friends. Get on board a safari cruise and go whale watching. You drive about 2 hours east of the city along the beautiful scenic road in the Charlevoix region, to where the river widens. There you get on a boat specially equipped for whale watching and for three hours you are at large with a guide perched on the upper deck signalling the many appearances of whales at the surface. Contrarily to what we taught, that with the summer coming to an end whales and Belugas would start their migration, we were assured that autumn was an excellent time for whale watching in the St. Lawrence. The guy I talked to even said that the river was much like a ««whale soup». Of course he was exaggerating!
That was my third safari and I enjoyed this last one just like I did the two others. We got to see several belugas as we sailed toward the marine reserve between Tadoussac and the Escoumins. When we got there, the boat stopped in order not to disturb the whales lunch hour. And thus we got to see a couple of fin whales feeding and swimming, appearing at the surface form time to time.
For having had a bad experience the first time around, we came prepared for the cold temperatures we are exposed to on the ship's deck. The temperature often goes into single digits with wind chill factor. I mean it is cold!
After the Whale experience we were taken, as is often the case, on the calm waters of the Sagueney Fjord were we got to see waterfalls coming down the magnificent stone palisades.
This time, as I said, we drove to the pier to take the boat but on my previous excursions, I took the bus from Quebec's main bus station. It's a whole day excursion (departure a 9:00AM and return at 7:00PM). On the way back and forth, you have a few stops and lots of information from the accompanying staff. It's really something to do!
For information contact AML cruises at 1 800 563-4643
In recent years, year after year, Quebec City has positioned itself not so much as a place of culturally diverse population but a place open to the diversity of cultures. More and more people from Quebec travel and get a taste of foods different from their everyday meals, of music different from the ones they listen to or dance to. And so they more and more become interested in being able to taste these differences without having to travel fare, necessarily. In recent years, there are places offering salsa lessons and night clubs having salsa nights. One of them, my favourite actually, is Le boudoir (downstairs) where Saturdays are dedicated to salsa lovers, people who know or are learning how to dance the salsa. The crowd is made up of students and young and old professionals who come to enjoy the vibrating ambiance created by this Cuban born music played on a state of the art sound systems.
Salsa has become such an attraction here in the city that a festival is in preparation and will be held during three days (September 23,24and 25) with dancing nights, shows, workshops and a dance competition. Many professional artists and instructors from the salsa world will be here to share their passion for this Latin dance. Packages are offered and can be viewed on the fetival's website http://www.festivalsalsaquebec.com/index.php?lang=english . Enthusiasts of salsa are expected in great numbers and so, it looks like there will be some hot evenings during these early days of autumn.
It's not as big nor as famous as Montreal's Jazz Festival; not yet any way. Let's say that it's more intimate since most concerts take place in intimate places, like the Largo Resto-Club and the Pub Saint Alexandre, one of my favourite places in the city. I like Jazz, may be not more that the average guy but surely not less. To me, jazz is a question of atmosphere, and this is precisely the my kind of atmosphere that was created last Wednesday (the opening day of the festival) at the Pub. The Mardi-Gras Band was playing then and filled the air with that feeling of New Orleans, believed to be the birth place of Jazz. I had such a good times every time I visited that Creole city (that was before Christina). Anyway, the band's repertoire was made up of those famous fanfare musics so typical of the region and of course of wonderfully cool bleus. The whole program went so well with the cold beers I had.
I may not have the possibility to attend every one of the sixty concerts offered during that 5 day festival but I will certainly not miss the best of them, and I'll surely be on the look out for next year's festival because I have the feeling that Quebec City will soon be one of the many jazz capitals of the world. I just want to be there as it happens
The Quebec Jazz Festival goes on until September 14th.
Statistics can be interesting for some. In Quebec, in the last months, hundreds of thousands attended concerts by Paul McCartney, Celine Dion and other singing sensations from France and Canada. Hundreds of thousands saw Lepage's Image Mill (many others are rushing to see it before it closes at the end of the week). Four times more people than expected took the 400th shuttle that travels along the river through the newly developed Champlain promenade and the Bay of Beauport Park. Yet such figures can be frightening for others, tourists, for instance, who seek an interesting but calmer place to vacation in. If in deed Quebec City was a much sought after destination, it's large and diverse enough to accommodate in charming locations those who look for quieter surroundings.
The former city of Charlesbourg, now a borough of greater Quebec, was founded by the Jesuits in February 1665. Its particular configuration explains why the original city bears the name: Trait Carré that could be translated as «the square lay out.» Many of its historical buildings have been preserved and host now a number of activities. Its actual parish church, dedicated to St Charles, is superb. Built by one of Quebec's most renowned architects, Thomas Baillargé, it was consecrated in 1830. In the area around the church, you can walk the quiet streets lined with by magnificent residences, some over one hundred years old. It has a brand new library that is an example of modern environmentally conscious architecture. From certain points, you have a superb view of Quebec's skyline. It has nice little restaurants, nothing fancy, just what is needed after having been on the walking trail that takes you around this historical sector.
The Trait Carré is easily accessible by the number 801 bus. It has a tourist bureau you can call for information at 418-624-7720.
Although Quebec City is not as multiethnic as a, let's say, Montreal, the celebration of its 400 anniversary was a time to reflect on the contribution made by various communities during these years. Among the major events organised in the recent months and weeks, there is a little exhibition presented at the city's main train and bus station: «Gare du Palais» and that tells of the most important contribution of the Jewish community. Its title: Same cloth, different tread, indicates the fact that all the Jews in Québec City have had different origins, coming at different times from different parts of Europe. Their common link: their faith.
This exhibition made of panels of image and bilingual informative texts deals with a major theme: the meeting of the Jews with the people of Quebec. Being a major port of entry into the continent, people have come to Quebec with the same determination of making a life here just as we have seen in other major cities of North America. Just like many other communities, the Jewish integration has not been easy, often affected by social and political pressures. In spite of that, one finds successful Jewish personalities involved in various fields. In deed, as the exhibitions indicates, they have founded stores, banks, navigation and telegraph companies. We also learn the story of the synagogues, the first one having been built in the upper part of town in the mid-1800's, and the cemetery. In another section, we get to know major figures of the Jewish community here and the life of families like the like the Harts, the Levys, the Pollacks, the Mohrs.. just to name a few.
The exhibition will go on until the 26th of September and must not be missed.