Vieux Fakar Toure @ Festival d'ete de Quebec

This morning we are headed to Quebec City for a couple of days.  It's an easy 3 hour drive up Autoroute 20.  It's mostly greenery either side of the freeway all the way up.

We are staying in the Hilton in the upper part of dowtown Quebec and drive straight there.  It's too early to check in, so we start doing some wandering.  First stop is lunch.  A ten minute walk from the hotel towards old town, just inside the city walls, is L'Omlette, a beautiful brunch restaurant in a very old building.  Timinig was perfect as we get a (open) windowside table looking over the passersby.  The food was good and plentiful to get us going.  

DMB&L, L'Omlette, Quebec City, QC

We then spend the afternoon just wandering and discovering this beautiful city.  Our first stop was Notre Dame de Quebec.  Not as large as Montreal's, but a beauty in the center of Old Town.  Right across the street is the magnifcent Richard Mille Clock, encased in glass.  Art and time mixed together.  Art is another highlight in this city, just like Montreal.  Again, there are lifelike frescos painted all around the lower part of town.  As well, Quebec is hosting a Le Mignonisme installation by Phillipe Katerine.  He has inflatable pink people hangning off buildings all throughout the city.  It's surreal, but also cute at the same time.  There were maps to discover them, but we found it better just to stuble upon them when we could.

Le

B&L, Quebec City, QC

DBL&M, Le Mignonisme, Quebec City, QC

The Notre Dame des Victoires is also in the lower old town, and a beautiful little church which we walked through.

After our late afternoon ice cream, we caught the funicular up to the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.  This former castle tuned luxury hotel is the centrepiece of the city.  While big and regal, it still suits the surrounding city.  Ironically, I didn't get that high end feel when we went into the lobby.  The hotel seemed a little worn, maybe in need of an update.  We wanted to stay here, but initially when we looked, we baulked at the price, and eventually it was sold out.  Nearby was a market coming to the end of its day.  We had time to go through it quickly.  While in the area we got to see a fantastic sculpure.  Welcoming by Timothy Schmaltz is a statue that if you look at from it left side, it looks like a weary traveller, from the other side it depicts an angel.  It took my breath away.

Welcoming by Timothy Shmaltz, Quebec City, QC

We walked over to to rue Saint-Jean, a street that was jumping with people, and had dinner at Les Freres de la Cote.  A good meal, nothing exceptional, but also a much needed stop as we'd been out and about for 5 hours. 

We kept wandering after dinner and eventually sat briefly at Place d'Armes watching kids play in the Monument of Faith Fountains.  We walked back towards the hotel, and could hear music as we went.  When we got to the city walls, we climbed up and found we were overlooking a stage as part of Festival d'ete de Quebec.  The festival goes for 10 days over 4-5 stages around the city.  There is one main stage, in a field not far from us, but the rest of the stages are free concerts for anyone.  We found outrselves listening to Mali guitarist Vieux Fakar Toure.  After a couple of songs we walked around to Place de Assemblee to get a better look.  The family stuck around for a couple of songs, but with the hotel only across the street, they headed back while I watched the rest of the show.  Known as the Hendrix of the Desert, Toure played for 2 hours as he and his bandtore shreds off the guitars over the top of African beats.  Absolutely amazing!  I've never seen music like this live before.  Everybody was moving - whether you knew what he was playing or not.  A fantastic end to a huge day.  Quebec City, we are on a winner here,

B&L, Festival d'ete se Quebec, Quebec City, QC

Vieux Farka Toure, Festival d'ete se Quebec, Quebec City, QC

The Crap Facts

This is my 508th concert.
Place de Assemblee is the 138th venue I've seen a concert at.
Quebec City is the 57th city I've seen a concert at.
Quebec is the 17th state I've seen a concert at.
This is my 4th concert in Canada.
Vieux Fakar Toure is the 594th band I’ve seen.