As you don't know
, I've been to Quebec from 22th to 29th June 2008 ! 
I try now to translate the long summary that I've done for my french-speaking friends, the Fringants Cousins (Les Cousins Fringants) : [Please tell me the errors that I have absolutely to correct.
]So... ! I go now... remembers are young ! (I want to remember because I tend to forget.)
Saturday 21th June 2008 :
Stop to the Darnaudet (Darnaudet is a last name.)
After Sion-Geneva and Geneve-PGDL (Paris-Gare-De-Lyon), I arrive by getting off the RER B4 at Bure-Sur-Yvette (having changed at the station Châtelet-Les-Halles) where Thierry (Darnaudet) comes and take me by car. I enjoy beans made by Katie (Darnaudet), and some differents beers (from Quebec, of course). We hear that it is music party (fête de la musique ; there was already noise at the station Châtelet-Les-Halles), Thierry checks for me the paths for the return (because on Monday 30th June he works and, so well, we have well done, plane has had late (some more than one hour) ; for Sophie (the girl which lives near Rennes), bus Air France until the station Montparnasse, for me, bus until the station Juvisy then RER D until PGDL). Just some time to see a few moment Émilie and Delphine (the two daughters of Thierry and Katie Darnaudet ; these two have a son).
Sunday 22 June 2008 :
Before the flight !
After the lunch Thierry takes me to the airport ParisOrlySud (Sud = South). I wanted to be on place already at 1100, even if the plane took off at 1345 (local time). I give my luggage for "bunker" (the luggage that we don't need to use during the flight), I inform myself about the bus for the return (verification of informations found by Thierry and loclisation of respective bus stations), I buy myself a (by chance seen) book. (They've done it ! by Philippe Chatenay and Simon Marty, preface by Jean-François Kahn, collection Max Milo Humour, edition Marianne, for people who want to buy it ; moreover it is relatively recent, edited in 2008 ; and I bought it cheaper than on Amazon.fr
). This is finally this book that I've read during the flight instead of the others that I had taken. [Le Rouge et le Noir, La Chartreuse de Parme, both written by Stendahl alias Henri Beyle, that I have finally not yet read. ] High flight !
During the flight from Paris to Montreal I read Les Femmes Savantes, by Molière, that I will simply - too simply - summary by a critic about the knowledge without know-how (in medicine, in this story). And - I told you before - I've read the book that I bought at the airport. Meal was good (Of course, it's not made by myself.). Let me tell you again it was the first time that flied with Corsair (yes... I've not much risen in plane
). Sympathic and smiling crew. People applause when the plane landed (I had forgotten this custom). There has not been any accident. I Like forseen I land at 1525 at the airport Dorval (Pierre-Elliott Trudeau, why to have chosen such name ? 
). I take back my luggage. Ah ! I forgot the unstopping questions about motivations of this trip (nevertheless I understand the motivation to these questions). But the good point : with the boy who checked my luggage we have very amically talked about the Saint-Jean ! (main reason why I decided myself for this trip, let's say it again)We meet... and my gifts !
At the airport, like forseen cheyenne (from others fora, for example QuébecPolitique , but she doesn't go anymore and me too, we are some bored) and Mielle (on the forum of the Cowboys Fringants) host me. Difficult not to recognize them : they both move a flag of Quebec (size to hide the face). But cheyenne told me to have taken 2-3 people for me.
Cheyenne, in her car, drive us to Mielle. In the car I've time to discover all the gifts that she had me announced ! Look out !!! I count : a big flag of Quebec (like A1 paper about) ! Two little flag of Quebec (those that they moved when I arrived), five hats, two bottles of la Bleue (Labatt ; a beer, but not the most quebecer), a good bottle of Caribou (this is, at contrary, well quebecer ! ; it contains 22.9 % of alcool), some blue "southers" (often sugar-tasted, that we suck, often for children, with a stick), some candles and some mini-lamps with the flag of Quebec drawn, a bandana (headscarf) fleurdelysed (fleurdelysé = with a flower of lys), two fleurdelysées sub-cup, a Tic Tac Toe (they name it so in Quebec ; game : the morpion, like we call it in France and Switzerland ), but with nine mini-glasses instead of simple coins, glasses where we can deverse many different drinks ! I keep the list : an umbrella-hat (with fleur de lys ; you've to open it completely before putting it on because the central part is in metal), a necklace (fleurdelysé ; blue bowls, white bowls, mini-"wafers", blue lys flower on whit background), some provisory tattoo (with fleur de lys, once more), two luminescent cylinders, a water bubble, an ornementation (with forme of a lys flower) to fix at the wall, 1/4 liter of maple syrup. Okay ! I've said everything ! Not mythic but a meeting anyway !
Arrived to Mielle's I phone Souverainiste ( Non official forum of Marie-Annick Lépine, created and managed bye Souverainiste ; preasent also on the forum of the Cowboys Fringants). She finally tells me that she cannot come, nor Dom's Groupie (this pseudonyme on the non official forum of Marie-Annick Lépine, MiSs_CowBoys on the forum of the Cowboys Fringants, some others pseudonyms on some others fora, this blind girl who plays several instruments, for example violin). I quickly post a message on the forquoted forum, then the others one who want to come can call Mielle. Later mite-humaine (on the same forum, a boy who can decide himself to do the CEGEP, but not sure) calls. We tell each other to meet at the (metro) station Fabre (the nearest from Mielle's home). cheyenne has to go home (she lives in Oka, 45 minutes in west from Montreal). We three share a poutine !!! (miam miam ! I had not tasted it for three years !
) We go back to Mielle's with mite-humaine, whom we begin to share the Caribou in the mini-glasses of the morpion (Tic Tac Toe) with. No fear ! There are still 2/3 in the bottle ! At midnight about mite-humaine goes home. I to bed.Monday 23th June 2008 :
To prepare ourselves to the Saint-Jean !
Like forseen I take the bus from Montreal (just at the station Berri-UQAM ; start at 0800) to Quebec city (company Orléans Express ; stop at 1115). Sophie and I had to see each other at 1200 but Sophie already sees me at 1130. She puts her luggage in a paying cabinet (at the bus station). We visit Quebec and its Plaines d'Abraham, who have also their friends (friend = ami(e)) (Les Amis Des Plaines D'Abraham). M'enfin... Sophie already knows well Quebec City (already visited some days ago before). She tells me her story at Tadoussac (desert places are sometimes prohibited
). She will show you the whales, the Montmorency Falls. We eat in an italian restaurant. For a while we go to la Barberie, when we walk it begins to rain, and some strongly. A the Barberie, we take a carrousel galopin (8 beers of the Barberie in circle, in medium glasses (140 ml = 5 oz), which is not the same as the grand carrousel with normal glasses (308 ml = 11 oz) ). We see that we both prefer white beers, less the black beers (especially this, the Stout, with ethical coffee ; despite its ethical we don't like coffee ). A comic guy talks to us (there is always a comic man in these bars ), about sovereignty, about his life (war). When the rain's stopped and when we've finished our carrousel, we walk back to Quebec City and the Plaines d'Abraham !!! Even if the Plains Of Abraham are large the world is little !
There are already much people who are coming. I shouldn't have bought my beers. I would not only have saved some money (as you will read later I've once again done my debtor to Sophie) but I also wouldn't have to give my beers. We had no right to takes bottles in the parc (but in 2005 - I remember - we had right). So... because I could be only impatient - show were going to start - I decided to offer my beers
. Among people whom I gave beers I meet two French boys. We talk a bit. And when one tells me that he is from Britanny I call Sophie (she's from Britanny, too). Strong exchange ! Sophie will explain you better than me how little the world is ! [Rain's come back !]Cold and hot show !
After a long talking Sophie and I enter. The two French boys weere waiting for more than one hour for their chums who had to buy some drinks at the SAQ (Société des Alcools au Québec ; Society of Alcools in Quebec). And we enjoy a suit of shows especially with Les Trois Accords !!! The animator of the night was in energy (full of fire) ! At the middle of the show an humorist do a bad show... and people don't listen to him... (attention became distraction) and people don't stop moving... (I wonder, whether a port of people came for drinking too much or to enjoy the Saint-Jean and the 400 Years of Quebec City or both...) We spend all night in this long party !
Tuesday 24th June 2008 :
One show after the other one, please !
And at the end (it's 0400) we go back to the bus station. Sophie takes her luggage back. We take the bus (there were 2-3 ones, which we could know
), we sleep a bit in the bus, take the metro to the station Fabre. Heu... when we get off at the station Jean Talon (where we have to change metro from Berri UQAM), a young girl is vomiting in the metro (but not too much). We sleep a bit at Mielle's and go back to the rue Sherbrooke (rue = street). I didn't know where exactly the organized walk began. When we got off the metro at the station Sherbrooke we walk a bit to the start point. The procession was not so far. The Quebecer flags were floating in a large mare !!! "Bonne Saint-Jean !". During the procession we Subway a little sandwich, and we keep walking to the parc Maisonneuve.Let's repeat the show but let's repeat it good ! people are already on the place !
We visit it a bit, we walk near the scene. Sophie decide to stay some behind when I prefer to go as near as possible !We assist to several repetitions (whose Libérez-Nous Des Libéraux). And foor artists do a magical percussion (by a "turning square"). After a consistant rain, no more rain until the end !!! The comedian Emmanuel Bilodeau speaks a speech (text by Loco Locass, with much common words with songtexts of Loco Locass). See here and read here (26th message) !
«Ce sont les gars de Loco Locass qui ont écrit le discours cette année. Je l’avais déjà livré il y a neuf ans, mais j’étais moins inspiré par ce type de texte. J’avais envie de quelque chose de plus corsé, a confié le comédien Emmanuel Bilodeau à quelques heures de monter sur scène. Quand j’ai lu le texte de Biz, j’ai vraiment accroché. Le texte patriotique sera très puissant et très intense cette année. Biz a écrit de la poésie, mais il n’a pas la langue dans sa poche.»
Source : Canoë
["Loco Locass wrote the speech this year. I had already spoken nine years ago but I was less inspired by this typ of text. I wanted something more bodied/consistant, said the comedian Emmanuel Bilodeau some hours before he goes on scene. When I read the text of Biz (ndlr. one of the three main members of Loco Locass : Biz, Chafiik and Batlam) I was taken. The patriotic text will be powerful and very intense this year. Biz writes poetry but he doesn't keep the tongue in his pocket."]
There was also a presentation of the quebecer flags in the history.
Without Loco Locass what would be the show ?
But the whole show begins with Xavier Caféine ! During the show of Loco Locass (whom I principally come for ; and which has given fire to most people ; let's say again that Loco Locass has been named Patriot Band of 2008 !), they said they would not play Libérez-Nous Des Libéraux when many (most) people were waiting for this song. At the end they've done this song, when all artists played together. And at this moment everybody sang by heart moving the quebecer flags !!! If you want to read the success of these two days : here. The show was also visible at tv for people who cannot move or for those who don't like swiming in people. I could not discuss with Loco Locass (especially Chafiik, whose sister Alecka just won a contest) because of security (we had not well prepared our fight
). But, between 23 and 24, I wish and was wished n times "Bonne Saint-Jean" ! patriotic and sovereignist ambiance/atmosphere was guaranted !!!And we come back home in the evening and had a long rest. Slept a long time the following day, as forseen.
Wednesday 25th June 2008 :
Two young people buy and visit the Old Montreal ! spending the main streets of Montreal !
Well... I've now misery (difficulty) to situate the events chronologically
(I should have written) We slept a long time, but after ? Ah ! Yes, it's coming back into my memory... Mielle showed us the little shop where we can buy books and cd's cheaper (than at Archambault). I've now at my passive the last cd of Henri Band (Rock'n Roll de Campagne, whose no song I knew ; Sophie bought the other one, whose I love most songs), Le Voyage by Paul Piché and Portraits by Jim Corcoran (with the now famous J'Ai La Tête En Gigue) Sophie and I visited a bit the the Old Montreal in the afternoon, walking a long part of the rue Saint-Denis down, that Sophie enjoyed a lot. From the Vieux-Port, at the Saint-Laurent, we can see a part of the parc Jean-Drapeau (with the Saint-Jean (national day of Quebec, each 24 June), it's one main affair of the SSJB). Admired the Saint-Laurent, had a rest... Sophie began writing her letters. And we walked the boulevard René-Lévesque to the West (with high rectangular buildings...) then the rue Sainte-Catherine to the East. We stopped at la Place des Arts (with metro station with same name), at the good restaurant Bâton Rouge (why did I think to say "Bouton Rouge" maybe because I had red button the following day (button = bouton, by moustics) ), where I would not hesitate to come back (but it's neither for tomorrow nor for next year, for me). We took the metro to go home, after we saw an Archambault, who was going to close "in five minutes". Ah ! I forgot... Sophie showed me a Lush, this shop with ethical and ecological/natural cosmetics (beauty and health) products. I will have to visit the swiss branches in Switzerland.Thursday 26th June 2008 :
At the procurements center then at the center of nature !
Instead of going to cheyenne at Oka, as she had proposed to us (her uncle had to go the hospital, I don't know more why), Sophie and I went with Mielle to Archambault and buy the last things we wanted (the book of sheets of the album Break Syndical (one of those by Les Cowboys Fringants) for me
I also bought In Vivo, by Loco Locass... borrowed some money from Sophie ; Sophie could buy the DVD of Les Trois Accords) and without Mielle we have visited le jardin botanique (botanic garden), the second biggest, I was told. From 1345, we arrange to meet at 1700 at the ticket point, because we visited each things at different speeds. We did not decided ourselves for the whole Biodôme-JardinBotanique-Insectarium-Planétarium. The others parts did interessus less, and the botanical garden was enough large... At a moment I ask one person what time it was. It's four ! I had just one hour to visit the other half of the botanical garden... I had spend too much time in Chinese and Japanese gardens. Next time I come to Quebec (this time is very far because North of Europe calls me for next summer(s)), I'll spend one full day (from opening to closing) for all the whole (Biodôme, Jardin Botanique, Insectarium et Planétarium). If I lived in Quebec (around Montreal), I would be very interested in the Amis du Jardin Botanique, even if my botanical knowledge is a bamboo leaf in an equatorial forest. But in spite of all it was nice and calm (relaxing)... a little hot... and only at the end I feel a bump on my front. It doesn't hurt but it's not red, answers me Sophie. We eat a pizza and we go home. Friday 27th June 2008 :
Friday is a free day !
Free day : Sophie and I take the metro, she to the metro station McGill, I to the metro station Place D'Armes. She go for visiting the submarine city, I go for listening to my chum, which play in La Petite École Du Jazz of Montreal, for the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM). I could only see him when he was playing (in the Complexe Desjardins, just near the Place des Arts), neither before nor after. I enjoy, even if I am not yet an "old jazzfan". Then I went to the main Centre d'Information Touristique of Montreal. Walked to the parc Mont-Royal that I partially visited (especially West part), saw Sophie, then, when she kept visiting it, I walk to the Université de Montréal goint cross the Cimetière Notre-Dame-Des-Neiges (cimetière = cemetery). Then direction l'Inspecteur-Épingle (where we had to check each other at 2030, because Dany Placard had to play theorically at 2100). I arrive, I ask what time it is... 1830. I told me... I've time to visit a bit le parc Lafontaine and la Bibliothèque Nationale in Montreal. I spend a long time in this. I get out. No clock (in Switzerland it's much more easier
)... I ask someone... "Don't know... but it may be about 2100... (I had to be with Sophie at 2030) I run the rue St-Hubert (stops when there are cars ), I see Sophie and Mielle, who tell me that it is 2035... (5 minutes late anyway... ) We sit down in the bar... we wait 2100... they (the band of Dany Placard) prepare themselves, they repeat their songs, another duo (Flambeau La Fl'Âme) plays first. Some men at another table have had enought time to drink many glasses. Dany Placard begins only at 2215-2230. A good show, even if I did know none of their song (at opposite of Sophie). Even if percussions fought a bit too strongly for me I enjoy some songs. At the break we had to pay 5 canadian dollars (tax included ; sometimes the tax is not included in the announced price). They finished at midnight. Then we went home.Saturday 28 June 2008 :
Nostalgy of the old village !
At 1000 we three (not wifi) we go by car and take Mielle's sister and drive to the Village Québécois d'Antan of Drummondville, where we see many thing in state of XIXth and start of XXth century : houses, broom "factory", school, garden tools, etc. For my part I particularly enjoy the presentation of the school and the musical theater (traditional violin, I love more and more, already with Suroît) decorated with a perfect choreography/dance of 16 children (8 boys and 8 girls, you knew), and with a funny sketch between two boys who ask the same girl in marriage/wedding (moreover with humour of the narrator girl).
Heu... it was some rainy and constantly grey.Fire on and under Jean Drapeau
At night Sophie and I went and saw the fireworks (Italy night) at Parc Jean Drapeau (a park with games, where there was the long show of la Saint-Jean on 24th June 2005). Sophie left home a bit sooner in order to find a poster of Montreal. I told myself that I could leave at 1930 to be (as we decided) at 2130 at the entry of the Biosphère (it began at 2200), and walk all the rue Cartier. Effectively I arrive at 2100, le pont Jacques Cartier (pont = bridge) is provisionnaly closed, then open only for walkers. I find Sophie at 2115, and we stay on Le Pont Jacques Cartier. Very nice fireworks... (even if I rarely watch it... I don't like sounds and I don't find it very ecological) Sophie told me that it was the best ones that she had ever seen. We went back home.
Sunday 29 June 2008 :
A tantôt ! (= See you soon !)
Slowly we prepare our luggage, Mielle drive us back to the airport for 1500. We hear that the plane (Corsair) take off at 1900 instead of 1750 (compensation : 15 canadian dollars ticket for drinks during the flight). With humour the pilot excuse the crew for late. This time I sit near a window (yeah !!!). What a nice view over Earth !!! I just have to let other people see the sea (but they cannot have a view as good as mine
). I enjoy seeing the white (sometimes grey) clouds !!! like in jakuzzi !!! (head in clouds and no more feet on Earth ; I am not yet at the seventh sky but not yet anymore six feet under Earth ) Because I am very tired I haven't read during the return flight. The Crew was sympathic, even if not as sympathic as on 22th, I find.Monday 30th June 2008 :
Back to work !
Instead of 0620 we landed at 0800. For luggage Sophie was not lucky : first flight was late but moreover her luggage arrived nearly the last (75 minutes of long-waiting ! I had never seen it (I've not often taken the plane.
).). It was not good for her train at 0900 at the station Montparnasse. Not even sure that she can have her train ticket for Rennes repaid (paper to fill in and to send to Corsair ; train ticket warned as neither repayable nor exchangeable by the SNCF). For my part I had time... (train which leave at 1258 from PGDL) When Sophie buys her ticket to the station Montparnasse, we left each other. I take the bus to Juvisy (not at the same place as the others), then the RER D from Juvisy to PGDL. Ninety good minutes to wait and spend my last euros (water and submarine ; submarine = sous-marin = sandwich). This time nothing special in the TGV from PGDL to Lausanne, except that the border guards were not very amical nor smiling this time.The key words are in blue, of course ! en bold blue with links !
Please note that Mielle, cheyenne, Dom's Groupie (MiSs_CowBoys) and Souverainiste have for respective first names Marie-Hélène, Nicole, Arie-Anne et Stéphanie. I did use only the Cousins Fringants' real first name.
[Please tell me the errors that I have absolutely to correct.
]Shokin
]
