It was so great going home, seeing everyone, chatting with family, eating good food, etc.
I left Quebec in 1992, sure I go back once every 1 or 2 years. I even spent a winter in Montreal a few years ago when my husband (before he was my husband) and I had broken up for a bit. But all in all I left ‘home’, meaning Quebec about 16 years ago now. During that time I’ve lived a bit everywhere but spent the largest bit of that in Germany. Germany now feels like home too. So when I go ‘home’ as in Quebec, things are familiar, they ‘feel’ like home but the don’t ‘look’ like home. Things have changed; there are new buildings, roads have changed, there are new bars and restaurants, etc. Plus I am now more used to the ‘look’ of Germany, so in a way when I go to Quebec I partly feel like a tourist with a critical eye while also feel like I’m home. I hope you can understand what I’m trying to say. It’s as if the place is both exotic and new as well as being familiar. It’s very strange… Does anyone else feel like that? When they go ‘home’ home?
Over the years we’ve developed a great system. Basically I go to visit my family about 5 to 7 days before my husband, that way I can catch up with my family and girly chat whilst I don’t need to translate or bore him to death. Then he comes to meet me for loads of family parties and a shorter visit. This time though his parents came too so that everyone could meet each other as the wedding had been just the two of us. For the first time we even did some touristy things. It was great! We went to the Montmorency falls, ate in posh restaurants, visited a bit of Montreal, the Island of Orleans and even St Paul Bay, as well as the family parties. The weather was warm and all in all I felt proud to show Quebec off.
Here are a couple of pictures, nothing fancy, simply a few ‘touristy’ photos.
Busy old Montreal on a Sunday afternoon.
Montmorency falls, just out side of Quebec city. Pick a nice warm day to go as there is a boardwalk right up to foot of it. If you dare... It's a rather wet experience!
St Paul Bay about 100-150 Km north-east of Quebec. Cute little town full of art galleries and arts & crafts.
- Quebec parliament by night with a new ‘posh’ fountain flown in from France.
A slightly more artistic photo of old Montreal.
