Bon week-end !

Friday:
Friday marked the end of the first week of classes. After an afternoon visit to the Centre d’interprétation de la Place Royale, students chose among a soirée-film, free time, or time for emailing.

At the museum, students play at dress-up with historical garb:



Saturday:
With the whole day ahead of us (after the grasse-mat, of course), some students opted to hang out on campus and enjoy Laval’s gym, pool, and tennis courts. Others of us took advantage of a sunny afternoon by picnicing on the Plaines d’Abraham, exploring the battlefield on foot, sketching under a shady tree, and strolling around the Old City. Both groups met up for dinner at the foot of the Montmorency waterfalls and the evening’s grandiose fireworks display in honor of Québec’s 400th anniversary. We ended the evening with pie, sparkling drinks, and a toast in honor of a student's 15th birthday!

Les sportifs:





The international fireworks competition:



Sunday:

Sunday brought a full day out and a variety of discoveries. First, we head out for Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré where one class of students taught the rest of us about the legend of Sainte Anne and the historical and religious importance of the basilica in Québec. Curious students browsed the souvenir (and fudge) shops while others opted to check out services in French. Then it was a picnic lunch together and on to Baie-Saint-Paul, a quaint town on the river valley known for its artist colonies. We chatted with local (and international) artists at the Baie’s symposium, got a guided tour and learned about sustainable architecture and design in an entirely recycled eco-house in a beautiful natural setting, and sampled ice cream and other treats on the town’s narrow streets before heading back to Québec City. We finished the night off with pizza and student evaluations of the trip so far so that we could tweak things and keep folks happy.

Outside Sainte-Anne's:



At the symposium, we discover that we've got artists among us, as students get in on the act!





Students collaborate with an artist on a photography project:



Even Francesca, our instructor, activities coordinator, and resident art history expert, joins in:



The cute little eco-maison:



Even with the gray skies, it was beautiful. Here, avec les copines:



Stay tuned, more to come!

P.S. Hmm...this novice blogger seems to have inadvertently changed the settings and can no longer find where to edit the font. Please excuse the hodge-podge of fonts and sizes!