Since 1955, between mid-January and mid-February, runs great Carnival Quebec. Third carnival in the world all season (after Rio and New Orleans), and first carnival yesterday: there are over two million people for two weeks. The visitors, mainly families for three years (o alcohol sales down and do less "fun" ... pffff) come into the city, mainly on the Plains Abraham (next door to me) to play games, slide, animation stands, and especially to meet Bonhomme, King of Carnival in Quebec City that the mayor shall, at the start of festivities city, the keys of the capital. Ca, is history. Us, we wanted to check everything out! Accompanied by Eleanor, Aurélie, and Catherine came live from Toronto for the occasion, here I am faced with the prestigious Quebec Winter Carnival!
We arrive in front of a sled dog race. It is not in Quebec for nothing! People scream, yell, clap their favorites, the craze is total activity. We follow our path on the Plains and go towards Place Desjardins, where the main activities are concentrated. Once past the entrance to our right, Jacuzzis in the open, where some people enjoy a hot bath full -10. Yes, that day, it's -10, not less! We need first to take advantage of all possible activities, we provide the effigy of Carnival: a reproduction of Bonhomme, to hang his jacket to go anywhere. 12 bucks later, and the effigy hung it right, here we are in search of sensation. We go to the tracks of sliding, where it takes several minutes before having a special sled and then a few minutes to make the descent. It was worth it anyway. But we are numb with cold, and we're hungry. Never mind, let's taste the taffy. This maple syrup, preheated, which spreads over the snow. With the aid of a stick, it gets the syrup that hardens around said stick. A lollipop maple is what you eat then ... One of the best sweets !!!!!!!
We arrive in front of a sled dog race. It is not in Quebec for nothing! People scream, yell, clap their favorites, the craze is total activity. We follow our path on the Plains and go towards Place Desjardins, where the main activities are concentrated. Once past the entrance to our right, Jacuzzis in the open, where some people enjoy a hot bath full -10. Yes, that day, it's -10, not less! We need first to take advantage of all possible activities, we provide the effigy of Carnival: a reproduction of Bonhomme, to hang his jacket to go anywhere. 12 bucks later, and the effigy hung it right, here we are in search of sensation. We go to the tracks of sliding, where it takes several minutes before having a special sled and then a few minutes to make the descent. It was worth it anyway. But we are numb with cold, and we're hungry. Never mind, let's taste the taffy. This maple syrup, preheated, which spreads over the snow. With the aid of a stick, it gets the syrup that hardens around said stick. A lollipop maple is what you eat then ... One of the best sweets !!!!!!!
We are moving towards the pay site ($ 1.75) from the Tornado, great track about fifteen meters on buoys that run. I find myself only boy stuck between 8 girls who scream their amydales during descent. In the end, fear of Eleanor, who can not find his camera. She goes in search, says the wait deva nt the scene where Hydro Quebec will perform on tonight's Three Chords, the band hit Quebec. Surprise! they are there! They repeat, are experimenting with sound. They perform two songs before us. But Eleanor is back in the meantime and to celebrate the camera, it gives us a tail beaver each (miaaaam). Explanation of the beaver tail: wheat paste, which dips into the frying fat as possible and spread with anything you want. A treat, absolutely not diet. This allows us nevertheless to get warm, shivering with cold as we were! Can we buy a stick of Carnival, in which Eleanor is paid by the people of the caribou SAQ, alcohol Canada. An equivalent customary goutu mulled wine French. Alcohol hand quickly, we're alcoholics!
The next day, Sunday is the big parade. Or at least, one of the few major parades will be during the next two weeks. Here is the first. Many families run in Lower City to attend the march of the inflatable, and some young people (like us) we're in the crowd. To specify a person in three is equipped vuvuzela of the public, good sound. Pictures!
Then visit the Ice Palace of Bonhomme, opposite the Parliament (so meanwhile, we climbed the shore of Quebec we go to the Upper Town : geographical accuracy that is no longer paramount in my case, making the route twice a week at least ...).