Anthony Joseph (Tony) Weisman

Tony, my friend for life and my life partner for these twenty years, died suddenly in Seguin, Texas on September 28, 2009. Tony's support and encouragement allowed me to visit Québec, indeed to begin to learn French. I will post here more pictures of him, especially those taken in Quebec City this last summer, but there is one of him sitting on a bench on the Plains of Abraham in the Images for Weisman, Anthony, at www.MeM.com.

Pensez à moi.

Vraiment dans Vermont

But here you have a picture from Stanstead, Québec, taken at the dedication of a new plaza within easy sight of the border crossing into Derby Line, Vermont. Ellen Mass, who told me about the event, is in the foreground in the blue shirt.

It was lovely to be back in Québec even so briefly, on this sunshiny September day when the good folks of Stanstead -- once the Granite Capital of Québec, I learned -- explained their vision for this Eastern Township (once the largest after Sherbrooke). Speeches by the mayor, the new director of the new Granite Museum, the sculptor, all were in French, though some summarized in English.

The U.S. has changed the whole atmosphere at the Derby Line-Rock Island (part of the Stanstead township now). Even so, or because of it, there is a real effort underway in Stanstead to greet whoever crosses with sculpture and fountain, interesting shops, good restaurants, a new granite museum, and beautification of the Tomofobia River.

It is sad to be gone from Québec, but there is the consolation of knowing that even within 25 miles, a French-speaking population welcomes visitors.

The sculpture, of Québec granite, is named Les Larmes Terrestials (did I spell that right?) -- Earth Tears.

I work to make my house in Barton a place where visitors will feel welcome.

Vive Québec! Vive Québec libre!

Général Charles DeGaulle came to Québec in 1967 (November, I think, so just after my daughter, Leecia, was born in late October). His speech is a landmark in Québec history for his having shouted out Vive Québec! Vive Québec libre! I've walked past him hundreds of times now, because I live on an alley that is just the other side of that little red house with white porch. The one with the Québec flag.

*****
So much to learn, so little time to tell about it. On my last full day of this long stay, I'm in the Gabrielle Roy library on a nearly cold August 29. Monique Laforce has met me here. We're going to attend a workshop around the corner on Community and Free Education. Having Monique along will be great, because she can fill me in on anything I didn't understand.

Then I'll go for supper by invitation from Itzela Sosa and Martin. Itzela, from Mexico City, is translating to Spanish the first biography of Flora Tristan, by Éléonor Blanc, which I've already translated to English.



Here are Itzela and Martin. She works on a PhD in Sociology at Université Laval. Martin, from Argentina, works on a graduate degree in Engineering. Ils sont très beaux, n'est pas? Itzela is as beautiful as Flora Tristan was.

*****

On Wednesday Monique and I visited l'Ile d'Orleans, several miles north of the city. One gets there on a bridge from which you can see the water falls of Montmorency. It's one of those scenes that really deserves the word formidable. But I don't have a picture of that, because I was driving.


Here's a picture of me and Monique at a snackbar -- le Bar Laitier. Monique lived here on l'Ile d'Orleans many years ago.



We found the house where she lived, and now it's a gallery, so she was able to walk through some of the rooms she once knew. She lived only across the street while expecting that son. He is now in Afghanistan but only until he returns home to Québec on October 6.


And here's another picture of DeGaulle, because it is.

Goodbye for now, Québec, mais juste Au Revoir.

Art Exhibit on the Plains of Abraham

Above, an artists' exhibit on the Plains of Abraham, around the Joan of Arc Gardens, les jardins de Jeanne d'Arc, August 14-16. It was a very hot weekend, but look at the lovely shade. (And if you look closely, you can see Joan back there on her horse.)




This is Danielle Boucher, who drew a mural of the cityscape on two canvasses and encouraged any and all to take a brush and a palette and paint in the colors. This was my favorite part of the exhibit. It was sponsored by the Fondation Maurice Tanguay -- which helps families have brief summer vacations together, families who could otherwise not afford to "échapper;" also by DeSerres, an art supply business; and by le Journal de Québec, a daily news tabloid.






So, you got the chance to paint, a chance to talk with a friendly francophone who didn't switch to English immediately upon hearing a trace of an American English accent, and a coupon for 25% off your next purchase of art supplies! (That's having it made in the shade.)

Tandis que ...

While I wait to remember to bring the right USB to the library with me, I'll post here another picture or two that I think is worth seeing, though I'd meant to put something altogether different up that I don't have with me.

My friend Monique Laforce has come with me to Bibliothèque Gabrielle Roy in the early evening, still quite hot, 88 degrees Farenheit at 7 pm -- 31.111111111(+) Celcius à 19 heures. We spent most of the day reading her poetry, translating some, eating chocolate ice cream with strawberries grown in Québec.

This morning we went to the Université Laval for her to register for something called here a Third Age Course, Études de Troisième Age, which are inexpensive serious courses in such as art and philosophy for people over 50, given by the university. Why doesn't every university do that?

Then we went to a bistro near the university to which she'd not been in years, Café au Temps Perdu. We spoke long of many things. Elle est diserte, mon amie la poète, mais dans le mieux sens du mot. (I learned this word disert(e) today from Monique, from something of hers I read about Not Funny Buffoons -- Les Bouffons Pas Drôles. Disert(e) originally meant fluent, but then began to mean talkative or gabby. Monique is fluent, communicative. Today I translated three of her poems of lyrical tone and three funny ones -- trois plus drôles. Friday night Monique read at the Tam Tam in Basse Ville.

Another dear friend, young Mathieu Lizotte [I always call him young Mathieu because he is] has returned safely from his travels in South America with his Czech girl friend (I think his girlfriend), Blanka.

Very few pictures on the USB I have with me, but I offer these: outside the Librarie Nelligan, also called Les Temps Retrouvé, and outside le librarie Page Noir.





Nelligans, by the way, is the subject of one of the photographs in an exhibition now at the university Social Science Library. It takes the center place of choice. I went to tell François, the book store owner, to go see it, the day after I saw it. But here's an elegant sight on a hot summer day: a view of Basse Ville taken from stairs going down, back in late winter -- or March 25, properly spring:

Near the city gates

...where Grande Allée become rue St. Louis, some statues I like. These were taken back in May. They've been waiting.

L'écolobus!

The écolobus runs on $3.25 (Canadian) per day. It travels at 35 kilometers per hour (max) up and down the steep hills of the old town, from the port to parliamentary hill. It's free. It's wheelchair accessible. Oh yes: it's electric. Why doesn't every town have one?