Day 2 July 8, 2009

PGC Tour 2009
Day 2, July 8, 2009
2108 heures
Another long but fun filled wonderful day!!
Started early with a 700 heure wake up call, le petit dejeuner at 730 and we rendezvoused to board the bus at 830. Headed off to the old city of Quebec where we had a local tour guide, Linda, who pointed out all the important sites and absolutely kept us laughing. We saw the citadel, the funiculaire, the old European streets and the most photographed hotel in North America, Chateau Frontnac, which has an amazing copper roof and about 45 dormers! She let us out to take photos a number of times and then we were dropped off to walk the Place de Royal before our “concert” at the oldest stone church in North America, north of Mexico, Eglise Notre Dame des Victories. See we did learn something!! Lugging the key board up a very steep hill with the help of some of our choristers it was set up in the church for the performance. Then we did a walking tour of Place de Royal and had a few moments in our chaperone groups before gathered to sing in the church where the alter area is actual gilded with gold leaf. (See the pictures to follow! There is a boat in the church – see if you can find it in the photos) The ”concert” went off without a hitch and we really appreciated having our personal cheering squad of our four shadowing families. It was fun to gather with them for a moment. Starving, in our groups we headed out for lunch and shopping. Some of us had very brief inexpensive lunches and some had crepes at the creperie! Some got to wander and some didn’t because lunch took too long. But the crepes were worth it!!
Met the bus back at the funiculaire and we headed off to our second concert of the day at St Patrick’s Seniors Residence. They entertained the seniors who were the most appreciative audience they have ever sung for. Many of the ladies in the audience sang along to La Violetta much to Mrs. Westrick’s delight and confusion, and they enjoyed the spirituals and Never, Never Land. Imagine a wildly and enthusiastic senior citizen audience and you got it! After many cookies and fruit and cheese bites later, we left the seniors’ home and – with a change of plans- returned to the old city and the real reason we are here -- shopping!! The girls are doing their best to stimulate the provincial economy!! We once again rendezvoused with Gary and LE AUTOBUS to head off to La Vielle Maison du Spaghetti, or the old Spaghetti factory as we lovingly refer to it. Caesar salad, pasta, bread and brownies were bought by the girls as they SANG for their supper with “The Storm is Passing Over” which they danced as well as sang with Mrs. Westrick directing! The appreciative wait staff were very impressed and it is truly an honor for us as well when they erupt into song that way!
Surprise, surprise, when we headed BACK to the old city where Mrs. Westrick called 12names and --- all the ninth graders were called off the bus! They were shocked as they had been convinced that because of the home stay situations there would be no special ninth grade activity. So they were spirited away with Jan and Janet and the rest of us headed back to our hotel with the girls singing on the way home. The 7th and 8th graders packed and went swimming and hopefully by now are going to bed.
Now it is 2200 and Jan and Janet are regaling us with the ninth grade activity. They did a tour of the Chocolate Museum and each girl (plus Jan and Janet) picked out a special chocolate treat. Jan and Janet say they sang their way through their activity with favorite songs from every musical venue right outside the Chocolate Museum. One gentleman was recording it on his cell phone. (Will we hear them on utube?) As the girls sang to each other and for themselves people gathered to enjoy their chansons because Quebecians are so in tuned to street performers. Our ninth graders gelled as a group, and we recognize that the other girls were doing the same kind of gelling in the pool and at the hotel.
Tomorrow is another early day so hopefully they are all in their rooms readying for bed.
Signing off at 2212
Bonne Nuit

Here is the link to today's photos, enjoy (now it is after 2400!! This sport is exhausting- tonight Janet and Cindy helped create this blog)

http://picasaweb.google.com/PGCTour2009/Day2July82009#