rambling the quebec countryside

after our adventures at the border,
our ride to Quebec city was almost as fun as visiting the city itself
- tooling along the highway 

- until one too many oooo's and aaaahhhh's

 - and then, we have got to get off this highway!

yeah - that was a good idea!

this pretty lady was auditioning to be the star of my show
 - but the foliage was stealing her thunder...

and I wonder - if this were the view from my kitchen window
- would I ever take it for granted?

 For fans of Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache mystery series,
I soooo wanted to meander the countryside looking for Three Pines
except - you know - it's fictional (darn!)

but this place was very real
- and even though I didn't get to sip a cafe au lait in Gabri and Olivier's bistro,

getting Greg to actually exit the autoroute,
and roaming the French Canadian countryside was the next best thing.

In an effort to keep myself focused (somewhat)
- and hopefully improve my photography (somewhat)
I will be starting a photo challenge for myself
(mimicking  many I've seen on various blogs and photography sites)
My plan is to post on Monday's - details are in my new tab

Thanks so much for all your responses about your favorite lenses!
Your answers provided me with food for thought (and research)

Happy Monday!

j'adore quebec!

oui oui!!

and that's about all the french I know - except for maybe bon jour

- which the shopkeepers had a very melodious way of saying

- and I was never quite successful at imitating

(le sigh...)

without further ado - here are a few things I loved about Quebec

1) the Chateau Frontenac

which reminds me of a castle - but it's not

It's fun to look at anyway - and is beautiful lit up at night

and looms over the city

2) window shopping

3) outdoor cafes

even when it's only 50 degrees outside

(french onion soup, please)

4) art where you least expect it

-on the side of a building

- in alleys

and last but not least

5) ornate fences with bright autumn foliage

actually - I could go on and on

(coffee shops, creperies, waterfall, river views...)

On another note - as we roamed about the city taking photos,

it seemed I always had the wrong lens in my camera.

- kit lens lacks enough zoom

- zoom lens is often too zoomy

and the nifty fifty - while very, very nifty - is somewhat limiting when walking around

I'd kind of like to buy a good walk-around lens

I'd love to know what your favorite lens is (walk-around or otherwise)!

I'm joining Theresa for Good Fences

and

Tanya for Willy Nilly Friday 5

Have a great weekend!