Maybe it's because I'm only in Quebec for 5 weeks, but I feel like there's so many things going on each day that the past 3 weeks actually felt more like 3 months...
It's been a pretty active few days – I went kayaking on Tuesday (the weather was PERFECT – sunny and hot, with just a little breeze), and last Sat, I went for a hike on Mount St Anne (an hr drive or so outside of Quebec City) and saw the St Anne Basilica with the school group. I wish I could tell you about the view at the top of Mount St Anne, but I did that hike in the pouring rain, so we couldn't see anything – it was a good hike though! I definitely wouldn't mind doing it again in drier weather.
The basilica was absolutely beautiful – if any of you ever come into Quebec with a car, it's definitely worth the drive. I'm not religious, but I can't seem to get enough of religious buildings – churches, mosques, temples – I'm into any and all of them. I generally find them to be kind of therapeutic to be in, and I always love the craftsmanship. In terms of churches, I find that the architectural style of each one really reflects how that particular parish interprets their religion – for instance, the St Joseph Oratory in Montreal focused more on the suffering of Christ, the interior feels hard and rigid and sombre, everything's made with stone and iron, and though it's suppose to be a "miracle church", I definitely got a "sinners beware" vibe from it. St Anne's Basilica also has the reputation of being a site for miracles, but the interior is obviously a labour of love, and its murals and texts focuses more on unity and healing. I read in the paper that St Anne is actually the mother of Mary and the grandmother of Jesus – but don't quote me on that, it was a French paper so I'm not sure how perfect my understanding of it is. The most notable thing about this church is the tile work on the interior – there was definitely a mix of Greek/Byzantine/Egyptian influence which I found really interesting. I especially liked the mural narrating the life of St Anne and Jesus on the ceiling of the main hall. St Anne's also felt a lot more welcoming than St Joseph's – they used really warm and vibrant colors, especially in the main hall, and it felt really comforting to be inside. I also have a thing for Jesus portrayals – I find it really interesting that every church seem to have a different "portrait" of Jesus – in St Anne, Jesus ranges from a baby with curly blond hair and blue eyes in the basement, to the adult form of brown hair, brown eyes, and a full beard. The only other religion that I can claim any type of familiarity with is Buddhism, and from what I can gather, the faces of deities are pretty unified across the different branches, and the same goes for the more traditional deities that the Chinese worship.
What I'd like to do someday is to stay in an apartment that has been converted from an old church building. Apparently, after the ultra religious Duplessis era in Quebec, Catholicism lost influence so rapidly that churches were closing down left and right (probably b/c the province was once entirely Catholic and church attendance/activities was mandatory, so if you imagine that churches were like Starbucks in Vancouver, you'd get a pretty accurate pic of how many there were). A lot of the old churches have been converted to serve another purpose, including as residential and commercial buildings – they keep the exterior but completely gut the interior – I think it'd be really neat to stay in one, just so I can say I have =P
Went to another Cirque du Soleil performance tonight – this time, we parked ourselves right up to the center stage – it was great, we could see everything!! I can't believe how lucky we are to be able to see such a great show in such a unique venue, and for free too!! I don't know if they do this every year, but I really hope to see them again before the show ends this weekend. Tickets for Les Miserable is now bought and paid for – going on Sunday – can't wait!! =D
I'm with you on finding religious buildings fascinating, without being religious myself. Always seemed to me like the best of human kind went into those buildings, be it in terms of architecture, engineering, art of the time... and then I remember what people do in the name of various deities. Funny how religion can bring out the best and the worst in people.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, St. Anne was Mary's mother (no clue why I was named after Jesus's grandmother...). But Jesus with blond hair and blue eyes? That's a first for me...