Pictures From Quebec City
written by John Chow on April 20th, 2007
Man, I thought Montreal was a culture shock until I got into Quebec City. If you’ve ever wondered how you can visit Europe without flying across the ocean, come to Quebec! You would swear you were in some European village instead of a Canadian town. Even the traffic lights are different here - they’re horizontal. Here are some photos.
I’m still trying to figure out what this sign means. Any ideas?
Quebec female demonstrates how to match a tattoo with a pair of jeans. Now that’s fashion sense! You have to love the power of 12X zoom. 
- Posted in Ramblings
- 59 comments what's your take?
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I want you to steal that handicap sign and use it for a contest prize!!!!
Reply to this commentIt’s bolted down really tight!
Reply to this commentIts the 5 - 6 security camera , looking at you looking at the sign , that I would watch for
I am waiting for you to try the Poutine !!
Ashton
http://www.chez-ashton.com/prod.php?prod=1&subprod=2
or
La Belle province
http://www.webitnetwork.com/labelleprovince/
What do you usually say : its just eat , don’t look don’t ask ?
Reply to this commentNothing a wrench and the cover of night can’t solve!
Reply to this commentHope you were subtle when you took that last pic John!
Reply to this commentWhen you have 12X zoom, they don’t know what hit them.
Reply to this commentlmao you can arrested for that… apparently
Reply to this commentWhere is her hand?
Reply to this commentWell, I hope your camera date settings were set to French when you took that shot…other wise the Language police are gonna be coming to get you!
Reply to this commentI saw a pic like this where the woman had some calligraphy in that place. The caption to the picture went - ‘It says, if you can read this, you’re too close’.
Reply to this commentTarget practice.
Reply to this commenthaha, what does your wife think about pics like the last one??
FT
Reply to this commentAs a European I must tell you: Even here, horizontal traffic lights are quite seldom..
Reply to this commentBut the pics are nice, actually it does look a little like Switzerland, Straßbourg, Heidelberg or Göttingen! If you see a tall dude called Rémy, about 28, give him kind regards from me. He should strolling around in Quebec..
Yeah… horizontal lampposts don’t = Europe …
Reply to this commentJohn Chow: Stalker Extraordinare.
Reply to this commentthe last pic wqas too good, was ur wife beside?
btw the sign would mean a handicap helpline or something…
Yeh there are 2-3 towns in India too which look like french, have the sign boards, street names in French. Once a french colony. Good too see such in Cannada too
Reply to this commentThat’s a good question, I mean, you’d have to assume his wife would visit the blog, at least occasionally!
Reply to this commentPersonally I hear enough from my partner already so the last thing I’d want to do is read about them as well, is there no escape
Reply to this commentI’ve met his wife and she seems cool with it. It’s not like evil John is going to pursue things any further than a candid photo anyways.
Reply to this commentIn an unrelated comment….
John did you know you can’t turn right on a red at a stop light in Quebec? Seriously, you can get a ticket for this….
Reply to this commenthttp://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2003/04/13/redlight_quebec030413.html
Montreal is the only city where you cant , other city have sign that say you can’t turn in some places for safety reason due to high volume trafic or pedestrians.
Reply to this commentWOW. I’m out of date now.
Thanks for the link. I had a friend who was ticketed in 1999 in Hull, Quebec….
Reply to this commentWe have some lights that are specifically marked as no right turn on red. Not very many, only intersections it would be dangerous.
Reply to this commentI think this is because Montreal is one of the only places I see people standing out in the middle of the street waiting to walk…. So taking a turn on red could mean smashing one of these people.
Reply to this commentthats kinda wack
Reply to this comment
all pictures are…except the last one..NOT!!
Reply to this commentThat hybrid handicap sign must mean “have you checked your crutches/wheelchair lately?” or “can you see a handicap person beside you? If so, please step sideways and give way to the poor guy/gal” — something like that.
Reply to this commentMaybe context would help, where was the sign located? Near anything?
Reply to this commentLooks like sidewalk rails to me, but only John knows the right answer to that.
Now I REALLY need to know what that sign means…
Reply to this commentI think the sign means wheelchair accessible/ information ? Thats my guess.
Reply to this commentIs it a parking sign? Maybe it’s a
‘are you handicapped and parking here? You better be.’
Reply to this commentMaybe it means ‘handicapped / generally confused?’
Reply to this commentJohn, you really should come to Europe and Italy.
Here you will learn a lot about cities and food.
Isn’t Chow pronunced the same as Ciao?
A presto
Reply to this commentMr. Oz
I wouldn’t be surprised if John’s next stop was somewhere overseas. John Chow on the road…Europe THEN Asia…that would be so awesome.
Reply to this commentHas anyone noticed the woman’s left hand in that last picture? Everyone was so busy staring at her…pant print that it never even dawned on us that she had a cast of some sort. Perhaps she could’ve known what the special handicap sign above meant?
Reply to this commentWOW! nice observation. Interesting how the human brain works….
Reply to this commentBad tattoo infection?
Reply to this commentMy guess is she beat up the last guy who took her picture from behind and broke her hand in the process LOL. John got away with it, thanks to 12x zoom.
Reply to this commentmy first impression was some sort of anti-thong-picture-taking-pervert device but I guess since John’s alive to post the pic, I’m off on my guess
or maybe the 12x zoom saved his butt….
Reply to this commentJohn Chow:
Reply to this commentDot Com MogulThong Spotter.and future inmate…
Reply to this commentJohn,
You must try the Anciens Canadiens restaurant on St-Louis St in the old part of Québec, for amazing authentic French-Canadian food. And I want pictures! Do try the tourtière.
Luc
Reply to this commentI Love that last picture … Gotta Love 12X Zoom !
Darin
Reply to this commentnice pics John, i like the 12x zoom!
Reply to this commentthe sign at Honduras means
Reply to this comment“estás seguro que son un inválido?”
entonces estacionate aquí kabron.
It looks cold there.
Reply to this commentI Dugg this story — thanks John for commenting on how ridiculous this language law is.
http://askjasonmarketing.blogspot.com/2007/04/quebec-french-language-police-are.html
-Jason
Reply to this commentWhat kind of camera are you using?
Reply to this commentCanon S3. http://www.johnchow.com/ces-2007-at-12x-zoom/
Reply to this commentDamn looks like Europe
Reply to this commentNext trip stop by in Sweden, you’ll like it I bet.
I don’t think I would like it there. French people have always seemed rude/snooty. The English aren’t much different, but at least they know their rude.
I still think Canadians are some of the nicest people I’ve met. Everything is much more simple up there.
Reply to this commentWatch is Paul, NEVER compare us English to the French
Reply to this commentI’m still curious to know what the handicapped sign with the question mark means.
Reply to this commentI love that tatoo
Reply to this commentlmao, nice pic john. Lets hope she never see’s this blog.. Wow quebec city looks like a really awesome place to go to! I may want to visit there someday.
Reply to this commentHi !!!
Beautiful town!!
According to me that signs means soma like “Information point for handicap’s people”..but i don’t know!
PS italian’s “tatoo” are better !!!!
Reply to this commentDoes look like Europe instead of North America, even down to the gal’s tattoo, which seems to be the fad, at least here in Italy, at the moment.
Reply to this commentGreat pics! I was born and raised in Canada and still have not been East of Toronto. Now you really made me want to go.
Reply to this commenthahaha… great pictures man!
-Sam from MarketMatador.com
Reply to this comment