Les Enseignes des Temps

It's always a joy to be in an unfamiliar place, because you notice the signs more than you do in your regular milieu. And when the signs are in a different language, it's even more fun.


As an American English speaker, one might think this business is targeted at a subset of couch potatoes, but my high school French reminded me that "couche" means "bed." I still didn't know what it meant, though, so a quick check of the Wikipedia told me that it means "late to bed," colloquially translated as "Night Owl" and therefore the nicely designed logo.


A pleasant typographic logo for the Festival of New France, which is being held this week in the lower city.


In the French-speaking parts of the world, I guess tasty food causes you to say "Hummmmm" instead of "Yummmm."


Channeling Mondrian for the folk festival.


A lovely old sign along Cote de la Montagne, heading toward the lower city.


Trés amusant -- perhaps we should call it Hotel Americana?


My translation of this poster is Come in -- the Mummies Await You with Open Arms. Anyone got a more accurate meaning? (Seen on the outside of the Musée de la Civilisation.)


This sign had a major effect on the early part of my trip to Quebec, because every evening at 6:00 they close Rue St. Jean so people can walk in it, and the cafés can have seating on the narrow sidewalks. It's quite a party atmosphere, but if you're trying to drive there, it's a disaster because there's no good way to go around it, due to the many one-way streets.


A fun poster for the extraterrestrials exhibit at the Musée de la Civilisation.


Baby foot?? Dang, what is that? Google to the rescue: It's foosball. Mais oui.