The Academy of International Business held its annual meeting 2005 in Quebec City this year. So I had no choice but to get on a plane and fly to Canada. Canadian Airlines is the only airline to fly into Quebec and after a few stops, I sat in the plane from Montreal to Quebec - probably the smallest plane I've ever flown in.

Since the plane was so small, it flew closer to the surface and offered me some nice views from the top.

The Quebecois speak French and the whole city has a European flair. Throughout my time there, I had these seconds that I thought "where am I?" - no wonder after so much traveling in the last couple of months.

Isn't that Paris?

There was a big music festival (festival d'ete de Quebec). Several huge stages featured different styles, from rock to pop to world music. And massess of people enjoyed the beautiful summer weather.

The city is very touristy - this part reminds one of Montmartre in Paris.

Every corner and monument was occupied by street musicians or other artists - some with quite enjoyable performances.

The music festival continued late into the night - including a rap performance in front of an old church - quite a contrast.

Another stage with a huge crowd.

Most of the events were free, but people were encouraged to buy a "laissez passez" - a general ticket. Kids sold these red stickers with blinking red diodes at every street corner (that wasn't taken by an artist). Exhausting job it seems...

Quebec City has an old city wall. One can walk on top of it - or take a rest.

Or watch people.

Or look into other people's windows.

The landmark of Quebec is a Hotel - the Chateau Frontenac, overlooking the St. Lawrence river. The Terrasse Dufferin is a favorite promenade among tourists.

The Chateau at night.

One more :)

One day it rained so hard that I had to seek a shelter - and it happened to be the Chateau. I climbed the secret stairs up to the top... and saw things that only personnel normally see... A mirror on the door and the reminder to smile - because one is about to enter the most exclusive part of the most-photographed hotel in the world.

The "skyline" of Quebec City seen from the ferry crossing the St. Lawrence river.

The roof of a parking garage had been planted with beautiful summer flowers - and provided a nice framing for the Parliament building - modeled after the Louvre in Paris.

Quebec is full of skaters, but most of them just seem to carry their boards around - perhaps to avoid trouble in the crowded streets.

Quebec has an old "Citadelle", a military fortress. The poor guards have to endure all tourists' curious looks - but that was their choice; Canada has a professional army.

The 22eme "Regiment Royale" is the only one in Canada that has French as its official language.

Every evening, the regiment has a big ceremony in the city, including music...

And some interesting exercises... As funny as it looks, at the end they really shoot!

The regiment has its own mascot, a living Tibetan goat named "Batisse". His ancestors were given from the Shah of Persia to Queen Victoria in 1844 who then started this important tradition...

Batisse also participates in the daily "changing of the guards" at 10 am, even when it rains .*(

The Citadelle also houses the residence of the Gouverneur General de Canada, the Canadian head of state and representative of the Crown. One of the buildings burnt down, was rebuilt in the 1980s, and now offers a look into the style of a not-so-distant past.

View from the Citadelle towards the old city and the port area.

Before I finally had to jump in my business outfit and present my paper at the conference, I went to the observatoire de la cite. In most museums, visitors get colored stickers that indicate they have paid the admissions fee - the color tells the day of the week. Before I entered the observatoire, I saw this nice collection of souvenirs...

The Citadelle from above... just having another "Changing of the Guards".

Citadelle, Chateau Frontenac, and Hotel du Parliament

Old town, port and St. Lawrence river.