Magical Montreal By Night

Whilst I was not quite as taken with Montreal by day as I expected to be, at night it turned into a whole new amazing and enchanting place! The buildings of Old Montreal are lit up, and are so gorgeous!


The lighting effects are used so well to highlight the strong features of many of the buildings in this area of the city, and it transforms it into such an old world feel. The lights are soft, and toned to the individual structures, bringing them to life, in a whole different and magical way with the dark sky as the backdrop.


This section of pretty buildings is in Jacques Cartier Place...so cute!

The move to light up the buildings around the city is a permanent fixture to enhance the beauty of the architecture...and it is pretty special!


The highlight of the night lights on the buildings was actually out at St Joesph's Oratory, but alas I missed capturing it at it's best with my camera. I was pretty blown away by the sight of it from the kitchen windows of the apartment I stayed in, and recommend attempting to see it at night (before it lowers most of it's lights late) because it was so amazing!

Canada Day in Montreal

My day in Montreal happened to be Canada Day, which added a whole other element and colour to the city. The long weekend around the national day allowed me to take the trip to see the main three cities to the east of Toronto, and also gave me a glimpse into Canadians' sense of national pride and patriotism.


There was barely a person, by the end of the day, who was not sporting a little Canada flag sticking out of some part of their outfit. Many people had had a flag transferred to their face via paint or temp tattoo. Almost all people, from all racial identifications, had combined red and white into their dress choices for the day.

Having spotted the details of the Canada Day Parade, I ensured I was in town in the right spot for it, hoping for the type of celebration the Irish put on. Alas, Canada is much like Australia in that this parade has become a chance for every brass band and scout group in the greater city limits to take part. It still enchanted the kids and the oldies!

The fireworks at the end of the day when it finally got dark, were actually pretty impressive! The crowd gathered along the Old Port, facing out to the river, and were enthralled by the bursts of light shot out into the night air.

For this observer who usually finds a fireworks display rather less worthy of the hype around it, the features of this particular show were unique and very cool. There were fireworks used that went off to look like a huge coloured hydrangeas in the sky, and then had a layer of smaller wispy dandylion-like bursts in the centre. So pretty!

The patriotic colours also featured heavily, of course, with rings of coloured dots being created in the sky. The finale created a lengthy arrangement of golden sparkler-like sprinkles in the air, and kept rejuvenating it as they extinguished and fell to the water. Again, very impressive.

Happy Canada Day for the weekend just gone to all Canadians, and thanks for having me in your country for this time, this day, and this awesome Summer!

Montreal By Day

I had expected to be wowed by Montreal, although I am not really sure why. After a day of loving Quebec City the day before, I was underwhelmed by Montreal during the day. I felt like I was missing something about it, but then it really felt like a regular living and working city, rather than a place for tourists to grab a sense of in 24 hours.

Notre-Dame Basilica was very grand and gorgeous, with the walk up the hill towards it from the Place d'Arms Metro station, to sitting in the square taking in the gothic architectural details. But it was not as amazing as it's Paris counterpart, although I guess it's unfair to compare.

From Notre-Dame, I wondered the little streets of Old Montreal, with the cute cafes and restaurants. This was an area packed with tourists, particularly families, wandering around, and also enjoying meals at the vast array of food stops throughout.

In the morning of my day I stumbled upon the statues and sculptures of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. I also took in Dorchester Square and a lot of Rue Sainte-Catherine including the amazing and enchanting Les Boules Roses and The Village.




I actually kept stopping and checking the maps, and looking at other tourist brochures for the sights to see, because I just felt like I was missing something. Although checking the day tours offered by the hop-on-hop-off buses, I seemed to be hitting most of their named highlights.

My other researched had included travel bloggers posts (this one and this one), and a personalised recommendation for my weekend trip put together by a site called YellowLeg Travel Ninja which came about from a Twitter interaction.

Soaking in the bustle of Place Jacques Cartier, and the old world Europe feel and look of Rue Saint-Paul, it was easy to forget I had not been teleported to a section of Paris or Belgium or another such city but was still in Canada.

Getting down to the water's edge of St Lawrence River, I walked around the Quays and the Old Port. Sights like the Clock Tower and the Jacques-Cartier Bridge were here before me, below the canvas of blue sky. With the festival of Canada Day going on around me, I took a break on the grassy section of Bonsecours Basin, and people-watched for awhile.

From here I could see the Notre-Dame de-Bon-Secours Chapel and the Bonsecours Market, and completed a path to see these up close. Inside the market were permanent sellers, of touristy wares.

On the way back to the apartment for a late afternoon rest, I made my way through Victoria Square. In my wanderings from place to place, I had also managed to skirt around the Latin Quarter and Chinatown areas, which gave me a view of the different neighbourhoods around pockets of the city.

I stayed in a room in an apartment just near St Joesph's Oratory - which was stunning at night, and impressive during the day. I am sure I would not have seen this if it was not for this location of my AirBnB for the two nights, given it's distance from town. But my location was actually perfect with the use of the Metro, which was efficient and just $3 per trip. Too easy!

I feel like I am being unfair on a city that is renowned and such a metropolis - but my recommendation would be to go with another reason (like an event) in mind, and have the exploration of the city as a backdrop to this. The working and living feel to the streets would be perfect for this type of visit. I can actually imagine this being a city to move to, to set up an established lifestyle, rather than seeking any profound travel experiences....but that was just my impression!

Les Boules Roses

A street strung up with a long pink canopy of baubles was a must see for me in Montreal as soon as I heard about it, during my planning for my weekend trip just gone.

Part of Aires Libres, which is an art event along St Catherine Street, between St Hubert and Papineau Streets which runs until September, this resin ball installation is called Les Boules Roses, and is produced by landscape architect Claude Cormier.


There is 170,000 baubles! 1.2kms of pink balls! Apparently all strung up to different patterns all the way down the street. Differing densities and distances apart, and even shades of pink...they just look striking and pretty to me!

Sunday also had the Outdoor Bazaars which meant tents of art sellers' displays all the way down this section of the street, which enhanced the character to the wander along - which this street hardly needed, given that it is the gay Village of Montreal! Culture aplenty!

This photo (above) was found on the website for Memorama, after the auto camera facing the top of one of two stairways positioned along the street, where you can get a different perspective of the pink baubles.

When you are standing there checking out the street below, every 2 minutes it seems, a voice tells you a photo is being taken and a countdown begins. There I am captured with total randoms; I tracked down my appearance on the living postcard site.

An enchanting side of Montreal for the Summer, this is one of those quirky sites that really captures my travellers eye!

Toronto Heatwave

No one told me how hot Summer in Toronto would be, and I certainly did not expect this! Today when I checked the temp for outside whilst I was in the blissfully unaware air-conditioned office, it was 36C, with a 'feels like' rating of 44C. Forty four degrees Celsius!

The humidity is the killer! Toronto is like Melbourne in so many ways, but with Sydney's weather. The blanket of heat that covers you the moment you step outside...yuck! I think Quebec City has Melbourne weather - at least it did on Saturday!

As I left work today, I was relieved to see the lights on the Canada Life Tower running downwards, meaning it should be cooler tomorrow. Although only marginally, according to the forecasts.

I had not really anticipated this extreme heat for my time here. In fact, today Michael and I joked at work about how most people see Canada as a place of snow and igloos and Eskimo outfits....certainly not the kind of weather we get back home that contributes to bushfire devastation, like today's heat!

One of the funny, or quirky, things about Toronto is that it has an underground tunnel system, linking most of the major downtown shops and hotels and such places, which is in place to allow Torontonians to avoid the freezing and snow-covered Winters. But these tunnels are ideal for this heat too, and I actually used them 2 weeks ago to escape the heat while running around the city with a client on an errand.

These tunnels, the PATH, is like a whole other world, with shops and food courts down there, underground. An escape from the real world above!

A Day In Quebec City

I knew from reading and hearing about Quebec City that it was the hub of French Canada, and that French was the language spoken there - but it did not really hit me that I could travel within Canada and feel like I had stumbled into another country until I got there. Surrounded by the French language, I walked all over this Canadian city to see the sights, all on one day.

I picked up the Quebec Region Tourist Guide when I passed through the airport, and found that this little book had suggested walking tours and highlighted all the spots to see for me. Perfect - I set out for the day after a great sleep and huge breakfast at my Secret Deal hotel booked on one of the many last minute deal websites.

I discovered in the light of day that I had stayed in the Saint-Roch area, and found the elevator between this Lower Town area to Upper Town, and rue Saint Jean. Here was a quaint little village with shops and cafes, and St Matthew's Church.

Not far from here was Parliament Hill, and I took some time to take in the beautiful building, architectural detail and statues, gardens and surrounds, of the grand and functional Parliament Building.

This vantage point also gave me a view of Old Quebec, the St Lawrence River and all the surrounding mountains, which all lay beyond the old city walls.

Walking through a tunnel of the city wall and into Vieux-Quebec (Old Quebec), I strolled down towards the river, taking in the village feel of the cobbled streets, horse-and-carts passing along, and the flagged establishments along the streets. Gorgeous, it felt like another world!

The iconic Chateau Frontenac loomed, as I approached it's street entrance. I walked through the arch and past the front doors to the hotel, where tourists were spilling out from their luxurious stay. This allowed me to take in the magnificent building from the Parc des Gouverneurs and the Terrasse Dufferin, with the river in full view also.


From this boardwalk along the front of the grand hotel, I could enjoy it without the full effects of the crowd before joining the masses at the start of the walkway, and before the options to head down to Lower Town.

Rather than head down at this point, I walked through Old Town to take in the little streets and the character of the buildings. I found my way out of the walled town, and past Place de le FAO, and then onto the Port area of the river. Down on this level of the city, the view of Chateau Frontenac is pretty impressive, as is the cliffs below it.

Just below the city's most iconic sight is Quartier Petit Champlain, where a cluster of laneways have shops, cafes and galleries gives you a strong sense of Europe. The potted flowers spilling from windowsills and hanging plants, and the warmth of the proprietors. So pretty!

To return to the main level of the city, there is the choice of several flights of stairs, or the very European funicular. Given the steep assent of the cable car, I now wonder just how many flights of stairs the latter option required!

With the intention of going to the Citadel, which promised a good understanding of the battle between the French and English in 1759, I walked past Chateau Frontenac and the walkway along the river. Here, after experiencing all 4 seasons of weather for the day thus far, the clouds darkened, and a thunderstorm threatened. And when it arrived, the lightening was spectacular and unnerving, and the rain belted! I had sheltered back near the City Walls, and the resting place for the working horses of the Old Town, before making a final dash for the direction of my hotel and left luggage.

I took shelter again at one point along rue Saint Jean and finally experienced proper French Canadian poutine, before getting to the grand railway and bus station, for my departure to Montreal.

High Park

I had read that High Park was Toronto's version of Central Park. It is a little way out of the city central area, but was easy enough to get to last weekend for a break from the bustle, on a glorious day. A streetcar down Queen Street West, and at the end of my time there in the park, I ended up on Bloor and took the subway back to the city - couldn't have been easier!

Walking from South to North, I first encountered the huge Grenadier Pond. Along the water's edge families were fishing, and ducks swam past. Apart from condo complexes in view at the edge of one end of the pond, you could be forgiven for forgetting you were in a major cityscape.

Further along the trail past the pond, I took the path that led me inwards to the park and the lush greeness. There is a mini train that can take you for a loop around the park, but walking allows you to take in the escape from the city in all it's glory.

This wander featured so many park animals, with a cluster of swans being fed by visitors, groups of ducks, and all sizes of squirrels!

Sitting on the incline of Hillside Gardens, I took the chance to read for pleasure for awhile, trying to get back into a pre-return to uni past time! From this vantage point, I could take in the maple leaf circle below, the iconic, patriotic feature of the park.


I can see from the map of the park that there are so many more elements to explore, like the zoo, the sports fields and playground, and the cherry blossoms at the right season. I did see the mini waterfalls, the fountain garden area, and the forest of the West Ravine Trails. A true retreat from the heat, the traffic and noise of the city.