Wandering around Montreal

A beautiful city. So many things to do and see!

Here's a quick glimpse of my stay in Montréal :)

My little sister and her boyfriend put me up in Montreal. From their flat you can see the Olympic tower, so that was my first thing to visit on my 'to do and see' list.

Going up!

You get a great view of the city from the top. It was a bit of a shame that the weather was cloudy. 

China town

I spent the first afternoon just wandering around the city. I had no idea how big it actually is! (my feet were so sore that evening!)

The old parts of Montreal. Beautiful old buildings.

The new business center of the town; lots of big modern skyscrapers.

The underground shopping malls were impressive! The whole underground system in Montreal is massive. Kilometers of tunnels and loads of shops and restaurants.

A blurry photo of the subway.

The subway in Montreal is a great way of getting around. It's a really nice public transport (for once). It is clean and not too crowded (nothing like the one in Paris!)

Park Jean-Drapeau et le Biosphère.

A friendly woodchuck.

A stroll along the Jacques-Cartier bridge.

You get a great view of the city from the bridge.

'How does this camera work...'

There is lots of public art around the city of Montreal. You come across many different types of statues.

There are also nice arty things scattered around for special events, like this unicorn above, or the piano below.

A photo booth just outside of the Mont Royal underground station. 

Nice street art.

A must to visit in Montreal is the Mont Royal. It's a bit of a hike to get up there but it's well worth the view.

The sun setting over Montreal.

During the summer, every friday night a there is a firework display. 

Now for some food!

Here is the typical dish from Quebec : Poutine. 

It's french fries topped with cheese curds and brown gravy. 

You can also add other ingredients. Here I had it with onions, green peppers, mushrooms and bacon bits. Delicious but really filling!

This small restaurant was pretty fun, especially because the chairs were in fact swings!

Delicious mini-burgers!

A rather original cocktail!

During my stay there was also a bit of bad weather. 

A really big storm (nearly hurricane like) hit the city the day before I left. Trees were blown down all over the city. 

On the photo above you can see some of the damage done in the street were my sister lives. I had in fact parked my rental car just in front of the blue car, but decided to move it earlier on to be closer to the house. Just as well I did! That branch would have made a nasty dent on the roof!

More Canada posts coming soon :)

Take care

Montreal : photos of the Botanical Garden and Biodome

Hi guys! As some of you already know I spent a couple of weeks in Canada last month. I visited many places in such a short time, and of course had lots of fun taking photos (I am actually trying to learn use my Sony NEX-5N properly) so lots of 'Canada photo posts' will be flowing from this blog this week! I hope you like them (and don't get too bored) and enjoy discovering some awesome places in the gorgeous country of Canada!

While staying with my sister in Montreal I got the chance to visit many places around the city, two of which were the Jardin Botanique (botanical garden) and the Biodome. If you like nature, plants and animals, both places are an absolute must to visit!

The Jardin Botanique de Montréal

The Jardin Botanique de Montréal is one of the world's greatest botanical gardens. It hosts different events and exhibitions all year long.

During my visit the Mosaicultures Internationales de Montréal 2013 wa being held in the garden.

 Mosaïcultures Internationales® is at once an international mosaiculture competition, an exhibition of horticultural art and a chance for the representatives from parks, gardens and green spaces around the world to exchange ideas. All works presented must represent something of the participant’s culture while responding to a predefined theme and complying with the principles of sustainable development. Mosaïcultures Internationales®, a triennial competition, also offers participants a chance to promote their specific attractions.

It was rather spectacular! Giant statues made of plants, beautiful art!

Beautiful Koi Carpe.

Magnificent bonzais (I love bonzais!)

The Montréal Biodôme

A beautiful oasis in the middle of the city. The name Biodôme means 'house of life'. Here you can discover the different ecosystems of the Americas. Lush and humid tropical rain forests, maple forests, the gulf of St Lawrence, the sub polar regions...