Our drive from Gananoque (Thousand Islands) to Montreal took a little over two and a half hours. We experienced periods of intense rain but made it safely to our rented Airbnb apartment.
Friday, July 3, 2015
After a quick breakfast at Cafe Myriade in the morning, we visited Parc Omega. We had a wonderful time in the park (I have a separate blog post for our experience there).
Upon returning to Montreal, we had dinner at Qing Hua Dumplings. We ordered a few sets of steamed and fried dumplings. There was way too much food to eat!
In the evening, we decided to check out the Monterey Jazz Festival. It was so crowded! When we first planned our trip to Montreal, we wanted to see Jesse Cook, but tickets to his show were sold out.
I was delighted to see so many people interested in jazz.
We watched some free concerts, but I didn't know most artists. Although I like Jazz, I prefer specific periods of jazz: ragtime, swing, & hot. I am not really into the "elevator jazz" that's played in elevators.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Happy Independence Day, America!
After walking around Rue St. Catherine, we had breakfast at Paris Crepes. Inna had a delicious ham and cheese crepe, while Alex had a Nutella crepe. Both crepes were delicious. I decided to have a fresh croissant, which I enjoyed with a London Fog (tea with steamed milk).
Having finished breakfast, we picked up a sandwich for Alex at Java U so Alex would have something to eat at home while we explored Montreal. Alex had a bad attack of allergies and was not feeling well.
We took the metro to see the Planetarium and visited the Biodome.
We didn't expect much from either, but we were suitably impressed by both.
At the Planetarium, we watched two shows: Vertiges/Tempo. The first show ran for about 20 minutes, describing the concept of time artistically. The Planetarium is a very modern structure with very excellent seats and shows.
The Biodome visit was also exciting, as we saw many animals up close, including sloth, beaver, penguins, river otters, lynx, porcupine, and capibara.
Near the Biodome is a beautiful Olympic center.
Afterward, we decided to visit the magnificent Botanical Gardens nearby.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
As I had stomach flu, I spent most of the day at home resting.
I watched two movies: The Maze Runner and Gone Girl.
I also started watching a new TV series, Suits, which I found amusing.
Inna and Alex explored Mont-Royal, which has beautiful views of downtown Montreal.
As I was feeling better by dinner time, we decided to try having dinner at the nearby Moose Bawr. Inna was dying to try out Montreal's famous poutine - a Canadian dish originating in the province of Quebec, made with french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce.
We ordered a large Sangria to share (it was delicious) and "Kimchi Poutine." I shared the dish with Inna. Although I liked it, it was not one of my favorites.
Inna also ordered a giant hot dog - "The Sugar Hammy." She really liked it a lot.
Monday, July 6, 2015
After getting our usual breakfast at Paris Crepe, we visited Montreal's amusement park - La Ronde.
When we arrived at La Ronde by subway, it was scorching outside, and the street was very crowded. We decided this would not be a good use of our time in Montreal. There are many amusement parks in the San Francisco Bay area, and La Ronde did not appear much different.
La Ronde is close to the Biosphere - a large golf ball-looking structure that houses plants.
Instead, we decided to go back home and drive to Mont Tremblant. We spent the rest of our day at Mont Tremblant and really liked it a lot.
I wrote a separate blog post for our day at Mont Tremblant.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
On our last full day in Montreal, we took Alex to the Planetarium and the Biodome (as he had not seen yet).
On the way there, we saw many Red Pianos sprinkled around.
The intention was for people to spontaneously play music.
We saw a couple of raccoons playing, and I managed to catch one in the act of climbing a tree and playing with a large yellow ball.
We stepped out of the Biodome as we purchased tickets to see a show at the Planetarium. We decided to get lunch at the Planetarium, but the food there was horrible. I was not able to eat anything.
The Planetarium has some outstanding interactive exhibits and skeletons of prehistoric animals, like the Tyrannosaurus Rex below.
The show we purchased tickets for was called "Vertiges/Tempo."
After the show, we returned to the Biodome to look at more missed animals.
After a long day of walking around Biodome, we returned to our Airbnb apartment. Inna wanted to take me to a nice restaurant (if I was feeling well enough).
As I was acceptable, we decided to have dinner at a well-regarded Boris Bistro.
Inna started out with a delicious Mojito drink.
I had the "Creme of Tomato" soup, which I enjoyed very much.
Inna had the "Risotto Entree," which was exceptionally well prepared and delicious!
We had a wonderful time at the Boris Bistro and hope to be back again. I was surprised that it looked so empty on the outside, but when we went inside, all the tables were packed.
We were staying on Rue Towers Street in downtown Montreal. Our Airbnb host - Tyler - met us and showed us where to park our car and the many amenities of the rented studio.
Tyler recommended Allo Mon Coco (a local chain) for lunch, and we stopped there afterward.
We were planning to order lunch, but due to Canada Day, lunch was not being served - only breakfast.
We were planning to order lunch, but due to Canada Day, lunch was not being served - only breakfast.
Inna ordered a "Crepe Allo Mon Coco." Alex ate a "Crepe Fraise Choco" (Strawberry and Chocolate crepe).
I got a healthy "Sante Cottage plate" (cottage cheese with fruit and an English muffin).
We were surprised by the large portions, and I was impressed with the overall food quality and presentation. My entree looked like a work of art, but the waitress was unfriendly.
I got a healthy "Sante Cottage plate" (cottage cheese with fruit and an English muffin).
We were surprised by the large portions, and I was impressed with the overall food quality and presentation. My entree looked like a work of art, but the waitress was unfriendly.
After lunch, we decided to visit the Montreal Fine Arts Museum nearby. At this time, The museum had a traveling exhibit of Rodin's sculptures (in marble, bronze, and plaster) - Metamorphoses: In Rodin's Studio. As the museum closed the permanent exhibits at 5:00 p.m., we decided to see these first, followed by Rodin's exhibit at 5:00 p.m.
The permanent collection had a few famous paintings from the early Renaissance masters (14th century onwards) and explanations about the various painting periods: Baroque, Rococo, etc.
We enjoyed these paintings in the permanent collection the most.
The Rodin exhibit was also fascinating, with 100 pieces of Rodin's plaster, marble, and bronze on display. The Rodin Museum in Paris has many more, but this was the most prominent traveling exhibit I have seen.
As we were tired after visiting all the museums, we walked back home. We decided to get a light dinner at the La Panthere Verte. I ordered a hummus plate while Inna had the "FalaFusion" wrap.
After dinner, we decided to see the fireworks in Montreal's Old Town. Since we were near the metro station "Guy Concordia," we walked there. There was a huge line to get tickets (at least 50 young adults), and we waited a long time before we got our passes. We took the Greenline to "Lionel-Groux," where we changed to the Orange line for "Place d'Armes."
We arrived a bit after 10:00 p.m., and the fireworks already started. Because of the low clouds, the fireworks were being shot very low, and we walked briskly to the riverfront. I shot a short video of the fireworks finale:
The permanent collection had a few famous paintings from the early Renaissance masters (14th century onwards) and explanations about the various painting periods: Baroque, Rococo, etc.
We enjoyed these paintings in the permanent collection the most.
The Rodin exhibit was also fascinating, with 100 pieces of Rodin's plaster, marble, and bronze on display. The Rodin Museum in Paris has many more, but this was the most prominent traveling exhibit I have seen.
As we were tired after visiting all the museums, we walked back home. We decided to get a light dinner at the La Panthere Verte. I ordered a hummus plate while Inna had the "FalaFusion" wrap.
After dinner, we decided to see the fireworks in Montreal's Old Town. Since we were near the metro station "Guy Concordia," we walked there. There was a huge line to get tickets (at least 50 young adults), and we waited a long time before we got our passes. We took the Greenline to "Lionel-Groux," where we changed to the Orange line for "Place d'Armes."
We arrived a bit after 10:00 p.m., and the fireworks already started. Because of the low clouds, the fireworks were being shot very low, and we walked briskly to the riverfront. I shot a short video of the fireworks finale:
We got to see many fireworks before the show ended at 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
We enjoyed some fine coffee and pastries at the Cafe Myriade in the morning. Alex had real hot chocolate, and I enjoyed a smooth mocha. We enjoyed the fresh pastries, including an apple turnover and a raisin roll.
Since the weather was beautiful and warm, we explored Montreal's old city. We took the metro from our local metro stop - Guy-Concordia to Place d'Arme. From there, we walked toward the riverfront. We stopped by the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral and stepped inside.
From the outside, the Cathedral does not look very grand. However, we were really impressed by the detailed and ornate woodwork on the inside.
Its interior is truly magnificent and rivals many of our favorite Italian Duomos. We stayed for the English tour and learned how the Cathedral was founded.
The many paintings and stained-glass windows show the story of Montreal. The word Montreal comes from Mont-Royal - after the mountain on which the city was situated.
We walked along the riverfront, stopping to look at the restaurants and shops. We noticed a few attractions across the street - zip lines and ropes courses being built. We let Alex try one of the zip lines -Tyrolienne Zipline. After filling in some legal forms, Alex approached a large tower and zipped to the other side.
When he came down, he received a rope burn on his shoulder. After this, he decided to try the Labyrinth. It took him a long time to get through it - almost 90 minutes!
Being a bit peckish, we decided to grab lunch near Inna's Scandinave Spa in Montreal. Inna made an appointment to try out the Spa and the whole-body massage. The lunch restaurant we picked - Cafe La Creme De La Creme was nearby. The lunch entrees were good. I ordered an "Athenian (Greek) salad," Inna ordered the "Berrichome salad," and Alex ate the "Milano sandwich" (similar to a pizza).
While Inna enjoyed her Spa, Alex and I returned to our apartment for rest. Inna had a wonderful time in the Spa and enjoyed her Swedish massage there.
When she returned, we decided to try dinner at Kazu - a well-recommended Japanese restaurant. There was a massive line in front of the restaurant (Kazu has very little interior space), but we decided to wait anyway.
St. Catherine Street has so many restaurants that it is hard to believe anyone would wait this long.
The wait was shorter than expected, and we were quickly seated. I ordered a "Tuna and salmon Salad Rice" bowl, while Inna ordered a "Shrimp Burger."
Alex ordered a "Teriyaki Burger," cut into two pieces on a plate.
We really liked the quality of the entrees served. The waitress was also accommodating in suggesting possible choices. However, I prefer a bit more room when sitting in a restaurant. I wish Kazu had more space.
Thursday, July 2, 2015
We enjoyed some fine coffee and pastries at the Cafe Myriade in the morning. Alex had real hot chocolate, and I enjoyed a smooth mocha. We enjoyed the fresh pastries, including an apple turnover and a raisin roll.
Since the weather was beautiful and warm, we explored Montreal's old city. We took the metro from our local metro stop - Guy-Concordia to Place d'Arme. From there, we walked toward the riverfront. We stopped by the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral and stepped inside.
From the outside, the Cathedral does not look very grand. However, we were really impressed by the detailed and ornate woodwork on the inside.
Its interior is truly magnificent and rivals many of our favorite Italian Duomos. We stayed for the English tour and learned how the Cathedral was founded.
The many paintings and stained-glass windows show the story of Montreal. The word Montreal comes from Mont-Royal - after the mountain on which the city was situated.
We walked along the riverfront, stopping to look at the restaurants and shops. We noticed a few attractions across the street - zip lines and ropes courses being built. We let Alex try one of the zip lines -Tyrolienne Zipline. After filling in some legal forms, Alex approached a large tower and zipped to the other side.
When he came down, he received a rope burn on his shoulder. After this, he decided to try the Labyrinth. It took him a long time to get through it - almost 90 minutes!
Being a bit peckish, we decided to grab lunch near Inna's Scandinave Spa in Montreal. Inna made an appointment to try out the Spa and the whole-body massage. The lunch restaurant we picked - Cafe La Creme De La Creme was nearby. The lunch entrees were good. I ordered an "Athenian (Greek) salad," Inna ordered the "Berrichome salad," and Alex ate the "Milano sandwich" (similar to a pizza).
While Inna enjoyed her Spa, Alex and I returned to our apartment for rest. Inna had a wonderful time in the Spa and enjoyed her Swedish massage there.
When she returned, we decided to try dinner at Kazu - a well-recommended Japanese restaurant. There was a massive line in front of the restaurant (Kazu has very little interior space), but we decided to wait anyway.
St. Catherine Street has so many restaurants that it is hard to believe anyone would wait this long.
The wait was shorter than expected, and we were quickly seated. I ordered a "Tuna and salmon Salad Rice" bowl, while Inna ordered a "Shrimp Burger."
Alex ordered a "Teriyaki Burger," cut into two pieces on a plate.
We really liked the quality of the entrees served. The waitress was also accommodating in suggesting possible choices. However, I prefer a bit more room when sitting in a restaurant. I wish Kazu had more space.
Friday, July 3, 2015
After a quick breakfast at Cafe Myriade in the morning, we visited Parc Omega. We had a wonderful time in the park (I have a separate blog post for our experience there).
Upon returning to Montreal, we had dinner at Qing Hua Dumplings. We ordered a few sets of steamed and fried dumplings. There was way too much food to eat!
In the evening, we decided to check out the Monterey Jazz Festival. It was so crowded! When we first planned our trip to Montreal, we wanted to see Jesse Cook, but tickets to his show were sold out.
I was delighted to see so many people interested in jazz.
We watched some free concerts, but I didn't know most artists. Although I like Jazz, I prefer specific periods of jazz: ragtime, swing, & hot. I am not really into the "elevator jazz" that's played in elevators.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Happy Independence Day, America!
After walking around Rue St. Catherine, we had breakfast at Paris Crepes. Inna had a delicious ham and cheese crepe, while Alex had a Nutella crepe. Both crepes were delicious. I decided to have a fresh croissant, which I enjoyed with a London Fog (tea with steamed milk).
Having finished breakfast, we picked up a sandwich for Alex at Java U so Alex would have something to eat at home while we explored Montreal. Alex had a bad attack of allergies and was not feeling well.
We took the metro to see the Planetarium and visited the Biodome.
We didn't expect much from either, but we were suitably impressed by both.
At the Planetarium, we watched two shows: Vertiges/Tempo. The first show ran for about 20 minutes, describing the concept of time artistically. The Planetarium is a very modern structure with very excellent seats and shows.
The Biodome visit was also exciting, as we saw many animals up close, including sloth, beaver, penguins, river otters, lynx, porcupine, and capibara.
Near the Biodome is a beautiful Olympic center.
Afterward, we decided to visit the magnificent Botanical Gardens nearby.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
As I had stomach flu, I spent most of the day at home resting.
I watched two movies: The Maze Runner and Gone Girl.
I also started watching a new TV series, Suits, which I found amusing.
Inna and Alex explored Mont-Royal, which has beautiful views of downtown Montreal.
As I was feeling better by dinner time, we decided to try having dinner at the nearby Moose Bawr. Inna was dying to try out Montreal's famous poutine - a Canadian dish originating in the province of Quebec, made with french fries and cheese curds topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce.
We ordered a large Sangria to share (it was delicious) and "Kimchi Poutine." I shared the dish with Inna. Although I liked it, it was not one of my favorites.
Inna also ordered a giant hot dog - "The Sugar Hammy." She really liked it a lot.
Monday, July 6, 2015
After getting our usual breakfast at Paris Crepe, we visited Montreal's amusement park - La Ronde.
The croissants were delicious, and I liked my "London Fog" tea.
When we arrived at La Ronde by subway, it was scorching outside, and the street was very crowded. We decided this would not be a good use of our time in Montreal. There are many amusement parks in the San Francisco Bay area, and La Ronde did not appear much different.
La Ronde is close to the Biosphere - a large golf ball-looking structure that houses plants.
Instead, we decided to go back home and drive to Mont Tremblant. We spent the rest of our day at Mont Tremblant and really liked it a lot.
I wrote a separate blog post for our day at Mont Tremblant.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
On our last full day in Montreal, we took Alex to the Planetarium and the Biodome (as he had not seen yet).
On the way there, we saw many Red Pianos sprinkled around.
The intention was for people to spontaneously play music.
We saw a couple of raccoons playing, and I managed to catch one in the act of climbing a tree and playing with a large yellow ball.
We stepped out of the Biodome as we purchased tickets to see a show at the Planetarium. We decided to get lunch at the Planetarium, but the food there was horrible. I was not able to eat anything.
The Planetarium has some outstanding interactive exhibits and skeletons of prehistoric animals, like the Tyrannosaurus Rex below.
The show we purchased tickets for was called "Vertiges/Tempo."
Vertiges
Since the dawn of time, people have been striving to control time, to speed it up or even stop it. But what is time, really? In this new show, the Chaos Theatre becomes a fantastic playground as this visual and musical experience skilfully explores the philosophical, scientific and artistic aspects of the very notion of time. Using fascinating images and a narrative featuring some surprising artistic performances, Vertiges takes us on a unique, captivating and disconcerting immersive experience.Tempo
Our modern lives are ruled by our watches and calendars. As we race against the clock, we lose sight of the connection between our concept of time and the cycles of the stars and planets. In the Milky Way Theatre, the Montréal sky becomes the starting point for a fabulous immersive voyage in search of the bonds between humans and nature.
After the show, we returned to the Biodome to look at more missed animals.
After a long day of walking around Biodome, we returned to our Airbnb apartment. Inna wanted to take me to a nice restaurant (if I was feeling well enough).
As I was acceptable, we decided to have dinner at a well-regarded Boris Bistro.
Inna started out with a delicious Mojito drink.
I had the "Creme of Tomato" soup, which I enjoyed very much.
Inna had the "Risotto Entree," which was exceptionally well prepared and delicious!
We had a wonderful time at the Boris Bistro and hope to be back again. I was surprised that it looked so empty on the outside, but when we went inside, all the tables were packed.
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