We started July in beautiful Montreal. For the rest of our July adventures and Jake's return from camp, click here.
We had wanted to go to Italy without children but since that didn't work out, we wanted to find
some place European feeling that would also be fun for Allie while Jake was at camp. We landed on Montreal!
We started our trip out with a cloudy and gray day but it was still so beautiful!
Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal
Somewhere along our tour we found out that our driver, Michele, was born in Eastern Europe, had immigrated to Israel, fought in the IDF the same time as Alex's dad and had then come to Montreal.
He took us to see the famous Montreal bagels. Two competing shops, Fairmount and St. Viateur.
Our little photographer, Allie, snuck in and actually captured the bagels coming out of the wood burning oven.
On the hunt for an umbrella we came upon this wild animal!
The Chateau Ramezay is a museum and historic building in Old Montreal. The former Governor's mansion has become a museum of the history of the city.
Day 2 we headed out on the subway to Montreal's Space for Life complex that includes Olympic Park, the Biodome, the Insectarium, the Planetarium and the Botanical Gardens.
At the planetarium! Good thing Allie learned everything about the solar system from Ms. Leslie because I have to say it was a strange place. We saw one planetarium show and then a totally bizarro show that followed.
We went to the Biodome next. I saw the perfect description: zoo meets botanical garden meets nature museum.
Sliding around like the otters!
It's also in the same area as the Olympic Park and Alex went up to the top of the Montreal Tower. It's the tallest inclined tower in the world. It's a crazy 45-degree angle and for some perspective, the Leaning Tower of Pisa's tilt is only 5-degrees! Crazy cool views too!
We got rained out the rest of the day so we postponed our trip to the Insectarium and Botanical Gardens in lieu of a trip back to the Hotel and for a little happy hour fun.
The next morning we headed back to see the rest!
The Insectarium was actually pretty cool and who knew bugs could be so beautiful?
Allie was not interested in sampling the local cuisine at all!
And at the botanical gardens
At the Notre-Dame Basillica
Allie and I let Alex go back to the hotel and we went of to find the Barbie Expo. In a corner of a mall, the Expo was free (what!?) and the most shocking of all, there was no gift shop!
That night we went and waited in line for the famous Schwartz's
It was pretty delicious!
We walked off dinner walking around the McGill campus! Photos mostly by Allie.
We walked off dinner walking around the McGill campus! Photos mostly by Allie.
Our walk back to the hotel included seeing the Chinatown area and some of the Montreal Jazz Festival sites.
And just like that we were headed back to the U.S. appropriately on the 4th of July!
No comments:
Post a Comment