HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY!!!!

Can't believe it's already been five years. It's been fun. AND HERE'S TO THE NEXT 5 YEARS!

WELCOME TO CANADA! Almost... Nothing like waiting an hour an a half to be asked "what do you do for a living?" Could be worse, a guy at the hotel we stayed at was of Italian heritage was asked "Do you plan on attacking or destroying the government?" Has anyone ever answered "yes" to that?

HELLO MONTREAL! It's great being somewhere that loves their city and respects their history again.

Monument à Sir George-Étienne Cartier in Parc du Mont-Royal

ART IS EVERYWHERE IN MONTREAL! It's in galleries. On the walls. In alleys. On the streets.

Megan and I listening to a violinist playing with pop music while drinking Sangria at

Vol De Nuit

Vol De Nuit is on one of many pedestrian only streets in Montreal. It's amazing how active and enjoyable places are without the noise and exhaust of cars.

Getting Poutine (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine) at La Belle Province (http://restaurantlabelleprovince.com/fr/menu/) I really am half French-Canadian. These people understand how to feed me.

And when you don't know French, it's always an adventure ordering from someone else where French isn't their first language either. haha

Inside a spaceship called Complexe Desjardins (http://complexedesjardins.com/en). I've been to this mall more than I've been to any mall in a very, very long time.

The FrancoFolies (http://www.francofolies.com/default-fr.aspx) festival in the Quartier des spectacles neighborhood (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartier_des_spectacles). This is an innovative, interesting, fun piece of modern urban design. I've never seen anything like it. It's a large gathering space for the city to have entertainment off all kinds. There are stages, museums, theaters, and so much more within an area a bit larger than a square mile. And it was packed with people of all ages and all times of the day.

Megan saw the waffle stand and couldn't resist.

Michel Rivard (http://michelrivard.ca/) closing down the FrancoFolies

Looking down Rue Saint-Denis from our hotel in the Quartier Latin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartier_Latin,_Montreal)

OH MY GOD! MY IDEA FOR A RESTAURANT ALREADY EXISTS! A French Fries as the entree. Not exactly what I planned, but I may have to buy the franchise rights for the US (http://fritealors.com/en/)

Most of the time we were there, Rue Saint Denis was closed to traffic making it a busy pedestrian zone. Instead of street parking, the streets were lined with outside patio dining.

Old church now a part of Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) (http://www.uqam.ca/)

More UQAM

Centre hospitalier de l'université de Montréal new hospital

Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal (http://www.basiliquenotredame.ca/) in Vieux-Montréal (or old Montreal) So, much of my family was from Quebec. One of my great something grandfather's built the steps to Notre Dame. Unfortunately, I didn't realize there are dozens of churches with the same name within the same area. So, I need to dig into my records and figure that out again...

Le caniche français (The French Poodle)

The Old Bank of Montreal Building

Megan with the French Poodle. If only she had Scout with her...

le carlin anglais (The English Pug)

Overlooking Place D'Armes

Statue on Notre Dame Basilica

Maisonneuve Monument (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maisonneuve_Monument)

Lambert Closse and his dog (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambert_Closse)

Jeanne Mance (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Mance) is much revered in Montreal. She's has a lot of streets, parks, and all sorts of things named after her.

An Iroquois (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois)

Charles Le Moyne (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_le_Moyne_de_Longueuil_et_de_Ch%C3%A2teauguay)

The New York Life Building was Montreal's first skyscraper.

The Art Deco Aldred Building

Next to the Notre Dame Basilica is the Old Sulpician Seminary, which is Montreal's oldest building built in 1684

Back to the Notre Dame Basilica

Doors of the Cour d'Appel du Québec

The Old Courthouse

Side of Hôtel de ville de Montréal (City Hall)

Jean Vauquelin in Place Vauquelin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Vauquelin)

Overlooking Place Vauquelin toward Horatio Nelson's Column (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson's_Column,_Montreal) in Place Jacques-Cartier

Front exterior of Hôtel de ville de Montréal (City Hall)

Château Ramezay (http://www.chateauramezay.qc.ca/en/) which has had a lot of different people stay in it since 1705...

Hôtel de ville de Montréal topiary

The dome of Marché Bonsecours peeking between buildings.

The Front of Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours. Another Notre Dame!

Pierre du Calvet's House (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_du_Calvet)

Marché Bonsecours (Bonsecours Market)(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsecours_Market)

Looking south down Rue Saint Paul E

It's amazing that these buildings have survived in such a large city. Boston is probably the only other major city that's been able to respect their history as much as Montreal.

The back Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours_Chapel)

So much art in Montreal!

Even the alleys are inviting.

House turned school turned hotel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donegana's_Hotel)

Place Jacque Cartier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_Jacques-Cartier) is one of countless public meeting places in the city.

Photo break on Rue Saint Paul E

Old customs house (http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=7828_)

Historic architectural graffiti

Old Montreal Stock Exchange has been converted into two theaters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur_Theatre)

Ruins of a church on Rue Saint Pierre

John Young (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Young_Monument) who made Montreal's Port

Habitat 67 from Montreal's World Fair (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_67)

Palais Des Congrès de Montréal (Montreal Convention Center)

Back at Quartier des Spectacles between Festivals. At least 3 while we were in Quebec

"I'm not too hungry. Just need a little something to get me to dinner. Well, there's a diner up the street that should be good." Nothing like a hardy light lunch at Deville Diner (http://www.devilledinerbar.com/EN/index.html). And yes, those burgers had two patties...

On the campus of McGill University (https://www.mcgill.ca/) is the Redpath Museum (http://www.devilledinerbar.com/EN/index.html). We went in as it was starting to sprinkle a bit. What an interesting, eclectic, funny little museum. It had a bit of everything from dinosaurs, to rocks, and other strange pieces.

The Arts Building

The backside of an old hospital at the base of Mont Royal

It's fun to see architecture that uses color.

Auberge Le Jardin d'Antoine (http://www.aubergelejardindantoine.com/) is where we stayed in Montreal in the Quartier Latin neighborhood. It was a nice, quiet place to stay that was still close to the action. The neighborhood was very active with lots of great options for eating.

More street art

Old Armory

Nice neighborhood

While having an afternoon drink break at Les Deux Gamins (http://lesdeuxgaminsmontreal.com/?lang=en), we saw this guy walk by. What did he do to his girlfriend/wife that he bypassed the flowers and went straight to a palm tree?

I can't explain to you how detailed this piece is. The black outline appears to be done with a sharpie marker.

#soyezcurieux whatever that means

The pink raven

Keep that building latched

At least it's tears are happy...

Please keep your dinosaurs on the pirate ship and away from the saxophone and walker...

How did we leave Montreal without a pair of these socks?

FREAK LUNCHBOX! (http://www.freaklunchbox.com/) was a pretty cool candy shop. Any place that has a 5 pound gummy bear is good in my book.

WHAT?!?!?! How do we get Poutine Ruffles in the States?

Just looking for the trail head for Mont-Royal...

What a view from the summit!

panorama from the top of Mont Royal

Chalet du Mont-Royal

Time to take a break

Strange how we have to go to Montreal to get beautiful, warm summer weather...

Inside the Chalet du Mont-Royal

Sam Champlain telling my family what to do...

Croix of Mont Royal. Their Jesus must be huge!

Looking northeast from Mont Royal. That slanted tower in the distance is Olympic Stadium.

Looking into McGill's Percival-Molson Memorial Stadium

Now this is a garage

Don't trust the mushroom... (http://www.mycoboutique.com/en/)

Smoked Meat Sandwich from Schwartz's Deli (http://schwartzsdeli.com/ca/en/). If you want to sit down, plan on waiting a very long time. They do have take out and lots of parks nearby.

What's an anniversary without Port wine? Stopped by the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) and relaxed for a while in Square Saint-Louis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Louis_Square)

Juliette et Chocolat (http://www.julietteetchocolat.com/fr/) for a snack. Mmmmmmmm....

And what would a vacation be for us without a car show? This is the beginning of festivities for La fête Nationale/Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Jean-Baptiste_Day)

Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours at night

Hôtel de ville de Montréal (City Hall) all lit up

Notre Dame Basilica at night.

Complexe Desjardins (http://complexedesjardins.com/en)

Gate to Chinatown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown,_Montreal

The lobby of the Chinatown Holiday Inn.

Finally able to see the interior of the Notre Dame Basilica

The Chapel burned down. So, they restored much of the wood work and updated the rest. Pretty interesting combination. The sculpture behind the alter is a huge bronze piece.

Taking the Métro de Montréal (http://www.stm.info/en/info/networks/metro) to rest our feet a bit. Two floors of subway!

I really miss having access to mass transit...

Interior of Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours

Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (http://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/)

Dale Chihuly seems to show up on all our vacations too...

Street maze at the museum

The stairs are about 2 inches high and 18 inches deep. You'll learn to hate them. Otherwise, the rest of the museum is great.

Obviously, I can't photograph much in the museum. But, the best part of the collection was the Quebec artists. It was interesting, eclectic, and unique. Also, it's great to see an institution support local artists along with famous international figures.