Sep 12, 2013

It’s been moving today to see and hear commentary about the 12th Anniversary of 9/11 and made us grateful for what we are free to experience both here and at home. Lest we forget.

We went on a hop on hop off tour this morning and didn’t enjoy it. The commentary sounded like someone reading from a phone book (the bit we could hear of it) but we enjoyed the company of some holidaying Canadians who are here to see the big ships which come in tomorrow…of course they do, we will be gone. That Murphy never rests. When we finally got off the bus and onto another for a short time found a brilliant guide. DOH, where was he when we needed him? The best bit about it was being on top of the bus and in the breeze as it has been a very hot and humid day. Severe thunderstorms predicted for tonight and tomorrow. Could be fun.



The lane behind our hotel…enclosed, looks awesome. Lots of shops here also and there are huge areas of shops underground in Montreal, 1,600 shops according to the guide



A cute sight from the bus, we saw several of these groups



And even cities have to receive brick deliveries…feel sorry for them with some of the skinny winding streets they have to negotiate in the old part of town



Liked the look of this silhouette sculpture of wolves



Also the awning with the Blues Brothers above this Jazz restaurant



We found bikes parked up in heaps of places throughout the city and even when they weren't in groups like this they were often in1's and 2's behind cars at intersections



This was a sculpture at the door of the Centre of Contemporary Art , looked like glass and turns out it was and apparently took 3 months to assemble here and will soon be removed to protect it from super cold weather. The exhibition it is part of has been so popular that it has been open 7 days a week. Very cool!



St Joseph’s Oratory (210m high) as we climbed the road to Mount Royal



A misty view from the top of Mount Royal over the Olympic Stadium and part of the city



Montreal’s Cathedral (a reduced scale mode of St Peters Basilica in Rome) and surrounds



Notre Dame Basilica (Montreal Version) looks a lot like the Paris one from the front



A quirky way to tour the city and I swear the front horse stood up straighter when I focused the camera