Canada Highlights, Part Two

After our trip to Quebec City, my wife and I headed to Montreal, which is not quite as quaint as Quebec, but just as fun to visit.

Originally designed for the 1967 World Fair Expo, the Montreal Biosphere is located on Île Sainte-Hélène, a quick subway ride from our hotel on Rue St. Denis. Curiously, two major events were taking place on the island on the same day: the Osheaga Independent Music Festival and a water sports competition. As a result, our first impression of the Biosphere was that it had to be the most popular attraction in all of Montreal. Fortunately for us, the place was mostly empty, so…

The kind folks at the Biosphere let me volunteer to put out a chemical fire. It did not go well.

To get over my failure as a chemical firefighter, I unwound with some pinball. I played one game with a Canadian pinball wizard who knew all the ins and outs of the AC-DC pinball game, and who did his best to teach me everything he knew. As a result, I am now a junior-grade assistant pinball wizard.

Art, it turns out, is everywhere in Montreal.

It’s in museums.

And it’s also out on the streets!

It also takes many forms, like this statue of a lion posted outside of a Chinese jazz and blues club.

And this image of Tom Hanks that was plastered to a wall near my hotel. (I’m told that Tom Hanks is worshiped as a god in some corners of Montreal.)

I was very excited to see this sign posted in front of the Musee D’Art Contemporain de Montreal (Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art) until my wife pointed out that there was no R between the A and the C.

But this sign helped to soften the blow.

After climbing to the top of Mount Royal, I played for a while on the playground there.

Until I got tangled in a web of steel.

After that embarrassing debacle, I decided it was time to head home.

Canada Highlights, Part One

A few photos from my recent trip to Canada. These are from Quebec City, which my fellow blogger Fransi Weinstein promised would be a magical city, and it was!

This photo of a deer-crossing sign was taken on the way to Quebec City. Those more familiar with the US version of this sign will note that the Canadian version is more dynamic. This reflects the fact that while US deer are content to leap across roads in front of oncoming traffic, Canadian deer prefer to leap toward the traffic. A subtle yet important distinction.

A US deer-crossing sign. Notice that the deer is jumping perpendicular to the road rather than at oncoming traffic.

Poutine is a popular snack in Quebec. I understand it consists of French Fries, Gravy, and Cheese Curds. As appealing as this combination may sound, I (sadly) did not get to sample any poutine on my trip. But there’s always next time!

As noted in a previous post, I met a large pigeon in Quebec City.

In ancient times, camera-toting travelers inserted “film” (or, in French, “les pellicules”) into their cameras in order to take pictures. This gift shop in Old Quebec pays tribute to that bygone custom.

This mural in Old Quebec depicts life through the ages in that most magical of cities. Can you spot the tourist?

It rained a lot during our trip, but there was always a doorway to duck into and a hot cup of coffee nearby.

I’m not sure what’s going on with my hair in this picture. I think it was intimidated by the size of the Chateau Frontenac, which is visible in the background, and tried to compensate. The Chateau Frontenac, by the way, is visible from every point in Quebec City.

I love modern art, and I was very happy to visit the Musee National des Beaux Arts in Quebec. This photograph depicts a work of art that was on display. Basically, it’s a rotating speaker pulling strings from spools mounted on a pair of racks. The speaker is playing music composed by the artist, Patrick Bernatchez. You can get more info about this piece by clicking on the image.

Of course, you don’t need to visit a museum to see some interesting art… There’s plenty of street art to capture the eye in Quebec as well. I spotted this curious piece on the bass of a lamp post in Old Quebec.

My French is a little rusty, so I may have gotten this wrong, but one passing gentleman explained to me that it’s a custom to ride bikes made of candy on the streets of Old Quebec. Either that, or someone working in a candy shop had some time on his hands…

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Fortunately, my visit to Quebec would be followed by a visit to Montreal. What adventures would it bring? Visit my blog tomorrow (or maybe the next day) to find out!