Montreal

Our last stop on our Canadian trip was Montreal.  Quebec City and Montreal are in Quebec, a French-speaking province.  Most people in Quebec speak French, although they study English in school.  Most people would think that Montreal is the capital of Canada, but it's not.  Ottawa is the capital.  Here is a Brief History of Canada.

The unique thing about Montreal is the French influence.  It's a beautiful city, combining the old and new.  The people are wonderfully friendly.  The food is great.  To top it off, we went to a big tent circus show called Luzia by the hometown Cirque du Soleil at the Old Port.

Entrance to Luzia, the Cirque du Soleil show at the Old Port

We stayed at a small hotel in the Latin Quarter called Auberge Le garden d'Antoine at 2024 rue St-Denis, MONTREAL Quebec H2X3K7 (CANADA), Phone : +1 514 843 4506.  It costs us about US$100 a night and it included an adequate continental breakfast.  Our breakfast host, Mathew, was very friendly and accommodating.  One of the things I wanted to try in Montreal was their bagel.  There is a lot of debate as to which bagel is better:  New York or Montreal.  I must say I like the Montreal bagel because it's thinner and softer, therefore, easier to eat.

I also hear a lot about poutine (French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds).  Here is a picture of it:

Poutine

St. Paul Avenue, where a lot of restaurants are, near the Old Port

Captivating Statue on St. Paul Avenue

Michael Jackson-theme Street Performers, in front of Notre Dame Church

Notre Dame Church

Stores along the Old Port

 We took a cruise on the St. Lawrence River with a different view of the city from the river.  Nothing exceptional except we saw this group of condos, that have a unique design.  It's called Habitat 67
It was designed by Israeli/Canadian architect Moshe Safdie, as part of his Master's thesis in Architecture at McGill University.   He designed many iconic buildings around the world, including the Marine Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.

Habitat 67, along the river

One of the many beautiful flowers in the Montreal Botanical Gardens

Waterfall at the Montreal Botanical Garden

An Exceptionally Beautiful Garden!

Acrobat at Luzia, a Cirque du Soleil show

Makes me cringe watching this contortionist