Quebec City: Part Deux

Dad and Jane came out to visit.  We showed off the city, went to Mont-Royal and the St-Josef Oratory, celebrated Italian Week, and indulged in way too much fine french cuisine.

 

We all did a trip to Quebec City which was even cuter and more picturesque than I remember.

Now that summer is almost over we're trying to squeeze out every last drop.  We've gone the Mont-Royal, Crescent and Monkland street festivals and got some beach time at Oka beach on the Ottawa river.

Summer!

The annual Ubisoft summer BBQ!!!  All 2500 employees at the 3 offices in Montreal got together for a little party at the Old Port.

We've had more visitors!  Beth and John came out to stay with us and Mel and Jesse were also in town for a few days.  We got to show off our city, go to Jazz fest, check out some restaurants, but nobody could keep up with Lauren!

Sometimes Montreal can look a bit post apocalyptic!  It has North America's largest graveyard, a series of giant abandoned factories, and everybody throws their garbage into our alley!  For some reason everyone moves on the same day (July 1st) so they just throw their unwanted furniture away.

...And there's a giant zoo.  I wonder what all the African animals do in the winter.

 

I was in Vancouver for few days.  It was a busy week but it was great to see everyone!

We went to 6 Flags.  This was easily the most terrifying experience in my life.  We were able to get passes that got us in two hours before the public.  This was awesome because there were no lines, but also exhausting because we went on 5 roller coasters in the first 15 mintues!

And here's Lauren out in the trendy St-Henri neighbourhood with her Jenn and Em.  Aren't they so cuuute!

Festival Season

A lot has happened since our last post!  Lauren flew to Banff for her training, started her new job at Banff Education Centre in Montreal, and we've had some visitors!  Festival season has started in Montreal and every weekend something crazy is going on.

Lauren got some fresh mountain air in the Rockies.  After a week of training in Banff she started her new job at BEC in Montreal! www.bec.ca

Meanwhile, cousin Ashley came out to visit!  We checked out Notre Dame Cathedral in Old Montreal and I showed her around our hood!

We kicked off the start of Festival Season with Beer Fest.  We tried a lot of local beers and found that the most common secret ingredient was sugar!  

Deirdre and Alex came out to watch Formula 1.  We went to the various venues around the city.  On race day we found a nice spot on the grass where we could see the action... well mostly just hear it!  Afterwards we headed downtown to watch people drive up and down the same street in their ridiculously expensive cars.

 

This weekend we were out for brunch when we noticed the street was closed down.  A half hour later there was a giant firefighters parade, where they showed off the last hundred years of Montreal's firefighting history, with sirens blaring the whole time.  After that we went over to the street market on Saint-Laurent Street and had a look at the mural art show.

Forget Spring, just straight into Summer!!!

So... we went from snowing one week to 28 degrees the next.  It's pretty crazy that the temperature hits mid-August heat before the leaves show up on the trees.  We've had a great time exploring the city which has completely transformed.  We received our first out of town visitors!  Dustin and Victor we in town for the weekend so we showed them all the best tourist traps.

 

For Victoria Day (National Patriots' Day in Quebec), we did a trip to Quebec City with our ex-pat friends Shane, Laura and Megz.   We did all the fun touristy things like walking around the Old Town, visiting the Chateau, relaxing in the Plains of Abraham and eating giant portions of poutine!

 

 


Apparently there's a giant waterfall just outside of Quebec City so we stopped by and walked on the shaky suspension bridge.

Sugar Shack

We're still patiently awaiting for normal weather.  Temperatures regularly fluctuate between 21 to minus 5.  The signs of spring are everywhere with little flowers bravely trying to bloom and restaurants setting up their outdoor patios.  We've been keeping ourselves busy by doing a 30 day Bikram's yoga challenge and continuing to explore the city to take in the sights.

Oh hey look.  A giant,
iconic church!

Come on little guy!!! You can do it!

Jean-Talon Market in Little Italy

We visited a Sugar Shack, which is maple syrup farm that also contain a giant restaurant to trap tourists.  They feed you pancakes, baked beans, eggs, sausage, bacon, sugar pie and of course, maple syrup!

Lauren and Laura!

We ate the most unhealthy meal of our life!

Here's the giant dining hall.

Maple trees!