Vancouver

We flew from Montreal to Vancouver. A 5 am start with an Uber, before the Metro was running.

We stayed in a flat near Stanley Park.

Stanley Park is a beautiful natural urban park.

English Bay beach, with Stanley Park beyond.

Turtle sunbathing on a rock

A-maze-ing Laughter statues in English Bay

We did a ferry ride on False Creek

Painted silos on Granville Island

Science World

BC Place stadium

Walking round the shore of Stanley Park, looking back at Vancouver CBD.

Reflections

Totem pole

We went on a RIB safari up Howe Sound.

Mount Garibaldi with the first snow of the season

Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)

We rented a car for the last day and drove up to Whistler, a famous Canadian ski-resort. Some excitement getting to the airport on time when we got caught in a major traffic snarl-up caused by an accident.

Howe Sound

Shannon Falls

Howe Sound, from near Shannon Falls

Whistler preparing for the ski-season

Montréal

After the Ladona cruise, we flew in a tiny plane, weather just permitting, from Rockland to Boston,and then on to Montréal. Several challenges were overcome. We found our AirBnB in a pleasant area near Plateau Mont-Royal. Clean fast Metro to take us quickly to wherever we wanted to go.

We have often found that a good way to explore a city on water is to take a ferry ride. 

Seven knot tidal current on the St Lawrence River

River ferry captain

View of Montréal from the Mont Royal Park

Albino squirrel

Cormorants

Floating toys on the canal

 

Enjoying the last of the sunlight in La Fontaine Park

Lots of buskers

The locals were friendly. We detected no resistance by francophones to speaking english to us. This is François, a writer of children's books, with whom we had a long discussion.

Montréal is famous for the number of events it has: we stumbled into the World Press Photo. Here are a few sample photos. Winners here.

Sugri Zenabu, a mangazia (female community leader) of the Gambaga “witch camp”, sits encircled by residents in Gambaga, Ghana. Zenabu shows some signs of confusion and memory loss associated with dementia.

Samira (16) looks out onto Qolodo camp near Gode in the Somali Region, Ethiopia. Her family owned 45 goats and 10 camels, all of which died during recent droughts.

Jellyfish from a very deep part of the ocean

Lots of floral displays, trees, and flowers in the streets.

French Canadians, like the French in France, do beautiful markets. This is the Atwater Market.

We had been given a hot tip on a Syrian restaurant, 'Damas'. The tasting menu was pretty special.

Four of the twelve dishes.

We went to a jazz club restaurant called 'Upstairs', which featured a good meal and a fantastic group 'The Sugar Darlings'.

Miche Love

On the Saturday we did a guided tour of Montreal which was excellent.

Gabriela, our guide, and the 'Lipstick forest'

 

The English Pug and the French Poodle

A dashing looking Englishman, holding his pug, gives a superior stare at Notre-Dame Basilica, symbol of the religious influence on French Canadians. Feet away to the northern corner of the building, a woman in Chanel style suit, poodle against her, shoots an offended look to the Bank of Montreal’s head office, built in 1845-1847 and symbol of English power. With their masters oblivious to each other, the two dogs on the alert already sniffed out the opportunity to unite.

The Notre Dame cathedral

Montréal has a rule that 1% of the cost of a new development must be spent on public art. Much of this goes on murals, of which there are many.

Leonard Cohen

Graffiti Granny

Leonard on a postbox

Montréal Olympic Stadium from 1976

Gold medal winners!

The Chinese garden in the Montréal Botanical Garden

Bonsai tree

Giant Lily Pad

Chipmunk who lives under a statue's skirts

Heron

Lover's Bench