Scott had booked a tour for 10:30am for Habitat 67. It was designed by the Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie as the Canadian Pavilion for the World Exposition of 1967 and was originally intended as an experimental solution for high-quality housing in dense urban environments. OMG this is my museum visit!

We also found out that Queen Elizabeth II was not allowed to step on Quebec soil as a result of a dispute with the French… so she sailed in on the Royal Britannia and visited the Expo Island…man made and not technically ’Quebec’ and then returned to the yacht for sleep.

Moshe Safdie is also the architect of the Marina Sands in Singapore amongst other iconic buildings across the planet.

The Habitat67 building is on the other side of Port Montreal and an Uber is the most desirable way to get there.

After the tour we Ubered back to the old town and found a Spanish restaurant for lunch. Scott impressed me with his ability to converse in French and we enjoyed a lovely lunch.

We decided to head back to the apartment so I could blog and we could recuperate.

We decided to go to Provigo to top up with some goods for a simple dinner.

Home to relax and prepare for another day of travel back to Toronto.

Bonne Nuit

The apartment was very comfortable to sleep in and the facilities reliable and easy to use.

It was going to be another warm day.

I would like to note that I do not know what Canadian dollars look like because everything is paid for by phone. Here is a graphic!

We tried to walk up to the Chalet but the heat and steady incline got the better of me … so down we went to the main shopping streets of Montreal

All the signs are in French… no English translation but everyone can switch to English!!! We found the Timeout food hall and stopped for a beverage and a rest in the cool. Michele and I first found one of these food halls in Lisbon last year.

Some shopping and more shopping before we decided that today’s lunch will be a Big Mac… the shrinkage is real everywhere!

Onward we wandered some more and then decided to drop our purchases back to the apartment.

Our next destination was up Saint Laurenc to find the Schwartz Deli. Our host explained that you can join the queue to choose what you want or go to the take away next store and order a sandwich and pickle and eat it there. We don’t queue!

Strolling along we found Rue Saint Denis which is a cosmopolitan street with many artistic outlets and small cafes and bars. It is a very vibrant and colourful area.

This led us to the Mount Royale district which was also very eclectic and steeped in local culture.

After completing over 17,000 steps we decided to catch an Uber back to the apartment.

To top up some needed supplies we then walked to the local Provigo, stocked up and made our way home for the night!

We were happy to see that they had Clomato mix and Caesar salt for the rim. Which is how we finished the evening.

Bonne Nuit

Onward to Montreal today.

It was easy to catch an Uber to Union Station and we were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a Business Lounge for VIA trains for us to wait in. Tea and coffee were on offer through machines and fridges were stocked with juices and a range of sodas. Fresh apples were also on the menu.

The lounge was outfitted with leather lounges and chairs with a lovely art deco design.

We boarded at 8:10am and once down the ramp of the lovely station we had priority boarding and sailed past the long queue to go to the Number 1 Carriage. Business class seats are very spacious with a 2 – 1 seat configuration. The attendants are very active with service, helping with luggage, safety briefs and then cake and coffee once we are on our way. The choice of cake (brekky) was cranberry or lemon and beverages included juice, soda or tea and coffee. The cake was too sweet and poor offering for this time of the morning.

At around 10:30, the drinks cart came out again and we noticed that there was Clamato juice and vodka on the trolley …. So Caesar’s were chosen and they were nice and spicy! 🌶️ A savoury snack was also provided.

You can follow the progress of the train through their app which shows you the speed and location and times for each stop. It was a lovely way to travel. The onboard wifi was exceptional!

Once we got to the half way mark at Kingston we were delayed by a police operation… someone was on the tracks and needed to be located. During this stop they served lunch- we chose meatloaf which came with a pickled vegetable salad and a berry crumble, a bun and your choice of beverage – wine for us!

There were more small delays so an announcement came over that half the cost will be credited for a future trip within 12 months.

The fields on each side of the train were very green with potatoes and corn being the dominant crops.

Once we crossed the border, the signage changed to French. It was less rural and the architecture and environment were different.

Apparently there were downpours in Toronto today that caused chaos with traffic, power outages and flooding which we missed due to catching this train.

Once we arrived in Montreal Central Station, it was easy to navigate up to the city and we decided to walk to our accommodation located on Rue Saint-Urbain opposite the university. On the way we found a SAQ store that sells spirits and wines in part of the underground shopping network.

Our Aparthotel is spacious with all the comforts of home plus our own bedroom and bathroom each. Once settled we were ready for the evening meal.

We made our way to the old town in an Uber because it started to rain.

We chose to eat at Gaspars, it had a lovely atmosphere, attentive staff and good quality food. We consumed Caesars, cod fish cakes, octopus with hummus and salsa, filet Mignon for Scott and Beef Cheeks with risotto for me. It was all delicious.

The rain had stopped so we walked the mostly flat 1.6 kilometres to our Aparthotel, collecting supplies from an IGA supermarket on the way. It was warm and humid so the air conditioning in our apartment was much appreciated.

Good night

The day promised storms and rain so we took our time before starting our activities for the day.

When the weather cleared we walked to the west and first stop was a Polish memorial to those who died at Smolensk on their way to the ceremony to remember the Katyń massacre.

Lake Ontario was in sight but with the uncertain weather, we decided to walk up Roncesvalles Ave, past the Polish area and church.

It was humid and another storm was looming. We took shelter in a bar called Loons. The service was very friendly and we chatted with the bar attendant about her life and that she was also an air flight attendant with Air Canada. We also chatted with some interesting locals as the storm continued.

LCBO are the government controlled outlets where you can buy spirits and other alcohol… it was here in Loons that we were informed about a strike and that it was hard to purchase any spirits at the moment. So much for finding a bottle of vodka!!!

I bought a Pinot Grigio from the bar ( to take away) which we could purchase provided that we were consuming food.

We ordered some snacks – deep fried pickles with ranch dressing and buffalo chicken wings. Delicious! The rain bucketed down while we enjoyed the refreshments.

Once the rain had finally subsided we wandered back home, stopping to pick up some cauliflower soup and bread for a simple dinner. A section of the freezer in this Supermarket was stocked with a range of pierogies.

Packing for Montreal was a priority as we will catch the VIA train at 8:30 tomorrow morning.

Good night

Sunday began with the promise of a warm day and then storms and rain. We had a lazy Sunday morning while I blogged and Scott organised his plans.

After midday, my personal chef prepared meat, pickle, tomato and condiment toasties….delicious (learnt from the best).

Backgammon is a game I have loved to play and Scott was keen to finally learn the finer strategies of the game. We played 2 games and won one each…..Scott was coached by me but also fluked a back game come back. Well done!

Now it was time to move on and make the best of Sunday…..unexpectedly in the rain. Scott bought an umbrella (because the one in the apartment was not worthy) and we made our way up Queen Street and hopped on a tram. We could not work out how to buy tickets so we just did what tourists do and sat down then got off close to our final destination.

It was still raining so we were trying to find a bar to settle into and have a bite to eat and drink. One place we entered was a bowling alley with television screens and very loud games….we gave that a miss!

The Euro24 Football seemed to dominate the activities of Toronto City. Every bar and establishment with television sets were loudly tuned into the England vs Spain Euro24 game playing in Berlin.

We finally found an uncrowded bar called El Furniture Warehouse. An organic beer and a double spicy margarita were the beverages of choice. We also ordered pierogies and beef tacos.

When the spicy Margarita came out, one side of the glass was encrusted with chilli salt… my fav so far! We also had to drink Budweiser beer while listening to the Foo Fighters during half time.

Once the game was finished with Spain being the victors we made our way to the CN Tower which Scott had booked as my belated Mothers Day gift. The CN Tower is a 553.3 m-high concrete communications and observation tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Completed in 1976, its name “CN” referred to Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower.

There were security checks and ticketing essentials before we were whisked up to the viewing platforms and restaurant in a fast elevator. Once shown to our table we chose the Seafood Platter and a sparkling Rosè as our meal while admiring the spectacular views. Our waiter, Stephen, was very attentive and ensured that we had a positive experience.

We caught an Uber home and welcomed sleep after another great day in Toronto.

Good night.

The plan for Saturday was to go shopping and peruse the unique stores of Toronto. Once we started walking up Queens Street the heat and humidity became evident. Popping inside air conditioned shops along the way provided some relief.

We made our way to the food hall called Waterworks. Many different cuisines were on offer and we chose to eat burgers from Harry’s, a Big Jane for me and a Crispy Fish burger for Scott. They were delicious. The meat patty for the Big Jane was cooked flat and crispy, providing a different texture to the usual burger.

We then continued down Queen Street and came across the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair. It was well attended and there were many creative offerings in the form of artworks from various mediums. Unfortunately, it was oppressively hot and we were eager to find shade and cool refreshments.

Onward to the Eaton Centre which is an enormous shopping mall compared to what we are used to in Australia. There were many people attending the shops and we welcomed the cooler environment.

Sunglasses were the focus of this shopping trip and preferred items were selected and purchased.

Ambling back down Queen Street and 17,000 steps later we stopped at the Dog and Bear pub. This establishment was essentially a Sports bar with a British theme. The menu included a Buffalo Chicken Poutine and a very tasty Meatloaf. The Bloody Caesars were spicy with bits of fresh horseradish adding to the delight of this beverage.

The purchase of Marijuana was first made legal in Canada in 2018. The Canadian government regulates sales of this product and you must be 19 years of age to purchase marijuana and you can only smoke it in private places. We passed many Canabis stores up and down Queen Street.

The view from the apartment includes a single windmill which rotates to capture the best angle and we assume powers the Botanical Gardens next to it – a good example of how renewable energy sources have been embraced by communities in urban environments.

The sun sets after 9:30pm but sleep was welcomed early after a long hot day of shopping and walking.

Good night.

Sunrise was at 5:47am and it promised to be a nice day. Scott bought me some breakfast from Tim Hortons, a Canadian equivalent to Starbucks.

The trip to Niagara Falls was a 2 hour drive on massive motorway clogged with traffic until the last 30 minutes of the trip. The weather was a warm 25C but somehow felt hotter than that, maybe from the expansive concrete structures surrounding us and the massive highways. I caught a whiff of marijuana now and again which we deduced came from the legal outlets or farms in Canada.

During this journey, I booked our business class train seats through viarail.ca for our short trip to Montreal. A very easy process completed on the phone through Google.

We found the Niagara Falls car park and cruised until we found a space. There were a lot of tourists but we managed to find a park. The cost for parking was $35 on exit. The walk from our car park revealed amazing views of natural water behaviour

Time for lunch at the lovely Table Rock Bistro where we chose Bloody Caesar’s as our beverages and the Lobster Roll and the Brisket Sandwich. The food was very tasty and the spray from the falls was a very welcome way of staying cool.

To add to our cultural experience I booked our Broadway Musical – &Juliet for our New York segment of the itinerary as we waited for our food.

The power of the falls was awe inspiring and photos do not convey the energy on display. We watched the open top ferries taking ponchoed tourists to the falls for a saturating experience. The ones from the Canadian side wore red ponchos and those from the USA, across the gorge, wore blue ponchos. The amount of people who were crammed onto each ferry eventually helped us to decline the opportunity and enjoy the light spray from the viewing areas instead. Niagara Falls are a bucket list must do.

The souvenir shop had a wide range of enticing trinkets and merchandise of which some were purchased. It was busy with tourists from far and wide.

Back on the road despite 5 lanes each way there was constant traffic and some congestion. After an hour it began to rain and we welcomed the cooler conditions.

After the 2 hour plus return journey, it was time for dinner.

We walked down Queen Street to find a small restaurant called Alepia 1070 and shared some dishes before walking home in the rain to settle in for the night.

Having an extra long day yesterday and not sleeping until dark seemed to keep the jet lag at bay. I will now go to sleep at dusk and adjust fully for the next adventure.

Good night.