Day 8: Montreal Exploring

After another visit to Eggspectations for breakfast, we decided to rent bikes and explore a little farther away from our hotel. The city has a great program where you rent bikes for about $7 a day (there are over 100 bike drop off/pick up sites around the city)! 

First stop, The Biosphere, on St. Helene Island. It's a learning center that's all about the ecology of the planet. We learned about pollution, climate change, alternative energy, etc. the structure itself is open-air and looks like Epcot in Disney World.

Inside looking at one of the displays

Inside looking out at the city

Trying out the "walk on water" display

Next it was off to the old Olympic Park and the Botanical Gardens. The stadium was very futuristic and made for a good photo-op. We didn't go in any of the Olympic buildings because we wanted to see the Gardens so bad and had just a few hours. The Botanical Gardens didn't disappoint. They were amazing! They have topiaries everywhere, and they're gorgeous. They also have gardens and plants from various countries. It was breathtaking and a great learning experience too. It was well worth the bike out there. Thanks for the recommendation Cara!

The large tin cans are large telescopes from the planetarium

Botanical gardens has beautiful creations all over the park

Pretty bonsai tree right? Look at how old it is! (below)

445 years old!!!!

This one is only 30 years old

This one is 63 years old

The oldest tree at the botanical gardens was over 600 years old, but just passed away.

Wood blocks carved into structures

Mini piano carved from wood

Mother Earth

Hairy orangutans

This looks like just some flowers until....

You see the side and realize it's a tipped over pot!

I'm a big fan!

Sunflowers as big as my head!

After the Botanical Gardens, it was back to Old Montreal for dinner. We finally had crepes for dessert. We were so stuffed we could barely walk back to the hotel. All in all, a great last day in Quebec!

Now we pack up and get ready to go home, but as always, we had to stop for some foreign candies!

We would also like to give a shoutout to our cabin attendant on the cruise, Guti, for making us a new towel animal every day.

Cruise Day 7: Montreal

Our ship's final port of call was Montreal. Just like Quebec City, there is an "Old Montreal". It is chock full of restaurants, shops, and galleries. The cobblestone streets are mostly pedestrian only. We had breakfast at a place called Eggspectations. It may have been the best breakfast restaurant we've ever eaten at!

Great breakfast!

After filling up there, we walked through town, buying some souvenirs and seeing the sights, including Notre Dame Basilica, and some other great historical buildings.

Now it was off to the boardwalk to explore the Sailors' Memorial Clock Tower, and sitting on a park bench and watching the boats on the St. Lawrence. They used the get terrible ice jams that would destroy parts of the shoreline and businesses, so they created an island in the middle of the river to divert the main flow and prevent serious icing issues. It's not a problem at all these days with the use of modern ice breaker ships, but the island was ingenious for the time. Montreal also has a beach, believe it or not. They built one along the marina. It's free and almost makes you feel like you're in Southern California...almost.

Clock tower and bridge view from the boardwalk

A close-up shot of the clock tower

We ate at a fun outdoor cafe along Bonsecours Market. Bonsecours was built in 1849. It's where ships would come in, and served as a giant marketplace for the sailors to sell their goods. It was also home to the Canadian Parliament and City Hall. It was slated for demolition the the 1960s, but was refurbished and is now a vibrant part of town where everybody goes. It was very busy, but we could see why. It was fabulous.

After a long nap back at the hotel, it was back down to Old Montreal for dinner. We had quiche and fondue at an incredibly charming place called Creperie Chez Suzette. It made you feel like you were in France. The food was excellent. 

One final day left on our trip. We are looking forward the exploring Montreal by bike tomorrow! Stay tuned for the final entry!