Cathedral Laser Shows, Speakeasies, and Night Walks in Montreal

My weekend in Montreal was not just going to a football match and going to a couple of attractions. Here is everything else that was going on while I was in the city on this specific excursion.

Media Gallery - Montreal Biodome

On my weekend in Montreal, I needed something to do on the Sunday before I took the train back home the following day. I was deciding between going to the Biodome and going to the Biosphere, but after some brief online research, I decided to go see some animals at the Biodome. I am not much of a zoo person, but I needed to do something to pass the time. It was back to Viau station and the Montreal Olympic complex where the Biodome was.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Is A Huge Art Museum

It was a rainy Saturday morning in Montreal, and fresh from my wild night at Stade Saputo for the Canada/Ireland match, I needed to find some activities to do this weekend. The torrential rain limited my options to only indoor activities, and I decided to go to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, which is the oldest, largest, and most visited art museum in Canada. This was not my first time going to a fine arts museum, and it was not even my first time going to a fine arts museum in Quebec, as I went to the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts in Quebec City last year. I got there as soon as it opened, paid my $30 admission fee, and set off to peruse its exhibitions.

Winnipeg Travels: The Forks, Luxury Hotels, and Local Neighborhoods

Here is my compilation post of everything else I did in Winnipeg that I did not cover in my previous Winnipeg blog posts. Overall, I thought my trip to Winnipeg was enjoyable in the three nights I stayed here, though I was struggling to find things to do by the end of the second night. Winnipeg felt like an isolated city, but it has its own scene and community that I appreciate.

Manitoba Museum Photo Gallery

I went to the Manitoba Museum as part of my trip to Winnipeg and prior to my visit, I heard a number of good things about this museum. I have to tell you, there were some excellent exhibitions in this museum and this was one of the better museums I have ever been to in my travels. This is just like my visit to the Quebec Museum of Civilization in Quebec City, but in Manitoba. 

A Chilly Morning At The Assiniboine Park Gardens

I spent a chilly morning walking around the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and the English Garden at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg as part of my little excursion to the prairie province. This was in mid-May and the temperature for the morning was around 6-8 degrees Celsius, so nothing outside was in full bloom. Regardless, I saw a number of people getting their steps in on their morning walks so that was nice.

The Leaf Conservatory Is An Impressive Structure

Continuing my morning excursion to Assiniboine Park, I spent some time at The Leaf Conservatory, which is one of the major attractions at the park. Before I go inside, I want to talk about the structure of the conservatory itself. It has this tent structure that looks like it is a big white flower in the park. Along with the Human Rights Museum, The Leaf Conservatory is one of the most impressive-looking buildings I have seen in Winnipeg, and maybe all of Canada.

Braving The Cold Of Lake Winnipeg (Gimli/Winnipeg Beach)

One of the things I wanted to do while in Manitoba was to take a drive up to Lake Winnipeg and see the sights. I rented a car for the day and set off on my journey to the lake and to the town of Gimli.

I Went To My First CEBL Game In Winnipeg

The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) is Canada’s pro basketball league with 10 teams spread across six provinces. Prior to going to my first CEBL game, I knew little about the league, as I was more familiar with the NBA. The only things I knew were that Scarborough had its own team, and there were a few changes to some of the rules in this league. 

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights

I have a new series of posts coming out on this blog detailing my time in Manitoba. I spent most of my time in Winnipeg but I did get to travel to Lake Winnipeg (which you will hear about in a future post). One of the biggest attractions in the city was the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which is the newest national museum established in 2008. This museum focuses on human rights and explores human rights issues in the past, present, and future from both a Canadian and a global perspective.

Quebec City Travels: A Ferry Ride And A Night At The Jazz Bar

This is the final part of my Quebec City travels. Here are the links to parts one and two if you have not seen them already.

Quebec City Travels: Big Buildings, Big Statues, And Big Slides

This is the second part of everything else I experienced while I was in Quebec City. Part 1 is here.

Quebec City Travels: Unique Hotels, Maple Taffy, and Funiculars

I had a magical time visiting Quebec City last October. I have not been to a city like this since visiting the Italian cities on my Italy trip a couple of years ago. There was so much that I got to experience in Quebec City that did not make it to any of my other Quebec City posts, so I want to talk about it in the next couple of posts.

Quebec City Ghost Walk And Night Photos

As much as I enjoyed walking around Quebec City during the day, I am a night person at my core, and I want to see what the city is like during the night. On my first night in Quebec City, I booked myself on a ghost walk around the city. A ghost walk is a guided walking tour (usually in the night) in a city where the guide will share local spooky tales and legends. You would often be at the very locations where some of these stories took place. I went to Quebec City in late October, so going on this tour fits extremely well with Halloween.

Media Gallery: The Quebec Museum Of Fine Arts

I am not much of a fine arts person, or to rephrase, I am not someone who is not able to fully appreciate the vast majority of fine arts pieces. I know many fine arts pieces have a great deal of creativity and skill to create, but I hardly understand how that would speak to me, if that make sense. I went to the Quebec Museum of Fine Arts (known as the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec) to check out some fine arts pieces, but mostly to kill some time.

"The Most Photographed Hotel In The World" - The Château Frontenac

On the last day of my Quebec City trip, I was supposed to go for a tour of the Morrin Centre, which was formerly a prison, but now turned into a library and cultural centre. Unfortunately, the facility cancelled the tour for that day due to a private event, so I had to find something to do before I flew back home. As a backup, I signed up for a tour of the Château Frontenac. The Château Frontenac has the claim of being the most photographed hotel in the world due to its imposing, grand, castle-like (Châteauesque) design. The Château Frontenac stands out in the Quebec City skyline and it is a defining landmark for the city and the province.

An Autumn Morning At Montmorency Falls

One of the main reasons why I wanted to check out Quebec City is that I wanted to see the Montmorency Falls, which is the towering waterfall just outside the city. After an uneventful bus ride, I entered the park with the ticket I bought online. The Montmorency Falls is just a part of the overall park which loops around the waterfall. There are several activities at this park including ziplining across the waterfall, and a cable car between the top and bottom of the park itself.

The Views from Quebec City's Tallest Building

I went to L'Observatoire de la Capitale atop the Marie-Guyart building, which is the tallest building in Quebec City. This attraction offers a 360-degree view of the city and beyond, and I thought it would be worth checking out for an affordable $15 admission ticket (that you can only buy online). I went on a rainy and cloudy afternoon so I could not see far beyond the thickness of the clouds, but regardless, I would be seeing some spectacular views.

A Rainy Morning At La Citadelle de Québec

On one of the mornings while I was staying in Quebec City, I went for a tour of La Citadelle, which is a fortress that is sitting on the highest point of the city at Cap Diamant. I want to point out that this was not the first Citadel-style structure in Canada that I went to, as I also went to the Halifax Citadel last year. I was able to freely explore the Halifax Citadel at my own pace, but I would not have this luxury at La Citadelle, as La Citadelle de Quebec is still an active military base. I had to go on a guided tour of the fortress, which was fine with me.

Quebec's Museum of Civilization (And Another Titanic Exhibit)

I visited the Quebec Museum of Civilization in Quebec City (which already gives you a clue about where the next batch of travel posts are going to come from), and their premier exhibition going on at the time was a Titanic exhibition called "Titanic. The Human Story". I already went to a Titanic exhibition in Toronto back in August, but I was curious to see what things were the same in both exhibitions and what was different. I promise that this blog is not going to be a Titanic repository of items and experiences, but bear with me as I go through a second round of experiencing the fateful maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, as well as check out the rest of the exhibits in the museum.