The first stop in Canada was Toronto, mostly for the tennis tournament. The most interesting picture is neither one of the winner nor of the finalist, but rather of the army of people trying to dry the court. This is a labor- and time-intensive process. Maybe they should think about investing in a cover... Otherwise, Toronto gave the impression of a huge city, with many distinct neighborhoods where immigrants would congregate by origin. There is China-town, Brazil-town, Italy-town, ... Very multi-cultural but no specific "Toronto" character.
Second stop was the Niagara Falls. It is the third big falls that I visit after the Victoria Falls (see entry from November 2009) and the Iguazu Falls. While they were the ones with the most water volume, the main characteristic of the Niagara Falls is their over-exploitation as a touristic center. In that sense, they were less majestic than the others.
The third stop was in Canada's capital Ottawa. A small town with a very British looking Parliament building. There was a light-and-sound show but it was cancelled due to equipment problem and a change of the guard that took place much earlier than I anticipated. What we did not miss though, was the yoga and hula-hoop classes taking place on the lawn right there. I guess it is the way for Canadians to show that they are not so British after all...
Next stop, Montreal. Of course, this city is very welcoming since it is a mostly French-speaking. Talking about language, I should still acknowledge that their accent is not too bad, whereas some of their words are really funny - for my french-speaking readers, try to guess what the following words mean : un char, un chum, un breuvage. Montreal is a very pleasant European/French mix. Many pedestrian streets, many outdoor restaurants and bars, excellent bakeries. It also hosted the Olympics in 1976. The stadium (see below) must have looked quite futuristic then. And guess who opened the Games? Yes, Queen Elizabeth, as she is also head of state in Canada.
Driving further, two things struck me: 1) the state of the roads and
of infrastructure is more similar to the US than to Europe, and 2) there
are so many towns that are called "Saint-...". Thankfully, the GPS helped us find our way among all these saints.
Last stop, Quebec. It is probably the most charming city in North America, with cobble-stone streets, historical houses, as well as an upper and a lower town by the Saint Laurent river. It feels a bit like in Venice, with tourists representing 99 percent of the people.
Some tourists end up staying in this huge 681-rooms hotel, that can be seen in-between the two flags of the Quebec province. Actually, I might have to stay the "nation", since the Parliament in Quebec is called the "national" Parliament, and not the "provincial" one.
To finish, a little political note. The elections in Quebec are due to take place on the 4th of September, and the campaign was starting. There were posters all over the place, including this one with the chef of the Party Quebecois, the leading candidate according to the polls.
