Bienvenue a Montreal

Welcome to Montreal is the above translated!!! Altho the entire time I was there there were very limited translations!!! Everything from the Subway to all signs etc are in French...rather difficult at times!! However I survived, thankfully many customers had gave me print outs and info on which metro trains i needed to catch to get to where. It was colour coded which helped too. Once I had it down pat the underground was fabulous to use. I still managed to walk miles over my stay. So on the fisrt day I went and checked out St Catherine Street which is the big shopping street and my hostel was right off it which was scary!! But went ok cos wasn't so keen on lugging all my purchases round. The Jazz festival stated on the fri when i got there which was a pleasant suprise so headed down there to check it out!! Made some friends and sat and listened to music Brian Setzer??? apparently big news (used to be in the Stray Cats???) anyway was fun then headed out with my new friends for some good times!! Also checked out the Olympic stadium from the Montreal games in 1976 which was sweet and went up to the observatory to see the view from the top. That night I headed down to old Montreal which was magnificent, like an old European city with small cobble stone street and folk music being played on the corners and hundreds of quaint little resturants and bars and thousands of french folk!! Just near Old montreal is the port where I went watched the fireworks which are on every sat night for free and its a massive competition between contestants and each week is a different country. This week was Poland and the Polish sure know how to light up the sky!!! AWESOME!!!! Sunday I vacated the sweet hostel and trekked around the city with all my shit and made my way to the Tam Tams at Mont Royal Park. This is a drumming festival on every sunday where locals come and drum!!! Anyone can go bongo along and its such a fun atmosphere!! Lots on lil markets and activities going on such as tight rope walking, medievil fighting (which was hilarious and very life-like with dramatic actors and there foam swords and sheilds haha). Sadly then it was time to catch the bus back to english speaking Ottawa!! Good to be home tho!! As you can see lots starting to happen here too, Ribfest and Born Ruffian concert last week and tomoro is Canada Day and the Queen is in town (just saw her cruising up the street with her enormous entourage!!) Lots of fireworks and plane stunt shows plus Barenaked Ladies are playing on Parliment Hill so will go check it out in my patriotic Canadian attire!! And finally Bluesfest starts TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So lots happening will try and not be such a slack bum from now on with the blog, its a sucky job but hope you enjoy it:-) Love and miss you all x

Tam Tams in Mont Royal

Montreal Botanical Gardens

International Jazz Festival

Montreal Olympic Stadium

Born Ruffian

Ribfest