| Appropriately rested from my action packed day | | | | spiders. Its scientific collections hold 140,000 |
| yesterday I had a leisurely breakfast and headed out | | | | specimens and its exhibition collection consists of |
| on the subway at 9:30 am. I love the subway | | | | about 20,000, about 4000 of which are on public |
| system in Montreal since it's safe, efficient and all the | | | | display. There is also a live collection of arthropods |
| major sights are accessible via underground | | | | with about 100 species. Not only does the |
| transportation. And the interesting thing is the trains | | | | Insectarium focus on the science of insects, but it |
| run on rubber wheels - none of that metallic clanking | | | | also explores insects in an artistic, cultural and even |
| that I am so used to from places like Toronto, New | | | | gastronomical context. In 2005 it even held an insect |
| York City or Chicago... | | | | tasting event! |
| My first destination for this morning was Montreal's | | | | Well, this scientific introduction had warmed me up |
| Olympic complex, located in the | | | | enough to continue my explorations outside in the |
| Hochelaga-Maissoneuve area, originally a city founded | | | | Botanical Garden. Right across from the Insectarium is |
| in 1883 by local farmers. Hochelaga-Maissoneuve was | | | | a marsh and bog garden garden that features a |
| integrated into Montreal in 1918 and today is one of | | | | variety of gorgeous water lily specimens. |
| Montreal's main working class neighbourhoods whose | | | | Moving on from there is a sizeable rose garden with |
| residents are 90% French-speakers. | | | | about 10,000 roses from many different varieties. |
| Montreal's Olympic Stadium is best accessed from | | | | The roses were a bit past their bloom, but I would |
| the Pie IX subway station and upon leaving the | | | | imagine that this garden must look just magnificent |
| station I walked across the vast concrete expanses | | | | when everything is in full bloom. |
| surrounding this historic stadium, built for the 1976 | | | | A bit further to the north is the Japanese Garden, |
| Summer Olympics. One of it's nicknames is the "Big | | | | designed as a contemporary garden by renowned |
| O" and it was supposed to be one of the most | | | | Japanese garden designer Ken Nakajima. All the |
| advanced structures of its time, holding just over | | | | elements, stones, water features and plants have |
| 56,000 people. It featured a retractable roof that | | | | been chosen carefully and are imbued with a unique |
| was held in place by cables suspended from a 556 | | | | symbolism. The Chinese Garden next to it is a result |
| foot tall tower, incidentally the highest inclined tower | | | | of a bond between the Montreal Botanical Garden |
| in the world. | | | | and the Parks Department of the City of Shanghai. |
| The stadium was extremely expensive and its final | | | | More than 120 containers were shipped from |
| cost came to more than C$1 billion, the debt on | | | | Shanghai in 1990 and 50 Chinese craftsmen were |
| which was only paid off by the city in 2006. | | | | needed to assemble the components to build the |
| Interestingly, Jean Drapeau, Montreal's mayor at the | | | | garden. |
| time, announced that "The Olympics can no more | | | | I then strolled through the First Nations garden which |
| have a deficit than a man can have a baby", now a | | | | reflects a natural environment and is the first facility |
| popular quote among Montreal residents. Due to | | | | of its kind in Montreal. After walking through some |
| various strikes, construction delays and complications, | | | | serene ponds and woodlands I reached the Shade |
| the retractable roof did not open until 1988, but that | | | | Garden which hosts a large collection of primroses, |
| option was abandoned in 1992 in favour of a new | | | | astilbes, hostas and ferns and proves that even |
| stationary roof which continued to have various | | | | shady areas can feature brilliant colours and a variety |
| structural problems and a new replacement roof is | | | | of foliage and blossoms. Now it was serious time for |
| being considered for installation once again. Despite | | | | an ice cream and I sat down one of the tables |
| these issues, Montreal's Olympic Park is a sight to | | | | outside the Fuji Pavilion which is a 66-seat restaurant |
| behold and an interesting place to explore. | | | | providing cold beverages, ice cream and frozen |
| Between 1977 and 2004 the Montreal Olympic | | | | yogurt and light meals. |
| Stadium was the home of the Montreal Expos Major | | | | After my little rest there was another part of the |
| League Baseball team which was transferred to | | | | city that I wanted to explore and that was Little |
| Washington, D.C., in the 2005 season. It also used to | | | | Italy. So I decided to take the free shuttle bus that |
| be the home of the Montreal Alouttes, Montreal's | | | | connects the Olympic Stadium, the Biodome, the |
| team in the Canadian Football League. Today the | | | | Insectarium and the Botanical Garden and was |
| stadium is used for a variety of purposes including | | | | comfortably whisked to the nearby Vieau subway |
| trade fairs, sporting matches, motorized sports, live | | | | station. From there I took the subway to the Jean |
| shows, exhibitions, film shoots, balls, social activities | | | | Talon station, along one of the major east-west |
| and more. Since its opening, Montreal's Olympic | | | | thoroughfares of Montreal. |
| Stadium has been one of the busiest covered | | | | Like many cities in North America, Montreal has a |
| stadiums in the world. | | | | large Italian community. Actually, Italians represent |
| Montreal's Olympic Stadium is a fascinating, unusual | | | | Montreal's largest ethnic group. Many immigrants |
| yet aesthetic building and I decided to explore it in | | | | came over from Italy as early as the beginning of |
| more detail by taking the funicular which in about 5 | | | | the 19th century and many of them went into the |
| minutes takes you to an observation deck that | | | | hotel and restaurant business. The majority of them |
| provides a 360 degree of Montreal. Going up you | | | | arrived after the Second World War, and most of |
| have an unobstructed view eastwards towards the | | | | those immigrants came from the poorer regions of |
| pyramid-shaped buildings of the former Olympic | | | | the Italian south. One of the key ingredients of Italian |
| Village and at the top I enjoyed a perfect view of | | | | culture of course is its cuisine, made from fresh |
| downtown and the skyscrapers, Montreal Royal and | | | | ingredients. The Marché Jean Talon is an |
| the various bridges spanning the St. Lawrence River. | | | | anchor point in this community where local residents |
| The former Olympic cycling track, called the Biodome, | | | | can purchase fresh produce, cheese, meat, pastries |
| has been converted into an artificial habitat that | | | | and other products. This market is different from |
| features four different ecosystems: a Tropical | | | | others since its layout is mostly outdoors. More than |
| Forest, a Laurentian Forest, a St. Lawrence Marine | | | | 100 producers display their products here in the |
| Ecosystem and the Polar Worlds of the Arctic and | | | | summer, and the market has a distinct southern |
| the Antarctic. For me, my next item on the agenda | | | | ambience to it. You almost feel like you are |
| was the Montreal Botanical Garden. I left the Olympic | | | | somewhere close to the Mediterranean or even a |
| Stadium and walked under the Sherbrooke Street | | | | Moroccan souk. |
| bridge and found myself right next to the entrance | | | | I wanted to grab a seat in a little local restaurant |
| gates of Montreal's Botanical Garden. The C$12.75 | | | | beside the market, but most of them were so |
| entrance fee gives you access to both the gardens | | | | packed that I decided I was going to hop on the |
| as well as the Insectarium, so I started off with an | | | | subway again (easy to do with my convenient 3-day |
| indepth introduction to the world of insects. | | | | visitor pass) and check out the St-Denis area a little. |
| Open since 1990, the Montreal Insectarium holds | | | | Definitely time for a late lunch! |
| hundreds of species of butterflies, moths, bugs and | | | | |