Old City Montreal

After visiting the Montreal Tower and Biodome, we took the Metro to Old Town (Vieux-Montreal).

 

We sought refuge from the cold in the Montreal Science Centre at the Old Port.  Since it was close to closing time, we just wandered around the free exhibits - like this invention that had lights, sounds, and buttons for the kids to push:

After getting toasty, we walked up to the Place D'Armes to see Notre Dame Basilica: 

Dedicated in 1829, the church was the largest in North America and remained so for almost fifty years.

We paused a minute to admire Montreal's awesome snow removal techniques - a giant tractor blowing snow into a series of dump trucks.  Where do the dump trucks take the snow? In a nutshell, all the snow is taken to quarries to pile up and melt. :-)

Then we went inside to admire the Basilica's interior - we were able to catch the sound and light show, which was really interesting. The show provided a comprehensive history of not only the Basilica, but of Canada and Montreal, as well - with beautiful music and snazzy lighting. Sean sat with Daddy through the whole show, but Clare needed to move around - so we hung near the back and looked at the nativity and the "nice Baby!" in the manger.

The Altar

The organ

The pretty ceiling

After the show, we hit the streets in search of dinner near our hotel. On our way back, we realized we were staying very close to the Bell Center - the home of the Montreal Canadiennes! We took a minute to admire Maurice "The Rocket" Richard's statue:

Then we went to go get dinner; we ended up at a great crepe place! The kids played a little "peeky-boo" while we waited for the crepes to come out of the kitchen:

Sean was delighted to have a "pancake with syrup!" for dinner and to nibble on Daddy's "pancake with chocolate!" dinner as well. Clare liked our crepe - apples, craisins, and yummy cheese!

Bon Appetit!