Papillons en liberte,
Bonjour again I hope you are all dutifully impressed with my French. The title describes yesterdays’ activities which involved a visit to the Montreal insectarium (opposite the Olympic Stadium). The title translated means “butterflies go free”. It was amazing! After walking through many greenhouses displaying various plants from around the globe we entered a humid hothouse showcasing beautiful butterflies. You are free to walk around inside the dome while the hundreds of butterflies fly freely around you. They are spectacular.... so many shapes, sizes and colours. Sam proved to be the butterfly whisperer with quite a few landing on him for a few seconds before flitting away. Ben stripped down to his candy-stripped thermals in the hope that the butterflies would be attracted to the bright colours. No such luck but he did get some amusing looks from other tourists.
Montreal proved quite busy for us after having a much needed rest day in Quebec (particularly as there was a pretty major blizzard while we were there. (Low of -17C , morning wake up of a balmy -12C and a hearty high of -8C at 2 p.m.) We did venture outside on Sunday night for dinner and could not believe the snow piled high along the sidewalk. Of course even though it was well below freezing we had the mandatory snowball fight…returning to our hotel room absolutely covered in snow. Ddddid I mmmention it was ccccold!?! Our journey from Quebec to Montreal was quite tricky, particularly as the locals tend to overtake on the highway at speed. As they pull back into the lane in front, the snow blowing back from their tyres creates a few seconds of complete whiteout…a little scary.
Once safely back in Montreal we decided to immerse ourselves in some culture so apart from the butterflies we also visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. As luck would have it the Terracotta Soldiers from China were on display. I had seen them many years ago in Brisbane and found the exhibit fascinating so was thrilled the boys had this opportunity. It really is amazing the time and effort these Emperors demanded for the preparatoin of their burial tombs. I had forgotten how intricately detailed and big the Soldiers were. Historians believe due to the individuality of each Soldier that they are replicas of real men. However, any scars or defects are not included in the Terracotta version thereby creating the perfect army for the afterlife. During our visit we also saw many priceless artworks by Monet, Renoir, Dali and Picasso. All in all a very cultural, fascinating and enjoyable day.
Once safely back in Montreal we decided to immerse ourselves in some culture so apart from the butterflies we also visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. As luck would have it the Terracotta Soldiers from China were on display. I had seen them many years ago in Brisbane and found the exhibit fascinating so was thrilled the boys had this opportunity. It really is amazing the time and effort these Emperors demanded for the preparatoin of their burial tombs. I had forgotten how intricately detailed and big the Soldiers were. Historians believe due to the individuality of each Soldier that they are replicas of real men. However, any scars or defects are not included in the Terracotta version thereby creating the perfect army for the afterlife. During our visit we also saw many priceless artworks by Monet, Renoir, Dali and Picasso. All in all a very cultural, fascinating and enjoyable day.
Today we find ourselves in Ottawa. We had a snow dump last night of over 40 cm, so expect to have to dig the car out and that the road crews will be busy again. Often there will be 3-4 snowplows in a diagonal line clearing the road (at speed). You don’t want to be waiting for a bus on the sidewalk when they drive by as the slush they spray out travels a long way. Out the back they will spread sand or salt to try to stop ice forming and allow some grip on the road. Craig and the boys have loved the 4WD element with cries of Drift, Drift coming from the back, and Craig happy to accommodate when space and traffic conditions permit. I can’t say I share their enthusiasm for the practice.
After exploring Ottawa, we plan to be back near Niagara Falls on Friday staying at a township called St Catharines, where we will catch up with Melissa Townsend (a prac student of Craig’s from 4 years ago) and her family. On Saturday we will say farewell to Leah Constantini and her family before spending the night in Toronto ready for our New York flight on Sunday. Bring on the next adventure!
Love the Wockies
Photo Guide:- Toronto tower, Frozen Great Lake and River near Cornwell (Ontario), Ben's Body Art, Lost Surfboat, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Very French Influence)-Quebec City- Modern Masters, Terracotta Warriors Exhibit (No Photography allowed), Napoleon Exhibit, Gothic, Contemporary, 'Proto-Renaissance,' Renaissance Periods. Living with and driving in snow-Toronto and Quebec, Botanical Gardens and Insectarium, Montreal Olympic Stadium.
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