David in Canada
From Korea, I flew to Vancouver in British Columbia, where I had a meal with Tee Haynes, Sarah's brother-in-law, and his wife Surita. After a night at a motel, I caught a plane to Montreal, where I was met by Miles.
Crossing the Rockies
After a good night's sleep, we went to a local market for breakfast.
Breakfast at the market
Me too
At the market, we saw baby carriages with places for up to 8 babies. Overuse of fertility drugs?
Baby pushers like buses
Fungus enthusiast Benedict would have liked the selection of mushrooms sold at the market!
Big selection of mushrooms
Miles and Colin rented an apartment on the upper floor of a striking red and white brick building. These were built as two homes, and had separate street numbers.
Miles and Colin lived in the top floor of this house
Behind the house
Montreal had an excellent system of bike use. System members paid an annual fee, and could pick up or leave a bike at any rack. All were interconnected, and a phone app showed which racks had available bikes or return slots.
Montreal had a great system of bike use
Road surfaces in Montreal were quite bad. Apparently the annual snow loads cause the surfaces to twist and rise, so spring repairs are needed everywhere.
Road surfaces can be awful
While in Montreal, Miles rented a studio and was preparing an exhibition while I was there. This was successful, and he sold many prints.
Miles rented a studio for his work
Some impressive street art in Montreal
During my time in Montreal, I intended to try and visit Niagara Falls (this is on the US/Canada border, south of Lake Ontario). From Montreal, the usual route is train to Toronto, then a two-hour bus trip to the Falls, then two hours back. When I tried to get accommodation in Toronto, the cheapest rate available was $400 per night, prompting a re-think.
The better option worked out to be: fly from Montreal to Buffalo in New York State (closest major airport), book two nights accommodation in Niagara Falls itself (Canadian side), and travel by taxi shuttle between Buffalo and Niagara Falls (the only taxi ride I've been on where the driver had to show his passport). This was cheaper and more convenient, and gave me a full day in Niagara Falls.
I stayed at the Tower Hotel. All the hotel rooms were at the top of a tower, only the Reception was at ground level. The flight out from Montreal went via Philadelphia, and the return flight via Chicago -- just how the airline offers went.
In Niagara, I stayed at the Tower Hotel
The Falls from the Tower Hotel
At ground level
Niagara Falls is a very popular tourist town, with casinos and similar attractions. Among the tourists there for a good time, I noticed a family of Amish, the religious sect avoiding many modern-day devices.
An Amish family in Niagara Falls
At Niagara Falls, the Niagara River is flowing north, connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
The Niagara River is the Canada/US border
While there, I took the opportunity for a bus trip up to Niagara-on-the-Lake, where the Niagara rivers flows into Lake Ontario.
Where the Niagara River enters Lake Ontario
This is a relatively mild climatic area, and the principal Canadian wine-production region.
Rich vineyard at Niagara-on-the-Lake
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Last update 2015 Dec 24
