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Tips Travel

Montreal

Parle vu français? I don’t either, but I still find Montreal very charming.  A multi cultural island, here you can find Italian, Jewish, French, English, and Chinese neighborhoods just to name a few.  There are so many things to see and do, unfortunately we were there for two days only, and took a walking tour in order to learn more history about Montreal.  The weather was pretty warm (in the 90’s) so it wasn’t the best weather for a 3 hour walking , but nevertheless we were able to see many neat places like the Notre-Dame Basilica (last time we were here 8 or 9 yrs ago it was closed for a wedding), City Hall, and some of the charming cobble streets in the Old Montreal.

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Notre-Dame Basilica
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Notre-Dame Basilica
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Notre-Dame
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Notre-Dame Basilica
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Notre-Dame Basilica
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City Hall

They remind me so much of Europe, the cobble streets dotted with restaurants, cafes, and creperies.

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The food here is delicious as well.  We had foundue and crepes at Chez Suzette ,and we walked 2 miles in 90+ degrees to try this Portugese restaurant called Ma Poule Mouille and it was so worth it(even though it might not look so appetizing in the pictures, we were so hungry I almost forgot to take a picture.)  They specialize in grilled chicken over smoked wood, delicious poutine(fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), and salads.  The chicken is roasted to perfection them cut and topped with a sauce that is made from the chicken drippings and wine. The lines to order are out the door but move pretty quickly.

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Chez Suzette
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(Whole rosted chicken)Ma Poule Mouille

 

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(Chicken and Chorizo Poutine)Ma Poule Mouille

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I found the little balconies with their bistro sets so charming I had to photograh this one.

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Statue of Amphititre wife of Posidon (underground Montreal)

There is an underground city in Montreal which has shops, offices and restaurants.  Above is one of the art pieces in front of a beautiful marble fountain. A piece of the Berlin Wall resides here as well.

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I just love this bronze statue called Les chuchoteuses (English: “The Gossipers”). It was placed in this part of Montreal to beautify this specific neighborhood.

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Les chuchoteuses (English: “The Gossipers”).

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We even made a little friend who liked to sit by the water and dip it’s paws in it.

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Categories
Travel

The Selkirk Loop-Ainsworth B.C

Three and a half hours from the Norther Idaho border is the quaint village of Ainsworth in British Columbia, Canada. It sits on Kootenay Lake and it is a popular destination during summer and winter alike. What is so popular about Ainsworth is it’s natural hot springs resort.

We spent three days at the Ainsworth Hot Springs Inn. The outside pool has natural hot spring water that has to be cooled down as it comes from the underground spring. It’s such a relaxing feeling to soak in the warm waters and take in the beautiful surroundings of Kootenay Lake and mountains. If you prefer a hotter experience, you can head to the caves which are next to the pool. It’s exactly that, a walk through cave with mineral water which comes from the hot springs, it feels like a natural sauna inside. The Native Americans would come after battle and soak in these waters which they believed had healing  properties. When you’ve had enough of the caves take a cold dip in the plunge pool which is filled with natural spring water continuously flowing through a spigot from the mountain. Let me tell you, it’s chilly taking a dip in there!


The resort has its own restaurant, the Ktunaxa Grill. We had lunch and dinner here and were pleasantly surprised. With items on the menu such as bison burgers, venison rack, and fish and chips, there is something for everyone. All the food is fresh and local, and most importantly very tasty.


We didn’t get a chance to visit Cody Caves, which is a very popular destination here as well. I was afraid my car wouldn’t  make it up the 10 km steep and bumpy drive. I was already nervous about doing this 3 week close to 3000 mile road trip, I didn’t want to push my luck. I’ve heard the caves are an amazing experience…maybe next time!

 
Categories
Travel

Coeur d’ Alene

This summer we decided on doing the Selkirk Loop because I’ve heard such wonderful things about the scenery and picture opportunities. The Selkirk Loop is a scenic loop from Northern Idaho through Montana, up into British Columbia and down to Washington and back to Idaho. We stopped in Coeur d’ Alene for three nights which included The 4 th of July.

Coeur d’ Alene is a town situated next to Lake Coeur d’ Alene and is a very touristy town especially in the summertime. Many people flock to this area for the water activities and small town summertime feel. I must say it’s a very charming place.

On our list of fun things to do, zip lining and kayaking.

Timberline Adventures is the company we went zip lining with. I can’t say enough about them, the zip lining was so much fun. I have to be honest I was scared because of the fact that we were literally up in the trees very high off the ground, but as soon as I went zipping down that first line all my fears disappeared. It was awesome!!!
On the 4th of July we spend the day kayaking with row adventures. It was such a relaxing and fun way to see the lake and surroundings.


By nightfall we were ready for the fireworks.


All in all Coeur d’ Alene was a great choice for three days of adventure and relaxation! Check it out if you ever get a chance and let me know what you think.