Hector Guimard - Montreal Metro Square Victoria

Copyright Photo: Victoria Square Metro 1 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Square Victoria Metro Station / Saint Antoine Entrance
Restored and Re-inaugurated in September 2003

Copyright Photo: Victoria Square Metro 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
A Touch of Gay Paree

This is an authentic Art Nouveau Parisian metro entrance portico from the Paris Métro System. It was given to Montreal in 1967 by the French to commemorate the collaboration of Canadian and French engineers in building our metro system. This cast-iron entrance portico is truly a gem and an important example of the Art Nouveau style. We're very proud to have this because it is also the only authentic Hector Guimard entrance in use on a metro station, anywhere in the world outside Paris. So, whenever you're in town, be sure to check it out! One more reason to visit Montreal? I hope so.



Not a Fun Day

Copyright Photo: Lumax Electrique Inc. by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Luc and Max 2 Junior by Montreal Photo Daily, on FlickrCopyright Photo: Max 1 Junior by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo:Montreal Garden Mess 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Montreal Garden Mess 1 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Electrical Job Completed by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

Last winter our oil furnace gave up the ghost! We had no choice but to replace it and decided on going with an electric furnace instead. However, for that to happen, we were forced to upgrade our electrical service. As a result, bright and too early this morning, three electricians in two fully loaded trucks appeared at our front steps. What ensued was six hours of house arrest: we were trapped in the house with no electricity, no internet, no house telephone nor hot water. Weee! What fun! Luckily, thanks to the expertise of Lumax Electrique, all went smoothly. Phase two, a report on the installation of the electric furnace will follow shortly. Stay tuned.



Toqué! Restaurant, Montreal

Copyright Photo: Toqué! Restaurant, Montreal by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
The cheerful and playful sign for Toque!

Copyright Photo: Toqué! Restaurant- Montreal by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
The patio terrace is perfect for dining al fresco.

The New York Times has described Montreal's Toque! Restaurant as a haute cuisine haven. From what I've heard, the foie gras appetizer and lamb entree are to die for. And the food presentation is second to none. Add a glass of Merlot to that and let's do lunch!

Recipe from Toque! --- Salmon with Maple Syrup Confit



Colour My World

Copyright Photo: Japanese Tree Peony 1 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Japanese Tree Peony 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Japanese Tree Peony 3 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

We're five days into the summer and all we've had is rain. Here are the blossoms of three Japanese Tree Peonies from my garden. They provide a much needed blast of colour and fragrance. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks to Petula Clark for inspiring me. Please Click Here.



Chinese Antiques: Tango Martini

Copyright Photo: Tango Martini Chinese Antiques by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

One of my favorite shops in the neighborhood is Tango Martini. They have some of the most exquisite antique Chinese furniture that I've ever seen in Montreal. Take a look at their website and you'll see what I mean. Owners, Carol and Joel, also carry a select inventory of precious antique Chinese baskets, vases, top of the line Chinese fine bone china and some hand embroidered silk cushions. I find that these smaller items would make perfect gift ideas.

I hope you'll enjoy their website too.



Place Jean Paul Riopelle: La Joute Fountain

Copyright Photo: Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle: Montreal Fountain La Joute Stage 1 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Stage 1: Fountain is engaged.

Copyright Photo: Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle: Montreal Fountain La Joute Stage 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Stage 2: Outer ring of shooting mist.

Copyright Photo: Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle: Montreal Fountain La Joute Stage 3 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Finale: A ring of fire.

Cost: Free of charge
Duration: Approx. 30 minutes
Showtime: Starts on the half hour, every hour, 7-11 p.m.



Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle: La Joute Fountain

Copyright Photo: Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle: Fountain Montreal by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

Though technically lying outside the limits of the historic district, Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle is just a short walk north of Old Montreal and is well worth the trip. The square is home to a public art work, "La Joute", completed in 1969 by the Québec artist Jean-Paul Riopelle (1923–2002). It is a sculpted fountain, and in the summer, every hour on the hour from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. it comes alive with water jets, mist and flame. For the reveal, please stay tuned...



MMFA Sculpture Garden: Antony Gormley

Copyright Photo: Antony Gormley: "Building VI" at MMFA 1 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Antony Gormley: "Building VI" at MMFA 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts's sculpture garden, which dates back to 2002, has one of the city's largest collection of public art. Over twenty works are highlighted in this outdoor garden, accessible to the public on Du Musée Avenue and Sherbrooke Streets. This piece is titled "Building VI". Every time I pass by, it reminds me of the line "Beam me up, Scotty" from Star Trek!

Artist: Antony Gormley (Born in 1950)
Artwork titled ‘Building VI’ (2003)
Stainless steel blocks
Located outside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Avenue du Musee, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.



Westmount Park: An Olmsted Design

Copyright Photo: Westmount Park 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Westmount Park 1 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Westmount Park 4 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Westmount Park 5 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

Centrally located, Westmount Park is the most popular park in Westmount. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted who also designed Mount-Royal Park and Central Park in New York City. Its idyllic walking paths, shady gazebo, indigenous flowers, towering trees and gently flowing pond make it an ideal place to read, sunbathe and picnic. The park is often used by summer newlyweds as a backdrop for photos.

Copyright Photo: Westmount Park 3 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr



Bell Rates: Montreal Payphones

Copyright Photo: Montreal Phillips Square - Pay Phones by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Payphones are still commonplace throughout Montreal -- not as common as they once were, but you can still generally find one when you need it.

Rates for local calls made from Bell public payphones:
1946 to 1952 ------> 5¢
1952 to 1974 ------>10¢
1974 to 1981 ------>20¢
1981 to 2007 ------>25¢
2007 to Present --->50¢

A tenfold climb in six decades!



Trending Now in Montreal: Vespa

Copyright Photo: Vespa Classic Scooter by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Vespa Dash by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

Lately, I have noticed more and more of these little guys in town. You can easily find parking for them and driving them may be doing less harm to the environment than if you were to drive your primary set of wheels. On closer inspection, I was very surprised that they were designed to reach a maximum of 160 km/h. Are you kidding me? Who in their right mind would try to reach that kind of speed on a Vespa?



Canadian Artist - Joe Fafard's Claudia

Copyright Photo: Claudia the Cow by Joe Fafard by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Hold the calls. Claudia is on her lunch break!

This serene cow makes her home in the sculpture garden of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Sherbrooke Street. Her creator is Joe Fafard whose art is heavily influenced by his Saskatchewan surroundings, and includes life-size bronzes of cows, horses and pigs.



Christ Church Cathedral - Montreal

Copyright Photo: Christ Church Cathedral - Montreal 1 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Christ Church Cathedral - Montreal 3 by Montreal Photo Daily, on FlickrCopyright Photo: Christ Church Cathedral - Montreal 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican Gothic Revival cathedral.
Address: 635 Saint Catherine Street West, downtown Montreal.

Originally built in 1859, the Christ Church Cathedral was the first church in Montreal to re-invent itself to fit into its modern day setting. In the 1980s, a huge real estate project was undertaken: an underground parking and a shopping mall that would house two levels of shops underneath the cathedral. In addition to that, a 34 floor skyscraper was to be built just north of the church, as part of the complex. Throughout the duration of the construction, the Cathedral had to be supported on stilts. We, Montrealers used to refer to it as the "Cathedral on stilts". Completed the same year, the Promenade de la Cathedrale was opened to the public... a four-level project that connected the mall under the church to Montreal's "Underground City".

Boutiques: Aldo, Tristan, RW & Co, Urban Planet, Dynamite, FootLocker, Laura, Limite and Linen Chest, Sirens and more...



Atwater Market: Color Therapy

Copyright Photo: Atwater Market Fruits Vegetables 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Atwater Market Fruits Vegetables by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Atwater Market Flowers 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Atwater Market Flowers 3 by Montreal Photo Daily, on FlickrCopyright Photo: Atwater Market Flowers 4 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

Often referred to as the biggest garden in town, the Atwater Market is a farmer's market located near the Lachine Canal. Come summer, its parking lot is transformed into a gigantic greenhouse. There are over 18 vendors of exotic flowers and plants, and a dozen or so vendors of fresh fruits and vegetables. As you can see, it's a feast for the eyes. With our long and cold winter behind us, Montrealers revel in the much needed splash of glorious colors.



French Fashion: World of Jean Paul Gaultier

Copyright Photo: Jean Paul Gaulthier- Montreal by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

To coincide with the much anticipated opening of the "The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, retailers such as The Bay, has joined in the promotion of the event by installing banners all around the store's perimeter to promote one of the fashion designer's fragrances. Holt Renfrew, another department store, sponsored a meet and greet that included an exclusive autograph signing session with Gaulthier! Now, that could have been great fun!

In case you didn't know, Jean Paul Gaulthier is the renown Parisian fashion designer, nicknamed "l'enfant terrible", who designed Madonna's cone shape brassiere top for her "Blond Ambition" tour in 1990. Simply put, Gaulthier is a huge talent and it's an honour to have him here in Montreal.

Btw, the Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier runs from June 17 to Oct. 2, 2011 at the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1379 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal.



McGill University: Gault Nature Reserve

Copyright Photo: Lac Hertel by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

This is Lac Hertel (Hertel Lake) in the Gault Nature Reserve, situated in Mont St. Hilaire. Most of the mountain is currently the property of McGill University, as the Gault Nature Reserve. The University has opened the western half of the mountain to visitors (at a fee) for hiking and cross-country skiing, named "The Natural Area". And the eastern half, named "The Preservation Area" is not accessible to the general public. Since it is a mere 45 minutes drive from downtown Montreal, the reserve is much appreciated by urbanites and is popular for all sorts of outdoor activities.



Montreal's Japanese Garden

Copyright Photo: Japanese-Montreal Botanical Gardens 2 by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Copyright Photo: Japanese-Montreal Botanical Gardens by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

The serene Japanese Garden in Montreal stretches over 2.5 hectares and incorporates the traditional elements of stone, water and plants.  Designed by Ken Nakajima and opened in 1989, it is a typical stroll garden, inviting visitors to embark on a journey of contemplation, past stones set carefully to suggest mountains and valleys; around ponds and along streams that reflect the sky and clouds overhead; over arched or zigzag bridges; and through simple gardens featuring Japanese tree peonies, maples, irises and other plants. (Source)



The Hovey Manor in North Hatley

Copyright Photo: Hovey Manor by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
The main building: ante-bellum architecture.

Copyright Photo: Hovey Manor Garden by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
The spectacular lake view with the perennial garden in bloom.

Copyright Photo: Hovey Manor Library by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
The comfortable library is furnished with antiques.

The Hovey Manor (Manoir Hovey in French) is a year-round getaway that is only 1-1/2 hour drive from downtown Montreal. Situated in the outskirts of the lakeside town of North Hatley, it is well hidden from the main road. It has a prime lake front location, spectacular gardens, first class service and above all, its renown cuisine is second to none. This is the perfect weekend destination for that special occasion.



McGill University Retirement

Copyright Photo: McGill University Retirement by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
It was an evening of fun. I attended a retirement party for a loved one after 39 years of dedicated service at McGill University. The air was electric and spirits were high. All in all, this is one fine group of friends and colleagues saying so long and thank you. Happy trails, my love.



My Fave: The Nagoya Sushi

Copyright Photo: Westmount Sushi Shop by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
The Nagoya Sushi is my preferred shop in Westmount for sushi pick up or for a casual supper outdoors in the summer. The staff is courteous and friendly, the food is extremely fresh and everything is made to order. In my humble opinion, there's no other restaurant in town that serves a better Tofu salad than this place ! Hmm, hmm, hmm.



Montreal Moose Sculpture on Sherbrooke Street

Copyright Photo: Moose Sculpture on Sherbrooke Street by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr

Montreal is promoting its museum district with a fun campaign called Project Orign’Art. This is a showcase of colorful two dimensional moose sculptures, placed all along Sherbrooke Street, with quotes from famous artists in French on one side and English on the other. I think this is a great concept: they're eye-catching and cheerful, fun to look at and shows how art can be a part of everyday life.



Les FrancoFolies de Montreal 2011

Les FrancoFolies de Montreal is the biggest music festival in the French speaking world. This mega event is celebrating 23 years and it runs from June 9 to June 18. What's great about this event is that there are many free outdoor concerts and it's a perfect occasion to meet up with friends for a fun time. This past weekend I decided to check out the "Quartier des Spectacles" and snoop around with my camera hoping to get some interesting shots of the preparations involved in setting up an event of this size. As expected, there were workmen busying away and plenty of security personnel everywhere. (Hint: some very expensive sound equipment on site, etc.) I wasn't all that comfortable about hanging around and taking photos but I did manage to snap a few shots.

Copyright Photo: Quartier des Spectacles- FrancoFolies 2011... by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
This is the section that is called: L'Espace Ford: main stage.

Copyright Photo: Quartier des Spectacles- FrancoFolies 2011.. by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Also the L'Espace Ford. Note the stylish overhead spotlights!

Copyright Photo: Quartier des Spectacles- FrancoFolies 2011. by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
This is the section that is called: L'Espace Vert Desjardins.

Copyright Photo: Quartier des Spectacles- FrancoFolies 2011.... by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
Also the L'Espace Vert Desjardins: overlooking Complexe Desjardins and the Hyatt Hotel.

Copyright Photo: Quartier des Spectacles- FrancoFolies 2011 Map by Montreal Photo Daily, on Flickr
I am including a site map of the event, just in case you're coming... Maybe I'll see you there ?