Diversity in Vancouver

Vancouver is a melting pot of cultures- check out the various shopping and eating venues. Japadog- hungry customers waited 1-2 hours in line for a taste of Japanese style hotdogs.



JSP in the House of Pocky. Jeff in front of the House of Clogs.

Jeff's Olympic Experience

A close up of Jeff's Olympic Ski Jump- do you recognize him in the air in the picture?

Miga, Jin Sun, and Quatchi

JSP didn't remember who won the Olympic ski jump event at Whistler, but she will never forget Miga and Quatchi- 2 of the mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

B-Town in O-Town- Ottawa that is...

Our last stop in Canada was Ottawa to visit Jeff's cousins, Andy, Sheli, and their three kids. As with the rest of Canada, it's an impeccably clean and friendly town with beautiful sights and a picturesque waterfront. Did you know it was the capital city of Canada?

In case you were wondering, according to Andy's son, Liam, Ralph's has the best bacon in the world.

Montmorency Falls, Quebec

On our way out of Quebec, we stopped by Montmorency Falls. You can't tell from these pictures but these falls are higher than Niagara Falls by 275 ft.

Sting in Quebec!

We arrived in Quebec at the best time of the year- right at the final weekend of the summer music festival. The city was crowded but not overwhelmed by festival goers, and the festival itself was very well organized. The festival is 11 days of live music- all kinds from reggae to pop, classical to hip-hop. It cost only $45 for an 11 day pass!!! It's the best deal and we highly recommend it if you ever decide to take a vacation to Quebec in the summer. Feist opened for Sting- here are some pics of the concert and the after party.

Ville de Quebec

We made it to the beautiful city of Quebec- the furthest north either of us had been in eastern Canada. It's everything you ever heard about Quebec and more- charming, quaint, pretty, European, etc. Here are some pics of the old town- surrounded by ramparts, one of the only remaining fortified walls in North America. And yes, everyone spoke French as their first language...

Shirtless in Canada!

We had lunch at a rooftop bar at a swanky hotel... lo and behold- shirtless is back! Although one might argue it's never really gone away. A year round look perhaps?

The Sights in Montreal

Habitat 67- an ubercool housing complex built for the World Expo 67.
The Biosphere- The US contribution to the World Expo 67
The Olympic Park for the Montreal Olympics in 1976
The Just for Laughs Comedy Festival

Good Eats in Montreal

"Sucking the marrow from the bones of life" at L'Express- a popular French bistro. Jeff's favorite-brisket sandwiches at Chez Schwartz's. We went there twice!

Bixi in Montreal, Canada

On our second trip into Canada (we dipped into Toronto in June), we stopped in Montreal. Montreal just launched the Bixi public bike system throughout the city this summer and we took full advantage of it to tour the sites and get around town. Here's how it works:
At each bike station, you dip in your credit card to buy a one day, one month, or one year pass that gives you access to all the bike stations around the city. You can then rent bikes by the hour (with the first 30 min of each pickup being free). You choose a bike and 'unlock' it with a 3 digit code printed out on your receipt. Then ride around the city- there are miles of designated bike lanes and hundreds of stations around Montreal.
http://montreal.bixi.com/rolling-with-bixi/how-it-works
It's rolling out in Boston and London and we hear rumors that it may hit LA and SF!

Canadians are funny

In Toronto, we saw more than a few uniquely Canadian inventions and 'art'. Here is their version of a pedi-cab. Seems ok for summer but not so great in the snow.
This is their version of a street cleaning car. It's just a big vacuum on wheels.











Here is a picture of a good Italian place we went for dinner. There is no sign or name posted- just a really big sculpture of a nose. The actual name of the place was Gina's Really Really Nice Restaurant.
And doesn't that backbust of a man hanging on the wall seem a little too realistic? It was hanging in a bar staircase. It freaked us out.