Coast to coast: Page 9

Manhattan Bridge framing the Empire State Building, NYC

Ariane and I took a trip to New York City with Jo and Sass last weekend, and had a great time. It was my first time in the Big Apple and I was eager to explore everywhere. We stayed in the hostel and cruised around the city by foot, on the subway and in a cab. In the above picture, the Empire State Building is being framed by part of the Manhattan Bridge. The shot was taken from the Brooklyn Bridge, just after sunset.

Police presence at Times Square, NYC

Our first night in the city, we went to check out Times Square after having a great dinner at an Indian restaurant. There were lights and people everywhere! It was amazing, and reminded me of London a bit. While most tourists were enjoying the many outdoor televisions here, I saw a group of police officers carrying automatic weapons. Although I heard a few people say the guns made them feel safer, I didn't agree. While in Times Square, I felt like a bomb could go off at any moment.

Brooklyn Bridge, NYC

On our second day in the city, the four of us walked quite a lot. We trekked through Greenwich Village, through Chinatown, to the piers, across to the World Trade Center site, down to Battery Park and then across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset. We were very tired at the end of the day, but we saw some great sights.

NYC skyline from Brooklyn Bridge

This shot was taken while Ariane and I were walking across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset. There were a lot of cars, and the walkway for people was made of wood, and shook a lot! It wasn't too scary though. There were lots of people walking, biking and running across the bridge - and there were a lot of sights to check out.

Statue of Liberty silhouette

We got to Battery Park a little bit before sunset, and the light made a really nice silhouette of the Statue of Liberty. I don't know who the lady in the picture is, but she was posing perfectly for me - without knowing, of course. We didn't take the ferry to get a closer look of the statue, but seeing it from land was fine by me.

WTC site protestors

The World Trade Center site is basically a huge construction site right now, so there's not much to see. There are some photos posted, and something of a memorial. What caught my attention were these people saying 9-11 was an inside job. They were handing out fliers and trying to get people to listen to them. It's crazy, more than five years later these people are still out there doing this every day.

Crazy tower, NYC

While walking around Greenwich Village, we happened to look up and see this crazy tower made of wood and decorated with anything and everything. There's not too much more to say about it.

Central Park, NYC

Our last day in the city, we had a nice breakfast and took a stroll through Central Park. We walked for at least 1.5 hours, and didn't even see half of it - it's huge! But we saw this pretty reservoir and another small lake surrounded by Willow trees. After the stroll, we said au revoir to the city, and headed back to Montreal. There was quite a bit of traffic exiting the city, but not nearly as much when compared to people going into the city - there was something like 50 miles of traffic heading in!

Chandre and Tao

Chandre came back to Montreal for a visit during the week of Thanksgiving. We had some good fun, including going to the Biodome, which has lots of animals from different climates on display.

Chandre at the playground

Chandre has fun at the playground by Ariane's apartment in Montreal. She likes it when people watch her play - she's always trying to get somebody's attention.

Chandre's big jump

She also had fun jumping off these blocks. I made her jump several times so I could get a good picture - I don't think she minded too much!

Coast to Coast: Page 8

Bridge in Brattleboro, VT

I met Stephanie and Chandre in Brattleboro, VT, in October so Chandre could come spend a week with me in Montreal. The town is pretty nice - not too big, lots of old buildings and beautiful scenery. I found this bridge while walking around town, and thought it made a nice contrast with the changing trees in the background.

Old church in Brattleboro, VT

There are lots of nice buildings in Brattleboro, but I thought this church was really nice and "New England" looking. While driving through Vermont, there are lots of small towns with nice white towers sticking up through the trees. It's very beautiful.

Chandre in Montreal

Chandre and I made the 4 hour drive back to Montreal just fine, and we headed to the park the next day. She was more than happy to pose for this picture - I think she likes the attention. Unfortunately, it had rained the day before and most of the park toys were cold and wet.

Chandre walking Tao

Since we couldn't play on the toys, Chandre and I decided to take Ariane's dog, Tao, for a walk. Chandre was so happy that I let her hold the leash - and she did a really great job. Tao is a very laid back dog, so I wasn't worried about him running away. She helped walk the dog several times while visiting here.

Me and Chandre in Montreal

Chandre, Ariane and I went to the Botanical Gardens to see all the plants, carved pumpkins and the insectarium. I think we all liked the insects the best. There were huge dead bugs mounted on the walls, as well as live ones in cages to check out. There were lots of spiders, beetles, butterflies and bees. Chandre's favorite saying became: 'That bug's so big, you couldn't even step on it!' Very cute.

Chandre carving a pumpkin

Before we headed back to Connecticut, Chandre, Ariane and I carved a pumpkin. Chandre didn't like sticking her hand in the gooey pumpkin guts, but we made her help anyway. The pumpkin turned out pretty interesting, with a big mouth and big eyes. Chandre also helped make cookies, pizza dough and cupcake icing while she was visiting Montreal.

Chandre's Halloween costume

Chandre and I drove back to Old Saybrook, CT, on Halloween. We got a costume together and headed out to a nice area of town to trick-or-treat. She wanted to be a fairy, so Steph and I did the best we could. Chandre came out of it with a bucket full of candy, and had a really great time doing it.

Coast to Coast: Page 7

Chalet north of Montreal

This is the lake view we had from a chalet north of Montreal that a bunch of people rented for Jo and Sass' birthdays. The weekend was spent eating good food, drinking wine and enjoying the beautiful scenery. This shot was taking in October, so the fall colors were looking nice. It also happened to be Canadian Thanksgiving while we were there. It's not such a big deal up here, but we had a nice meal anyways.

Nice colors in Berthierville, Que.

This picture was taken in Berthierville, which is about an hour northeast of Montreal. It's where Ariane's parents live, and it's right on the St. Lawrence river. The colors were really nice on this sunny day, and it was nice to get out of the city for a bit.

Berthierville, Que.

It was also fun to watch the freight ships pass by the house. There are also cruise ships that travel on the river, but I wasn't lucky enough to see one. In this picture, you can see the Quebec flag displayed with some ships in the background, and a nice cloud scene.

Vieux Montreal

This picture was taken in Vieux Montreal (old Montreal). The streets are all cobblestone, and there's a lot of culture in this area. Actually, it's pretty touristy with lots of expensive shops and restaurants. I bought a Cuban cigar in a shop close to where this picture was taken - and it was pretty tasty. I also went to an archeology museum in this area, and spent some time lounging around in a nice park by here.

Bells on Beaubien

I don't know if I've mentioned this yet, but there are cathedrals and bells all over this town. It's funny because there are so many churches, and not enough people to fill them. They've started a trend here on turning old churches into condos - an interesting idea. I found this interesting bell tower while walking on a street called Beaubien. I'm not sure if they still ring, but it was a nice sight.

Le Stade Olympique, Montreal

Le Stade Olympique was built in 1976 for the Summer Olympics, which were held here in Montreal. It was also home to the Montreal expos from 1977 to 2004, when the team moved to Washington, D.C. I haven't explored this area too much yet, but saw this nice view of the tower from the Botanical Gardens. You can take an elevator to the top of this tower, and I'm sure there's a nice view.