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Theresa O’Connor / Treasa Ní Chonchúir

Montréal

In July 2008 Erin and I popped across the border from Vermont into Québec for a quick visit.

We spent the night at a B&B-slash-fondue restaurant run by a Swiss German fellow, and then we made our way into Montréal bright and early in the morning.

An out-of-focus toy bear knit of gray wool appears before an in-focus US/Canada border crossing. All of the sinage is in French and English, including a red octagonal stop sign labeled both ARRÊT and STOP.
Arrêt means stop, Oatmeal.
A French-language sign on the side of a road advertises a bed and breakfast called Auberge La Suisse. It says their restaurant serves fondue of many kinds as well as other European cuisine.
Auberge La Suisse B&B

We had all sorts of fun wandering around town and taking in the sights.

The corner of a red, traditional Chinese gate is in frame. The top of the gate is gold in color, and the corners turn up in traditional Chinese fashion.
The 牌坊（páifāng） of the quartier chinois
A 19th- or early 20th-century office building is in focus behind an out-of-focus toy bear made of gray wool. The building is signed “Compagnie de la Baie d’Hudson” in French.
Compagnie de la Baie d’Hudson
Monument Édouard Ⅶ
A statue of King Edward Ⅶ stands on a pillar in front of a building. The pillar has four smaller statues flanking it, one on each side.
A statue of a winged angel who has broken his chains of bondage. The statue is at the foot of a pillar on which is written “Hommage des Canadiens au roi pacificateur”. At the top of the pillar is a statue of Édouard Ⅶ.
Breaking chains

We took a boat ride on the St. Lawrence.

Habitat 67
Under a gray sky there are three very strangely-shaped modern buildings on an island in the center of the frame. The water between the camera and the island is also gray, though darker than the sky.
Biosphère de Montréal
Under a gray sky, behind green trees on an island visible at center of frame, is a large, faceted dome made of metal and glass. Between the camera and the island, the water is pretty much the same color as the sky.

And, of course, we had poutine.

A bowl of french fries and cheese curds is at center of frame. The fries and curds are smothered in gravy. A toy bear knit of gray wool is standing just outside the bowl, looking in. He’s wearing a gray and yellow scarf.
Oatmeal likes poutine
St. Patrick’s Basilica
The dark interior of a large Catholic church is photographed in portrait, which gives the viewer a sense of just how tall the interior must be (which is very tall). Various stained glass windows are visible, as are a number of pews.
Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal
A photograph of the interior of a large, ornate Catholic church. Stained glass in the ceiling helps to light the room. The elaborate altar backdrop has many statues and a number of blue elements which draw the eye.