Fall is autumn

From Princeton, it was on to Montreal where we rented a car for the week. I worked my magic once again with loyalty points. As a result, the car we booked with Avis cost us nothing. We also cashed in Starwood points for cheap hotel accommodation throughout Canada. It was almost free as we paid nothing in Ottawa, and secured highly subsidized room rates in Toronto and Montreal.

Coming in to land at Montreal airport was stunning with hundreds of acres of trees wearing their bright autumn colours and the spectacular St Lawrence River as a backdrop. After a lazy morning, we spent most of the first day wandering around Montreal including its quaint old town area. Highlights from our walking tour included a stop at the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal. For good reason, its incredibly ornate interior is considered the finest in all of Canada.  

However, the most unexpected highlight of our day was the murals on the Les Foufounes Électriques, a bar located in the city's infamous red light district. The rusty rocketship alone was worth the detour. In its early days, this alternative music venue filled a single floor, with one counter and a small performance stage. 

Over time, Les Foufounes Électriques has expanded. It now covers four floors of its famously graffitied building. According to a local tourism write-up, the current establishment accommodates 2,000 people. Although, after seeing the exterior, we weren't game to explore inside.

We finished the day with a short drive to the Olympic Park, the site of the 1976 games and then on to a nearby hillside park called Mont Royal. The city’s autumn colours simply glowed as the sun began to set. Everywhere we looked, brilliant auburn shades radiated towards the horizon, while the dramatic Olympic Stadium dominated the darkening skyline.

The 56,040-seat stadium is a stunning piece of architecture – and one of the most expensive white elephants in Olympic history. It had cost a staggering C$264 million to build by the time it was opened in 1976, despite still being incomplete. Its estimated price tag had been a far more modest C$134 million when first approved in 1970.

The stadium’s soaring tower and retractable Kevlar roof were eventually completed in 1987. However, it took another nine years, until November 2006, before the full cost of construction was finally paid off. The final price tag? An estimated $1.47 billion once repairs, modifications and interest payment are taken into account.

On our last morning, we took in a few sights north of the city before continuing a leisurely drive along the Ottawa River to Ottawa itself. More Autumn colours and a few quaint riverside towns. Ottawa is a beautiful city set above the towering banks of a broad river. The Government buildings are wonderful gothic creations, capped by green copper roofs.

Our last morning in Ottawa was spent visiting the stunning Canadian Museum of Civilisation, conveniently located opposite our hotel. This curving venue sits on the banks of the Ottawa River looking across to Parliament Hill. The main hall houses a minor forest of towering totem poles, including several sporting men in Victorian top hats.

Our last couple of days in Canada were spent driving along the St Lawerence River to Toronto. The drive was well-timed, as the day of our longest road journey was also a day of persistent rain.

While on the road to Toronto, Garry and I stopped off on the US-Canadian border to climb a rain-soaked and leaking observation tower. The Skydeck looks across the St Lawerence River and Thousand Island region from a wind-blown height of 130 metres.

What a sight! A sea of breathtaking autumn colours and delicate islands spread out as far as the eye could see. The tower also offered a bird’s eye view of the US-Canadian border crossing and bridges on neighbouring Wellesley Island. For a brief moment, we forgot how cold and wet it was outside.

While in Toronto, I had the chance to revisit places I'd first seen in 1984. Highlights included a visit to the CN Tower, the world's tallest free-standing structure. It looked just as spectacular as I remember it all those years ago. We also wandered into the theatre district one evening and discovered Lemongrass, a wonderful Asian restaurant serving the best Thai food in North America. Check it out for yourself.