Montreal: The Jean Talon Market

My third day (July 2, 2006) in Montreal was a little quieter. I started off with an exploration of the Olympic Stadium and took the funicular to the top of the world's highest inclined tower. Then I explored the critters at the Insectarium and a variety of flowers, plants and trees at the Montreal Botanical Gardens. In the mid-afternoon I took a quick jaunt to the Jean Talon Market in Montreal's Italian neighbourhood and followed it up with a delicious late lunch at Mañana, a Mexican restaurant just across from beautiful Square St. Louis. In my chat with the owner I heard a heart-warming, inspiring immigrant story that has seen a simple man from Peru who came to Canada with hardly any French or English language skills, become a restaurant owner in one of Montreal's most popular entertainment districts. I then had a bit of extra time to relax in the park where I made a connection with other out-of-town travelers and explored the beautiful neighbourhood around historic Square St. Louis. My evening program was also packed: I got to explore the Casino de Montreal, located on an island in the St. Lawrence River. My personalized two-hour tour educated me about casino operations and brought me up close to one of Montreal's big attractions. This special evening continued with a gourmet meal at Nuances, the Casino's fine-dining restaurant, which offers the most amazing view across the river of downtown Montreal. The crowning touch was the international fireworks competition at La Ronde, which featured a team of Argentinian pyrotechnical experts who combined music and fireworks in a breathtakingly choreographed performance.

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YouTube | April 18, 2008

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