Boat Comparison

On a boat in (Vancouver/Victoria) Canada in 2007. We were so happy that we had made it onto the ferry, and did not have to delay our trip into Seattle.

On a boat in (Montreal) Canada, 2009. We were so happy to be on our belated honeymoon.

Samesies:
*Dalan is wearing the same jacket.
*I am wearing the same sunglasses.
(I had no idea I had the ability to keep sunglasses for more than a season!)
*Dalan is also wearing the same sunglasses. That is neat.
(However, his are on his head in the first picture.)
*We have a covering of our heads that is made of metal and plexi-glass.
(Although, we are only partially under it in the second picture.)

Differences:
*I have no sweater in the second picture.
*We are containing are excitement in the second picture, as a complete stranger, not Becca/Dave, is taking our picture.
*There are people in the back ground in the second picture, the first picture is strictly the Jessi and Dalan Show!

What are your observations? Samesies? Or are they too different to even compare?

We're on a boat!

For our fifth and final full day in Montreal, the sun came out, and stayed out. HOORAY! We even had to put sunscreen on, and I still got a little pink. It was by no means the 100 degree weather we came back to the next day, but it was in the high seventies, and it was so pleasant!

We decided to take a boat tour of Montreal on the St. Lawrence River. We bought our tickets, and were told boarding would start in about 25 minutes. 20 minutes later we walked down to the pier, and the boat was all ready full. We did not get a seat, and had to stand for the ride, which was not ideal, but ok. Plus most of the other people on the tour were senior citizens, so better they have a seat, than us. The tour was very interesting, and so pretty. I love being on the water, and this was the perfect day to enjoy the river!

Waiting for the boat.

Dalan on the boat, with Old Montreal behind him.

Dalan...he's on a boat!

Me on the boat!

We have another picture....almost exactly like this from the last time we were on a boat in Canada.

Since, we were back in Old Montreal, we got some more gelato, and then decided to try one more time to see the inside of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, since we had been foiled every time we had tried to go there before, and we finally got in. It was beautiful inside. It had beautiful stained glass windows, and unbelievable statues and decor inside. Amazing.

Dalan in the church. This picture only shows a small part of the beauty.

In the church. I am being blessed by God's light or Dalan should have told me to move out of the light for a better picture. You be the judge.

The Sellers!

As we went to leave Montreal, and go explore the island properly that we had been on in the dark and pouring rain during the fireworks, we saw a bunch of men dressed up in red coats. It looked like they were going to be part of a Revolutionary War reenactment. I know Canada was not part of the Revolutionary War, but that is the best thing I can compare it to, also I know that when the British invaded Montreal in the late 1700's, the citizens of Montreal did not put up a fight, and just let them, so we were unsure of what exactly they were going to reenact. So, we followed them, but they kind of just disappeared into the crowd. We headed back toward the metro station, when we saw a bunch of blue coats marching, so we followed them thinking that there would be some sort of show for sure. Instead, they just marched down the pier, and were no where close to where the red coats had gone. Dalan asked me if we should point them in the right direction or something! Instead, we ended up coming upon a street performance of the Cirque Du Soleil, or something similar. It was cool, and a pleasant surprise to get to watch.

We finally made it to the metro station, and headed off the our little island to do some more exploring. I cannot remember its name right now, and could look it up, but I am feeling too lazy. It is a cool island, with a lot of recreation and a big park. We walked around the park, and guess who we saw? The blue coats! We were now directly across the river from Old Montreal, and I am not sure if they took a boat to the island when they went down the pier, or if it was another group of blue coated men, but it was still a strange coincidence. We walked down to the water front, and sat and enjoyed the nice weather and the water. Eventually, we walked down to a dock to get closer to the water. It made me nervous, because the river is so big, and there were speed boats going up and down the river and it would make the dock rock back and forth. Dalan was brave, and walked to the end of the dock, but I wouldn't. I was too scared to fall in!

Dalan on the water front. Old Montreal is in the background.

Enjoying the sun and the water!

Dalan being brave on the dock...ha, ha, ha! Isn't it beautiful? The City, not Dalan's bravery!

We then headed back to our hotel, packed up, and went to dinner. There was a Greek restaurant by our house that was always crowded and looked delicious that we had been wanting to try. We showed up, and were the only people in the restaurant for most of our meal. Go figure. It was yummy, and we enjoyed ourselves, so that is all that matters. We headed to bed early that night as we had to get up at 4:45 the next morning to catch our flight home. It was a wonderful honeymoon/vacation, and we were very sad to say au revoir to Montreal!

Shopping, swimming, and sluggers

First of all, I have no pictures of our fourth full day in Montreal. I know, I know. I realized half way through the day, and then Dalan kindly requested that this be a no-picture day. I granted his wish, because he had been a good sport about the picture taking for the most part, and it was our day of relaxing, rather than sight seeing, so there would have been limited pictures anyway.

We got up early and went down and ate breakfast, instead of hustling off to our first adventure, we decided to go back to bed. It was nice to get a chance to sleep in our vacation. We got up about an hour later, got ready, and headed to the shopping district of Montreal. I also like to go shopping in bigger cities, because you get a chance to go to stores that we do not have in Salt Lake. I also like going into all the high end stores and looking at all the pretty things, like purses, that I can't afford, but would like to own. I ended up buying some things on shopping excursion, Dalan did not, but what can you do. We also saw Club Super Sexe, which Nghia had told us to check out. We did not go in, but at least we found it.

We got back to our hotel later that afternoon, and got ready to go swimming at our hotel. Swimming on vacation is one of my favorite things to do, although in general, I am not a big swimmer. It just reminds of me of vacations when I was growing up. Our hotel had its swimming pool on the top floor, and I had expected the pool to be heated, however, it was not. Dalan and I did still get into the pool, and managed to stay in the pool for about 45 minutes. The pool had really good acoustics, and I thought we should do a little performance of Jessi and Dalan sing their greatest French hits. Dalan was not so into it, and I discovered I only know a few lines of Alouettes, and Faire des Jacques...obviously we were the only ones in the pool.

Later that evening, we walked down to a sports bar and grill by our hotel to watch the MLB all star game. On our way to the bar, we saw a homeless man peeing/masturbating in the corner. We crossed the street a little early. We were excited to watch the game, eat some food, and have some beer. The bar was really fun, and an alarm went off every time someone got on base. It was also nice to be able to have a couple of beers with Dalan and not worry about who was going to drive home. I also got to share some of the "facts" I learned from reading the worse book ever, Juiced, by Jose Canseco. I am fascinated with steroid use and major league baseball, but Jose's book was more of him bragging, and less about the actual facts of the issue.

Pie IX and waiting for the lights.

We had decided that on our third full day in Montreal we would go to the Botanical Gardens, Insectarium, the Olympic Stadium, the Tower of Montreal, and the Biodome. We had made this decision before we even arrived in Montreal based on three things, all of these places were located off the same subway stop, most of them were included in our museum pass which was only good for three days, and we had no set plans for the evening so we could wear ourselves out during the day without feeling guilty about ruining our evening plans. However, the mother nature had other plans, and put rain in the forecast. We were worried because our plans included some outdoor activities, and quite of bit of walking. So we devised a plan. We got up early, and looked at the hour by hour weather forecast online. Basically, we figured we had until about one pm until the rain started, and until two pm until the heavy rain started. We packed our backpack full of our trusty ponchos and Dalan brought a pair of flip flops so he would not have to deal with wet shoes again and off we went.

It was a longer subway ride than we had taken so far, but not a bad ride by any means. The stop we got off on was Pie IX, which I had been pronouncing like PIE NINE, however, when the voice on the metro announced in, it sounded just like PENIS. Maybe I was hearing wrong, but that is what it sounded like to me. Dalan claims it did not sound like that, but cannot tell me what is sounded like to him. I think it is because I am right! Any French speaking people can maybe help us out. Anyway, we got off on the Pie IX stop, and followed some signs toward the Biodome/Olympic Stadium out to the street. We had wanted to the Botanical Gardens first, since it was an outdoor activity, and we were trying to beat the rain. We saw signs on the street and followed them for about three kilometers before reaching the gardens.

The gardens were beautiful full of all kinds of flowers and themes. They had gardens of roses, and wild flowers. They had a garden full of plants native to Montreal with displays on how the native people used these flowers. They had a Japanese garden with bonsai trees, and a zen gardens. Our favorite garden by far was the Chinese garden though. It was so pretty. It had a big pond, all these beautiful plants, a waterfall, and really cool buildings. It was a magical place to visit. The sun even came out while we were there. Get ready for picture over load, because I took a lot while we were here.

Dalan at the entrance to the Chinese Garden.

Me at the entrance.

The Sellers and the Chinese Gardens.

The pond.

The waterfall.

Another view of the pond, and Dalan. We did not frame this one quite right.

Japanese Garden

Japanese Garden

Next, we went over to the Insectarium, which is inside the gardens. They have a really neat "bug walk" before you even go into the building. They have all the native bugs on display outside, so you can search for them in the gardens. They also have some interactive games and such you can play before you even get inside. Inside the Insectarium, you get to view a lot of live bugs in little habitats, and also play some more interactive bug games. It was a fun time.

Dalan standing next to one of the "bug bubbles."

Dalan the beetle!

Jessi the beetle!

A butterfly I found outside the Insectarium.

Then we walked over to the Olympic Stadium, which was only a few hundred feet away. We were now at the other end of the gardens, and apparently there was a much shorter way to get from the gardens to the Olympic Stadium/Biodome. Oh well, even though the signs had lead us astray, it had been a nice morning, and the walking was probably good for us. We got to the Olympic Stadium and signed up for a tour and also bought our tickets to go up the Tower of Montreal, which is attached to the stadium. It cannot be called the Olympic Tower, however, because it was not finished on time, and instead was finished 11 years after the Olympics. Crazy Canadians! The tour was interesting and informative. Dalan really liked learning all about the 1976 Olympics, and the construction of the building. We had a funny tour guide, who was basically the French Canadian version of Borat.

Inside the Olympic Stadium

Inside the Olympic Stadium.

Next we went up an elevator/tram type thing up the side of the Tower of Montreal up to the observation deck. I was nervous, because I don't like heights, but it wasn't too bad and I made it up without a panic attack. As we went up the elevator, the rain started. We got a few minutes of clear skies to look out over Montreal, but it quickly got darker and darker/rainier and rainier.

The tower. See how blue the skies are...not for long!

Dalan at the observation deck. You can see the storm rolling in behind him. By the time we went back down, it was as dark as dark can be...

When we got the bottom of the tower, Dalan decided to put on his flip flops, so we could walk over to the Biodome, which is basically a big indoor zoo, as it was raining very hard. He changed his shoes, and we step outside, and the rain stops. Go figure. Dalan decides to change out of his flip flops and back into regular shoes, since he thinks they are more comfortable. (silly boy) We wait in line to get our tickets to go into the Biodome, and who do I see? The inspiration for my game French Canadian or Gay? from the airport. So I had to get a paparazzi style picture of him.

I am bummed it came out so dark, but if you click on it, you should be able to see it better. He was wearing his man carpi's again!

Any who, the Biodome is a very cool place. It is divided into four different habitats, and instead of being in cages, you get to experience the animals in a more natural environment. We got to see all kinds of animals in each exhibit. It was cool to learn/see that porcupines climb trees. Also, we got to see a very cool penguin habitat, and some lemurs very up close and personal. I have no pictures of the Biodome, because it was very crowded, and in general animal pictures never really turn out. Plus I like to have people in my pictures.

That evening we decided to return to Old Montreal to see the lights at night. The church where we had seen the wedding was suppose to have really cool lights at night, and they also light up all the government buildings. We got down there before dusk, and did some shopping and got some gelato. Then about 8:45 we walked over to the church. I sat on the steps because my feet were killing me. Dalan told me I looked like I was homeless, but I did not care. (By the way, even the homeless in Montreal are bilingual.) And we waited for the lights, and waited and waited. They never came on at the church. We found out later that they only turn them on Tuesday through Saturday, and it was a Monday. Bad luck. We did get to see the rest of the town in lights which was very pretty.

A fountain that was all lit up. We tried three times to get a picture we liked...never were satisfied.

again

and again....

Dalan with his Montreal Canadians shrubbery.

Me with the Montreal flag shrubbery. It stands for the French, British, Irish, and Scottish.

Finally, we went to dinner at 3 Amigos, this Mexican restaurant by our hotel. We had passed it many times, and it was always crowded, with people drinking margaritas as big as their faces. We could not resist. We had a delicious dinner, with some yummy beverages, and then finally called it a night!

Dalan with his food and drink. The restaurant was very crowded, and thus the extreme close up!

Me with my yumminess!

Museums, getting locked out, and the Jazz Festival

During our second full day in Montreal, we decided to take advantage of our museum passes and check out a few places by our hotel in the morning before heading out to Montreal's International Jazz Festival in the evening.

We started our morning with clear skies and sunshine as we walked a few blocks to the Museum of Architecture. It was a beautiful building that was part new construction, and part old mansion. We looked at the exhibits, and then went on a guided tour, in which we learned more about the history of Montreal. We learned that our hotel was in a district once known as the "Square Mile" where all the richest people in Canada once resided. Unfortunately, most of the old houses were destroyed for new buildings. They also had some beautiful grounds that we walked around after our tour.

Dalan and me trying to get a picture of the view of the city, instead it turned out to be more of a picture of the off ramp!

Dalan showing off his incredible strength!

Look, how tough he is!

Next, we walked back to our hotel on the way to our next stop. As we got to our room we could not get the door open. We tried several times, but it was clear that the top latch was hooked from the inside. You know, the top chain link type latch in hotel rooms that you can only lock from the inside. Yep, that locked. We went down to the front desk, and they called maintenance. The maintenance man had a tool to unlock it, so it must happen on occasion, but it still took him over fifteen minutes to get in the room, and that was with him basically breaking it off the door.

Then, we walked up to the Museum of Fine Arts. It had a really interesting exhibit on the use of nature in the 19th and 20th century in American and Canadian Art. We saw lots of really beautiful paintings and it was neat to see how the influence of nature and man have affected art over the last two hundred years. I got a little silly while we were in the museum, not inappropriate, but silly. One of the problems was that the museums was so quiet and my shoes were still wet from the day before, and would not stop squeaking. At one point, I mimed oiling them, and Dalan was a little embarrassed. I don't think anyone even noticed. They also had a display on furniture, and I kid you not, there was at least 20 different chairs in one room.

Dalan and a cow outside the museum!

I had to sucker punch the cow as per tradition for seeing animals in Canada.

That evening we headed down to the International Jazz Festival. Ben Harper was playing that night for free. The Jazz Festival is a big deal every year in Montreal, and big names from all over play shows, and a lot of them are free. Stevie Wonder opened the festival, and Ben Harper was closing it. I love Ben Harper and was so excited. Dalan, on the other hand, not so excited. Although, he was excited to check out the festival. We got down there looked at the booths, got some food, and then found a spot over at the Ben Harper stage, which was already packed, and listened to a Cuban Jazz band preform. They were very good. The concert got more and more jammed packed. AND IT STARTED TO RAIN AFTER A DAY OF CLEAR SKIES RIGHT AS BEN HARPER CAME ONTO TO STAGE!!!!!!! Go figure. It was only a light to a moderate rain, and we never had to put on our ponchos, but at least we had them with us. Ben Harper played for two hours, and it was an excellent show. We were worried that getting on the metro might be difficult after the show, but they had everything super organized and we got home without any problems.

Dalan at the Jazz Fest. with a creeper in the background.

Waiting and listening the the Cuban jazz band.

Dalan's patience is wearing thin with all the picture taking!

Giant Dalan! I was still sitting waiting for Ben Harper, Dalan had stood up as the crowd got thicker!

Self portrait to the sweet sounds of Mr. Ben Harper!

This is how far away we were from the stage, despite getting there hours early!

Cute picture one of our fellow concert goers took for us, so we did not have to take another self portrait. My hood is up due to the rain, you can also see the rain drops all over the backpack!

Old Montreal, rain, fireworks, and more rain!

Dalan and I started out our first full day in Montreal with a plan to ride the metro and go down to Old Montreal after enjoying the complimentary hot breakfast that came with our hotel. Hotels with free breakfast are really the way to go, because you save a ton of money that way. We would eat a huge breakfast, a snack in the afternoon, and then get a nice dinner in the evening.

We navigated Montreal's subway system with ease, and found it to be an accessible and convenient way to travel. We arrived in Old Montreal and started to explore. Old Montreal is the former city center of Montreal that was forgotten during the 1960's, and then has since been restored mainly for tourist. It is beautiful, and has a lot of things to do. We walked along the Old Port, and went into the science museum. We learned how to tie nautical knots, and took some silly pictures. As we walked over to our next stop the wind started to pick up and the sky got a little darker.


We arrived at Pointe-a-Calliere, which is the museum of archeology and history for Montreal. We bought a pass that was good for three days and allowed us unlimited use the metro system and to visit as many museums as possible over the next three days. It ended up saving us so much money, and I would say was a must have for our trip. Pointe-a-Calliere ended up being one of my favorite places we went. It was built on the site that the old city was founded, and you get to go underground and explore the ruins of the old city. I love underground tours, and this one was unique. We also got to go on a tour and learn about pirates while visiting this museum!


As we left the museum and headed up to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the rain started. It was a light rain, and we were not too bothered. We arrived at the church, and there was a wedding going on so we could not go in. We took some pictures at the fountains across the street and waited for the bride to come out. I love a wedding! They rang the bells as the bride and groom emerged from the church and it was beautiful. The rain also started coming down much harder at this point. We ran into a gift shop, and bought some dorky Canada maple leaf ponchos and walked over to an art museum from our book. It clearly was not a museum, but a gallery instead. It was not my style of art at all, and not worth our time at all. As we walked back to the metro, the rain really, and I mean really, started coming down. Despite our ponchos, we ended up still being soaked. We got back to our hotel, and laid our clothes out to dry. They did not dry for about two days due to the humidity! We ended up having to iron and blow dry things to get them to dry!

Dalan is bummed about the rain!

Dalan is sucker punching the rain. A Vala/Sellers tradition!

That evening the rain cleared up, so we headed out for dinner. We ate at a really good Indian restaurant by our hotel, and got on the metro to go watch the fireworks. Every Saturday, there is an international firework competition in Montreal. This time is was Hong Kong's turn! We got off the metro and followed the crowd to go find a spot to watch the fireworks. Apparently we followed the wrong crowd of people, and ended up having to back track to the bridge where you can see the fireworks. Then it started to rain, and rained the entire time we walked to the bridge. Luckily we had our dorky ponchos and did not get too wet. We found a good place on the bridge and waited for the show to start. The minute the fireworks started, so did the rain! It only lasted about ten minutes, and our ponchos kept us dry again. The fireworks were awesome, then we started our walk back to the metro, and the rain started again. And it poured! And poured! And poured! We were totally soaked from head to toe again by the time we got back to the metro. So, we had another set of clothes we needed to get dry in the humid Montreal climate!

Waiting for the fireworks, you can see the amusement park in the background....it was a nice break from the rain!