La Belle Ville

We went up to Montreal for Fourth of July weekend with Grandpa Ford. Montreal is such a great city!! We spent Christmas here last year (and in Mont Tremblant north of Montreal) but we love it even more in the summer. We stayed in a loft apartment in Vieux-Port (the old town of Montreal). It was quite charming.

We rented bikes and rode along the Lachine Canal and out to Ile Ste. Helene and Ile Notre Dame where there is a park and a Formula One race track (we thought of Jean Girard from Talladega Nights!) It was somewhat bizarre to be biking along the race track but I guess when it isn't being used for car racing, it is opened to the public for biking and rollerblading. We biked twice to the Atwater Market which is like paradise for foodies. We bought fruit and vegetables, cheese and crusty french bread, pastry and sorbet. It was lucky that Oliver was riding in a bike trailer because we loaded up the trailer's "trunk" with all sorts of provisions. Our favorite shops at the Atwater Market are Les Douceurs du Marche grocery and gourmet provisions shop, and Premier Moisson bakery and pattiserie. There is also a fabulous cheese shop.

We mostly ate and biked in Montreal, but when we were taking a break from biking and eating we walked along the waterfront, visited some museums and gardens, watched the fireworks that were part of the International Fireworks Festival, took in some of the Montreal Jazz Festival, and checked out the playgrounds (Ryan, me and Oliver).

Abby and Ollie in front of the Atwater Market

Me and Ollie considering the offerings at Premier Moisson

This shop was on the cover of Gourmet Magazine last year

Grandpa Ford got really into his biking-attire, he didn't want to take these off

It looks like we are standing in front of a volcano, but it's just a fountain near the Hotel De Ville, or City Hall.