Biodome,

Sunday 3rd May 2009

On the way to St Joseph Oratory on the slope of Mount Royal, bought our favourite apples and strawberries. The picture doesn't show it but it was a beautiful day-blue skies and nice Sun. The Saint Joseph Oratory began from humbler beginnings. The history is exhibited in a Hall of the Renovation Project behind the Cryptic Church.

Being a Sunday, there were many worshippers. The carpark was stocked with many cool cars. We went all the way to the Basilica at the top and was just in time to hear the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal Choir sing. It was nice, but there was more to see. I remember seeing the heart of Brother André. The Archbishop of Montreal at that time decided to revive this medieval French-Italian practice to honour him.

Statue of Saint Joseph in the Votive Chapel. Behind is the tomb of Brother André. Through him, Saint Joseph performed many cures to those afflicted in various ways. The lame who were cured left their crutches, canes and braces there. The accumulation of these assisted walking devices eventually led to the decision to build the votive chapel, because there wasn't enough space to display it in the Crypt Chapel.

It was a collection of nature museums. However, I decided that there wouldn't be time to see everything. Started with an animal show at the Biodôme de Montreál featuring a Falcon and an Owl. The falcon flew across the crowd and pooped. The habitats are housed inside the cycling stadium that was used in 1976 Summer Olympics. My favourite was the underwater estuary with the diving ducks.

I took a walk around the Jardin de Botanique and although most of the flowers were not in bloom, the big open spaces made the garden a joy to walk around. Above is Chinese Garden.

Statue of Brother Marie-Victorin who is the founder of the Jardin. In background is the Olympic Stadium tower. The tower itself is 175metres high and the tallest inclined tower in the world. At the base of the tower is the swimming pool, where we witnessed abit of the diving contest at the pool. Around the stadium many cyclists, roller bladers and skateboarders whizzed around.

House of Jazz. Interior decor was gothic looking but in an Adam's family sort of way. Big wooden arches on the wall so that the mirrors are irregularly shaped. Music performed was Latin Jazz.