Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest in Canada, with a metropolitan population of 3,359,000. Montreal is one of two large islands in this part of the St Lawrence River and its highest point, Mount Royal, is 761 ft high. The entire island of Montreal became a single municipality on January 1 2002 although this has been reversed recently in the case of 14 of the suburbs.
Whether you are with your family, a group or alone, here are some ways to take advantage of all Montreal has to offer, for example Olympic Stadium, Pointe a Calliere Museum, Bonsecours Market or Mount Royal.
With the flavours of so many cultures on every corner, eating out is nothing short of a culinary adventure. And while French cuisine is ubiquitous on Montreals dining scene, other distinctly innovative and imaginative menus have also emerged on the cities tables. To taste this abundance, just step outside. True to its reputation as a gourmet destination, dining in Montreal is an odyssey for the senses as well as high art. Chefs here make it their business to not just dazzle your taste buds, but to thrill you with dishes that are equally mouth watering, inventive and refined.
A cultural heart of classical art and the venue for many summer festivals, the Place des Arts is a complex of different concert and theatre halls surrounding a large open spaced square in the downtown. The Place des Arts harbours the headquarters of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, which performs in its halls regularly.
The plaza on Place des Arts is the home of the most important events during several musical festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Osheaga Festival and Montreal Francofolies, a festival of French speaking song artists. During the seven to ten days that last each of the two festivals, shows are held in a wide variety of venues, from relatively small clubs to the large halls of Place des Arts. Some of the outdoor shows are held on cordoned off streets while others are on terraced parks. The most popular festival, in terms of attendance, is the Just for Laughs Festival. A comedy festival held in both languages, it features comedians, humorists, and stand ups from all over the world. The Montreal Fireworks Festival also attracts a lot of attention.
The city of Montreal is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, however, church attendance in Quebec is among the lowest in Canada.
Montreals climate varies a lot over the year. The city is known for its cold winters, but its summers are hot and generally sunny, with occasional muggy days. May and October are arguably the pleasantest months for outdoor activities and walking.
Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest city in the USA. It is located on the southern coast of California about 75 miles north of the Mexican border and 400 miles south of San Francisco. The original name of the city was The Village of Our Lady the Queen of Angels, but the name was shortened for obvious reasons.
Los Angeles is situated on an irregularly shaped coastal plain about 30 to 60 miles across. It is bounded on the west by nearly 60 miles of Pacific Coast beaches and ocean cliffs. The San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains form a 2500 meter high wall to the east. The Santa Monica Mountains define its northern limit and the Santa Anna Mountains define the southern.
Los Angeles has four major airports Los Angeles International, Burbank Glendale Airport, John Wayne Airport and Ontario International Airport. In addition, the Orange County Airport is less than one hour from the city and San Diego Airport is within a two hour drive.
Los Angeles natives inhabit the entire plain and all the local hills plus the sides of the mountain ranges and into all of the connecting valleys. The city now covers over 1000 square miles in dozens of interconnected communities. High rise buildings only exist in a few isolated clusters. From nearly every vantage point, you can gaze across miles of low rooftops with palm trees towering above.
Along the Pacific shore, Malibu, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey and Palos Verde are high class residential beach communities.
Hollywood is the historic home of the old movie studios and Beverly Hills is still the home of the movie stars. Here you can drive along the western terminus of historic route 66 on Santa Monica Boulevard. You can stroll along famous Hollywood Boulevard and the Sunset Strip. In nearby Burbank, you can visit many modern movie and television studios. In Anaheim, you can see the original Disney Land and Knotts Berry Farm.
Downtown is certainly a commercial district, but it is no more the urban centre of the city than many other neighbourhoods. Near the downtown area are ethnic neighbourhoods with large Asian populations called, Korea Town, China Town and Japan Town.
Unlike most cities, Los Angeles does not have a distinct urban centre. It is a collection of individual communities tied together by a complex network of roads and freeways. Each community offers a uniquely different character. Together, they make up this huge metropolitan complex called Los Angeles.
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