A trip to Canada is as good as traveling around the world

Weather: The rainy season is from October to April every year in the Vancouver area, and the chance of rain is 70%. Please be sure to bring an umbrella. Montreal has cold winters, with snow starting to fall every November.

Accommodation: North American hotels generally do not have star ratings, and do not provide slippers, toothpaste, or toothbrushes, and do not provide drinking hot water in the room. Most rooms are equipped with coffee pots to boil water (voltage is 110 volts, and the socket is 2 flat holes). Hotel check-in time is 3pm. Check-out time is 12 noon. Tipping in restaurants is 15%. Tips for drivers and tour guides are generally $5 per day.

Shopping: Bargaining is not allowed in Canadian shopping malls, and they are generally open on Sundays and holidays. Film and batteries are more expensive, so please buy them in China; cosmetics and brand-name clothes are cheaper than in China. Purchases made in North America are subject to federal taxes and provincial or state sales taxes. Please keep all invoices after shopping and go through tax refund procedures at the customs when the group leaves the country.

When talking about the impressions given by North American cities, the first thing that comes to mind is always the prosperous New York, the mysterious Chicago, and the gorgeous Las Vegas. However, there is still a European temperament spreading on the North American continent, and that is Canada, which still stands in the north of the continent.

Today, Canada has become a global country due to its history and immigration. Montreal, known as the Little Paris of North America, Victoria, a small island full of British style, and of course, there are also places you wish to visit. The western town that we have seen, and finally, equally famous is Vancouver, which is completely Asian. A trip to Canada is like traveling around the world.

1. Montreal’s Parisian atmosphere

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Montreal is the second largest city in Canada, with a population of more than 2.9 million, 80 of which are of French descent. The French cultural center in North America is also the largest French-speaking metropolis in the world after Paris. Of course, English is also one of the most commonly used languages. Since the residents here come from at least 80 different countries, they speak 35 different languages ??and believe in 30 different religions.

The streets of Paris

Montreal is a romantic city that exudes charming charm day and night. Different from the impression given by North America, the strong French flavor accompanies every street here. street. The French characters jumping on various signboards, the quaint buildings with European colors, and the passers-by walking on the streets in modern and avant-garde attire really make visitors wonder whether they are in the American continent.

The street style of Montreal lies in its ordinary streets. Walking through the streets in the center of the city, I rested at an open-air bar on Rue Sainte-Catherine and watched all kinds of people in different outfits and bright makeup passing by. Strange passers-by threw friendly smiles from time to time, and the soft French in my ears became a kind of music, filling the air.

City of Spires

Montreal is also known as the "City of Spires". There are a large number of Gothic churches in the city. Churches of different sizes and styles constitute an attractive The number of eye-catching cultural wonders (about 450) even exceeds that of the ancient city of Rome. In Montreal, you can see a church every block or two. It would be a pity to go sightseeing in Montreal without visiting those famous cathedrals, because when you are inside and outside these churches, you can appreciate architecture, culture and art, history and religion at the same time.

The majestic St. Joseph Observatory standing next to the mountain can be called a model of artistic architecture. It is not only one of the largest churches in North America, but also the tallest building in Montreal. It is 150 meters high, and it takes five elevator rides to reach the top of the church. Overlooking the city from here, you can have a panoramic view of the scenery.

The most worth visiting is North America’s largest Notre Dame Cathedral (Norte Dame) in Old Montreal.

It is famous for its splendor, and it is said that the builders of the church drew inspiration from Notre Dame de Paris. The decoration inside the church uses paint mixed with gold and wall decorations that shine with the bright blue light of the sky. Her beautiful and solemn decorations and murals have the momentum and power to shock the heart and melt the soul. There are two churches in Notre Dame. The beautiful and sacred environment of the cathedral is the first choice for many local young people to hold weddings. The famous Canadian female singer Celine Dior once held her wedding here. The chapel at the back is also revered for a mural, which is a masterpiece depicting life, old age, illness and death. Everyone can't help but ponder for a long time when they get there, and when they walk out, they have a different feeling.

2. Vancouver’s Japanese style

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Vancouver is the third largest city in Canada and the largest city on the West Coast of Canada. It is located on the east coast of the Pacific Ocean, surrounded by mountains and sea, with a mild and pleasant climate. It is a famous tourist attraction. It is a place full of emotion and beautiful scenery, and is famous for its rich human resources. Vancouver's clean air and fresh water offer year-round outdoor activities such as skiing, swimming and sailing. Vancouver's beautiful scenery and abundant surrounding natural attractions attract millions of visitors every year. For many years it has been ranked among the most livable cities in the world, attracting people from all over the world to settle here.

Spring in Vancouver is the season of cherry blossoms. Every corner of the city is dotted with clouds of cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms all over the street look like mist and snow in the sunshine, and the youthful and grand scene makes people obsessed.

Throughout the winter, there are only two colors in Vancouver: black and white. Gray sky, gray streets, bare dead branches, white snow? The colors of winter are basically different combinations of black and white. Entering March, the heavy lead gray in the sky gradually melts away, and the sky becomes brighter day by day. Suddenly overnight, clusters of delicate crimson and dark branches appeared on the street, and they were instantly covered with small pink flowers, in groups, piles, and groups. The sudden appearance of the pink troops made the streets brighten up. Looking from a distance, the jade trees and flowers were like clouds, and the eyes were full of fragrance. Oh, the cherry blossoms are blooming, and spring in Vancouver has arrived!

Vancouver is said to have all varieties of cherry blossoms, which can be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys. Tourists either go to the park or go to the flower street to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the rain of flowers all over the city. At this time, whether you are driving through the rain of flowers or sitting quietly and letting the petals fall on your shoulders, it is so pleasant!

UBC’s Lower Mall is the most attractive "Sakura Street" on the UBC campus. It extends right to the entrance of Nitobe Japanese Garden. These two places are the best places on campus to appreciate Tokyo Sakura (Yoshino). In the Oakridge district, there are many beautiful flower streets where you can enjoy different varieties of cherry blossoms. They are Amanogawa on the south side of 12th Street between Oak and Laurel Streets, Kojima on the west side of Queen Elizabeth Park in the parking lot, and four between Granville and Oak Streets. Japanese cherry blossoms (Mikurama) on 11th Street, large white cherry blossoms (Tai Haku) on 16th Street between Crown and Dunbar Streets, weeping cherry blossoms (Wheeping) on ??Adera Street between 51st and 52nd Streets, three Tokyo Sakura (Yoshino) on Manitoba Street between 19th and 43rd Streets, etc. There are many lush Tokyo cherry blossoms (Yoshino) in front and behind the Vancouver Museum in Vanier Park. In addition, there are many large cherry blossom trees on Yew Street leading to the entrance of Kitsilano Beach Park. During this season, Yew Street is considered one of the most charming streets in Vancouver.

The cherry blossoms in Vancouver greatly exceed those in Tokyo, Japan, in terms of quantity and variety. They are also more colorful and more beautiful than those in Tokyo, ranking first in the world.

It is said that there are more than 36,000 cherry blossom trees in Vancouver. Every year when the cherry blossoms bloom in Vancouver, people from Japan, its home base, travel thousands of miles to see it.

3. The western style of Gastown

It is said that if you have not visited Gastown, you have not been to Vancouver. Gas town is located in the area of ??Waterfront Station, Water Street and Cordova Street, only a 5-minute walk from the city center. This is the oldest urban area in Vancouver. It was designated as a historical heritage in 1971. It has witnessed the history of pioneering and gold mining.

The gold rush at the end of the 19th century made this place very lively. Many hotels, shops and restaurants were built at that time, so there are many Victorian buildings here that are over a hundred years old and have a strong European flavor. In 1867, Jack Deighton opened a hotel here. Because of his eloquent words, people gave him the nickname "Gassy". This is also the origin of the name Gas town. After the gold rush ended, it gradually became a tourist attraction. Walking here from the city center filled with high-rise buildings is like walking into a time tunnel. The town still maintains its appearance at the beginning of the 20th century, with narrow streets paved with red bricks and cobblestones, old-fashioned gas street lamps, buildings and decorations from a hundred years ago, everything is antique and nostalgic. There are beautiful maple trees on both sides of the street, famous antique shops, aboriginal art shops, galleries, bars, cafes, etc. The atmosphere and sentiment attract many people to hang out and shop here.

The famous Steam Clock is located on the sidewalk at the intersection of Water Street and Cambie Street. It weighs about 2 tons and is the first clock driven by steam in the world. Based on the 1875 model, it was built in 1977 by watchmaker and sculptor Raymond Saunders. There is a pipe under the base of the steam clock that takes in the steam to drive the hour hand. What’s interesting is that every 15 minutes, steam will emerge from the ground, and five whistles will be operated to play the Westminster Time Chime. These whistles are on the top of the clock. In addition, the four enameled copper dogwood flowers on the top are quite eye-catching. The gilded clock face will shine brightly at night.

4. Victoria’s British flavor

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Victoria is located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island in Canada, embedded among green mountains and clear waters full of lush aura. The largest city on Vancouver Island, it became the capital of British Columbia in 1968.

Victoria is the oldest city on the West Coast and the favorite place for seniors in Canada to retire. Although Victoria has a maritime climate, its rainfall is half that of Seattle and Vancouver. The climate is mild and humid all year round, and it is full of greenery and flowers. But what impresses me most is that everything about this provincial capital looks very "British". Not only is its name the glory of Britain, but even the air is filled with a gentle, reserved and quiet British temperament, just like a flower blooming on Canadian soil. british rose.

With a whimper, the ferry kissed the platform goodbye and sailed towards the other side of the strait. Along the way, red-billed gulls flapped their wings and flew up and down around the side of the ship, occasionally passing over people's heads. The ship cruises calmly along the winding waterway towards its destination, and the scenery comes into view one after another. The coniferous and maple forests on the island shine with colors like emerald and agate under the golden sunlight, complementing each other. Chic small bungalows dotted the area, with a few wisps of smoke curling up, adding a lot of vitality. Under the clear blue sky, the turquoise water surface is like a huge mirror reflecting the trees and buildings on both sides of the river. It is really beautiful and refreshing, as if it is integrated with nature. Unfortunately, this subtle feeling was too short-lived. After a while, the ship arrived at Victoria Pier.

Inner Harbor is the most beautiful and nostalgic place in Victoria.

The city radiates from here as the center. The BC Provincial Parliament Building, Royal London Wax Museum, Royal BC Museum, Queen's Hotel, and Pacific Undersea Garden are all concentrated here. There are many yachts moored in the port, and the spacious sidewalks surround the port. In summer, the classic-style street lamps are covered with beautiful flowers. There are many street impromptu painters, vendors and craftsmen on the street both during the day and at night; during the day, white horses and white carriages will slowly pass you by on the street from time to time. You can also sit and experience it if you like. Medieval style; on summer nights, entertainers will sing for passers-by, and jugglers will perform various acrobatics, creating a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere. There is also a gorgeous night view here, with the sea breeze blowing, the water reflecting the lights of the Parliament Building and the Queen's Hotel, and the sky full of stars, giving it a unique atmosphere.

The Provincial Parliament Building, located in the city center, inherits the British style, with exterior lighting, elegant and simple, and a few horses and carriages wandering around, making it feel like it has been immersed in the medieval European era. This typical ancient stone building has the main body with five floors in the middle, and a symmetrical tower on each wing to guard the main building. This kind of building made of stone strips has a floor distance of about ten meters. Most of them are located horizontally, making them appear majestic and powerful. As for those who like British aristocratic style, the afternoon tea at The Empress Hotel (721 Government St.) must not be missed. Of course, the price is not cheap: to experience such a Victorian-style afternoon tea, it costs at least 35 Canadian dollars. Yuan.

Queen's Hotel

To the right of the government building is the Queen's Hotel, which is famous for its red brick walls and bronze roof and has a history of nearly a century. Its appearance is simple and elegant, and the walls are covered with ivy, which is quite similar to the outer walls of Harvard. The interior of the hotel is magnificently decorated, elegant and royal. Walking down the steps from the entrance to the bottom floor of the hotel, you can see that the corridor paved with dark red carpets is full of bright small display windows, displaying various precious jewelry. A sparkling crystal lamp hangs in the center of the hall on the first floor. The soft orange light fills the room like pure moonlight, making the surrounding carved beams and painted buildings shine, adding to the icing on the cake.

The brilliance of the Queen's Hotel today is due to the awareness of heritage protection in Victoria and BC. In 1965, someone proposed to demolish the dilapidated hotel and rebuild it into a high-rise modern hotel, which caused a big discussion in the society. Local newspapers warned that tens of thousands of tourists would never come to Victoria again without this glorious Edwardian heritage site. The Queen Hotel is the soul of this city. ?

Butchart Gardens

When you go to Victoria, Butchart Gardens is a must-go. Although I have seen many gardens, Butchart Gardens is the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. Butchart Gardens was built in 1904 and has a history of a hundred years. This world-famous garden has more than 50 hectares of beautiful flowerbeds and woods. It was originally the private garden of the wealthy businessman Mr. Butchart. In 1904, Mrs. Butchart, who was quite proficient in horticulture, began to clean up the abandoned quarry left by her husband who was engaged in cement manufacturing. After some careful decoration, Butchart Gardens looks particularly charming. This series consists of six themed gardens, such as English Rose Garden, Sunken Garden, Japanese Garden, Italian Garden, and Spring Prelude. and Star Pond, etc. The large courtyard garden built around the owner's former residence has a pond, water lilies, roses of various colors, and courtyard railings covered with vines and flowers, which is very European-style. Flowers here vary from season to season, including tulips in spring, roses in summer, chrysanthemums, impatiens and dahlias in autumn. Of course, the maple trees must also be as hot as fire. It is said that there is also a large Christmas light display during Christmas.

Take a leisurely stroll, listen to the birds chirping on the branches, and smell the fragrant fragrance in the garden. You will be intoxicated, and you can actually fall asleep during the day amid the fragrance of the sea of ??flowers. Looking for dreams, strolling towards the more secluded part of the fragrant path, and singing in the gentle sunshine, what a pleasure it is. Before you know it, it's almost time to turn on the lanterns. The lanterns are first turned on, and the lights are scattered in various gardens, just like the stars in the sky descending to the world, constantly casting their charming eyes at you. Against the backdrop of colored lights, the Ross Fountain raises several water columns of indigo, orange, peach and other colors that look like Buddha's hands. A crown of lights is also tied up in the center of the star pool. The buildings in the Italian Garden are brilliantly lit, and it is suspected that the palaces of Buckingham Palace were moved among them. Suddenly, waves of rumbling roars came from the sky above Butchart Cove, like muffled thunder and stinging insects. I chased after the sound and saw groups of colorful fireworks like colorful chrysanthemums appearing under the sky. The fireworks were comparable to the orchids, daffodils, green cactus, red tulips, purple cherries and other flowers in the garden. . I can't help but think to myself: The people here are so self-sufficient, peaceful, helpful, and unconcerned with the world. They don't pick up things on the road and close their homes at night. Isn't this the paradise that Mr. Tao Yuanming was so hard to pursue?