As a prelude to our Paris trip coming in May, my friend, Patsy and I visited Montréal this weekend.

Montréal hosted the 1976 Summer Olympics and devised a beautiful way to repurpose their Olympic Park. Patsy and I explored one of the stadiums that was transformed into the Biodôme.

We explored the four ecosystems featured, with Patsy favoring the rainforest. (Her home country of Peru was well represented with plants and animals.)

(I've always wanted to see a Scarlett Ibis!)

My favorite ecosystem was the St. Lawrence River, as it was reminiscent of New England. Hey, I love where I live.

We watched a video on the construction of the Biodôme, and although it was in French, I gathered that they imported tropical trees from Florida and went through great lengths to convert an Olympic stadium into an authentic home for different species of plants and animals.

Later that evening, Patsy and I took a ride on Le Petit Navire where we enjoyed an after sunset tour of the Old Port and watched the International Fireworks Competition.

What's incredible about Festival de l'International des Feux Loto‑Québec is that the fireworks are timed to music, and music that everyone knows. They played Elvis, Chuck Berry, Queen, Bob Marley, and more. Seeing the fireworks while swaying on the St. Lawrence River was one the most incredible experiences I have had. It was so beautiful I cried. I highly recommend seeing the International Fireworks Competition by boat. Remarkable!

The next day Patsy and I explored the Old Port and went through Pointe-à-Callière, a museum of history and archaeology with a permanent exhibit on the establishment of Montréal. Shelby and I went a few years ago, and I often found myself thinking about how incredible the museum is. It was build upon actual foundations and roadways used in the 1800s, along with a burial ground from the 1600s that are still there. It was fascinating and eerie to walk through the actual stones, pipes, and structures that made up Montréal over a century ago.

In relation to history, Montréal is celebrating its 375th this year. Construction is underway on the Port to build more parks and piers- a gift from the country to the people of Montréal. Canada is also celebrating its 150th this year, and we came upon a memorial for it.

Patsy and I later attended a matinée of Cirque du Soleil, an absolutely incredible show! We wanted to see the show in Disney Springs a few years ago but didn't make it. I think it worked out- we saw the show in its hometown and even walked along the Cirque du Soleil headquarters when we got lost!

It's incredible that from where I live, I can visit a foreign country on the weekend. I enjoyed our visit to Montréal and am even more excited for Paris!