Being the Tour Guide

Photos: June 11, 2016

Catching up on my blog - it was a busy weekend!

What a day - learning that online friends are truly friends. My photo adventure began in 2009 when I joined a Flickr group of mainly educators in 2009 to do a 365 photos in a year. Who knew that what I embarked on was not just an adventure in photography but on a  road into friendships in many parts of the world. I have just returned from dropping off Di and Diane at the airport as they return to their respective homes in Ontario. Friday evening was our first face to face encounter, but after years of meeting with each other through our photos and writing there was an instant affinity - a feeling of being with old friends.



I was the tour guide, showing Montreal sights and finding photo opportunities, sharing my city and spots I love. We shared the photo ideas we noticed (we all love reflections). Old Montreal was the obvious place to start our Montreal exploration.

We pointed out the possibilities of leading lines and repetition, of symmetry and asymmetry, of depth of field and where to focus - our minds as well as our cameras.



Stop, focus, enjoy - an adventure in mindfulness, in seeing and for me, in being a tourist in my own city.



We stopped for lunch in a new cafe in what was at one time the main branch of the Royal Bank (photo above is just a small sample of the mind-boggling decor) - a truly remarkable space. I was last in there in 2009 for a concert as part of the Montreal Baroque Festival. Funny to think they may have seen a photo of this space and now we were sharing a meal together there.

Here is another small sample of the decor.

Next stop - the Mural Festival. There are many murals which stay from year to year - others are painted over and new ones created. These works are in progress; I'll have to go back to see the final products.

This was just day one of our photo jaunts together. Feeling tired we headed home. Much more to see and explore.

Mural Festival 2015

Photos: June 14, 2015

This is the third year that Montreal is holding a mural festival. St. Laurent, one of our major arteries has been closed for 11 days for several blocks with a combination muralfest, street festival and Fringe Festival. Some of the murals from previous years are still visible; others have been painted over.



It's fun to see the many different styles. Many seem to favour the slightly macabre. Sunday, the day of my walk, was the last day of the festival so most of the murals had been completed.



We did come across this work in progress. In the background is another mural.



Social commentary, abstract, cartoon - every style can be found as you walk the neighbourhood.



These are just a few of the many - it is a delight to tour the area.

Now if those graffiti ego trippers would leave these murals alone... No tagging, please!