These are the last days of the trip, we leave on August 15.
Here we are in Montreal. We got closer to France, returning to the passage 3 time zones. And we went back to the French-speaking part of the world, even if Quebecers are comfortable passing from one language to another.
We take advantage of these days to discover the city.
The unsurpassable Mount Royal Park, inaugurated in 1876, the work of Frederick Law Olmsted (who has decidedly been found everywhere), is one of the largest parks in the city, it offers many activities in addition to walks on wooded trails. Belvederes allow to have an overview of the city below, with at the bottom the St. Lawrence. We approach the river by walking along the Old Port. Even though it is not yet very wide in Montreal, the St. Lawrence is very impressive, with a very powerful current, which has for a long time prevented the development of port activities.
We also enjoyed a park near our home, the Visitation Island Park. Small nice park, very family.
The warm days are marked by the song of the cicadas canicules. To give you an idea of the volume of sound, it was thought that a neighbour of the neighborhood was working with a circular saw. The sound can reach nearly 100 decibels!
We also took the opportunity to rest, after the intensity of the stay in the United States. The work of the SCOP that we continued to do, visits, meetings, research, blog... All of this has filled in well these few months.
From east to west, we really had the feeling of making two different trips.
In Massachusetts, there were familiar atmospheres and landscapes, but with the difference in scale. We have really been struck by the size of the trees and their place, especially in urban areas. The smallest wetland hosts beaver colonies, which regulate stream flow and create very rich ecosystems. What will also mark us a lot is the proximity with some animals that approach the houses easily to feed themselves: deer, squirrels, turkeys (we have not managed to see them fly to perch in the trees, damage...), chipmunks, raccoons...
In the northwest, we got closer to the large spaces we dreamed of. We did not go to the heart of the wildest regions, but despite everything, it is a very powerful feeling to feel this strength around you. Feeling difficult to describe, but so well told by North American authors: wildness. There may be some myth, but one cannot remain indifferent in the midst of these grandiose landscapes. The rainforests and the Pacific have marked us particularly, as well as Vancouver Island with the passage to Canada. The passage through California with redwoods is a big hit.
This trip would not have been the same without all the people we met, who took time to exchange, to make us visit gardens. We now have a lot of work to do to synthesize everything we have collected.
In short, we come back rich from all these shared moments and places visited. This long botanical journey is very positive and beneficial!
