The Niagara Falls & “Nuit Blanche” in Toronto

04. – 08.10.2019

Welcome to Canada 🙂

Having arrived in Canada, my first stop there were the Niagara Falls – right at the border to the United States. Well, I must say, I was a bit surprised. These waterfalls are NOT the highest ones in the world (it is the Angel Falls in Venezuela which I had to skip because of the severe civil riots there at the moment) BUT they have the highest water flow rate in the world – that’s why they are used for producing hydroelectricity. Around these waterfalls, there is an amusement district that looks like a small Las Vegas, and at night, there are colorful lights and fireworks. Veeery different to what I had imagined…

Nearby, there is the small, idyllic town of Niagara-at-the-lake that is full of beautiful Canadian houses, vineyards, and streets that look like in a movie.

The next day, it was time to set off to Toronto, where the Nuit Blanche (White Night) was taking place. That’s when the streets of this city are turned into an all-night temporary art venue by hundreds of artists. There were huge hands doing the peace sign, a river made of lights, a silent disco in the graffiti alley, and bands all over the place. What a special time to experience this vibrant metropolis!

When the sun rose the next day, I decided to experience Toronto during daylight. There is so much to see: castles, colorful markets, streets full of graffiti, wonderful parks … And the best was to set over to the islands with my host Kurtis by ferry and see the sun set over the skyline from there. What an amazing view! 🙂

Having discovered the city, I also wanted to see the countryside of Toronto. Thus, we went hiking in Pickering, a suburb, and discovered the first colored leaves of the season. Looking forward to the Indian Summer here in Canada!

Discovering the first colored leaves

The Capital City Ottawa & my First Encounter with Canadian Animals

08. – 10.10.2019

On the way to the capital of Canada, we passed Kingston – a quite little town at the idyllic lake Ontario.

Not being the biggest city in Canada, Ottawa is still the country’s capital and the place where all federal government buildings are located. Thus, I visited the Parliament, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Confederation Building and many more on a bright, sunny day. 🙂

My couchsurfing host Michel, a very lovely elderly French-speaking Canadian, took his time to go to Omega Park with me in order to introduce me to the Canadian wildlife. What a fun adventure when deers, buffalos, and many more animals peeked into the car and we were able to walk around in between them. I totally recommend visiting this amazing part of nature!

The City of Montréal & nearby Mont-Tremplant

11. – 14.10.2019

Next to the city of Montreal, there is the Oka National Park – most beautiful in autumn, when the leaves are colored yellow, orange, and red, and you can feel the cold, clear air all around. A wonderful day with other travelers!

Montréal is one of the biggest, most populous cities in Canada. A lot of people love it for its charm and wit but to me, it was not such a beautiful place on earth. It’s nice to be there for a few days in order to climb Mount Royal (That’s where the name Montréal originates from.), to promenade through the Old Quarter, and to take a look at the Old Port.

About 1 hour North of Montréal, one of the best known ski areas of all Quebec is located. Although, it was not Winter yet, we did have an awesome time in this little paradise on earth. One of the cutest little towns ever at the foot of a mountain which you can either hike up or take the cable car to the top where you find numerous hiking and walking trails.

Ville de Québec & its idyllic Surroundings

15. – 19.10.2019

Before reaching the city of QuĂ©bec, I went on a hike in the next magnificent national park – Parque de Jacques-Cartier. It features a river and beautifully colored trees in Autumn. What an unforgettable day in the magnificent Canadian nature again!

Québec City is to me one of the loveliest, most beautiful cities I’ve seen in Canada so far. It has this very French atmosphere (well, also because its people speak French, I guess), the narrow cobblestone streets, the impressive buildings, and so much more. The most romantic street you can walk in at night is the Petit-Champlain with its little cafes and bars, and the colorful souvenir stores. What a nice little city to spend a couple of days in!

As lovely as the city itself are its people. I stayed with Hugo – one of the nicest Canadians I’ve ever met. He is an amazing host and even went to the cute little town of Baie-Saint-Paul and the nearby national park Charlevoix with me. We had a great time enjoying this hike together! Thank you, my dear new friend! 🙂

During my time in Québec, I also got two know two cool French guys who were spending their holidays in this region. They gave me a ride to Tadoussac and we had a blast spending the day there together. You have to go on a ferry in order to reach this little town and the river here is populated by whales! This is such a typically Canadian place with the infinite vastness of its landscapes and calm waters.