Monday Mural

  I'm linking up at Monday Mural 

October 2025 - Montreal QC 

We were in Montreal last weekend and had Sunday to ourselves so we did a self-guided walking tour of Griffintown and came across a couple of murals of note.

Click here for the weekly recap and click here for Sidewalking Griffintown Montral.

Jeanne Manse St. Artist Caratoes. There is/was a Caratoes on Ossington in Toronto 2018.

We also had seen his magnificent piece in Reykavick Iceland in 2025.

West of McGill St, Place d'Youville becomes William St. You're officially in Griffintown. Continue west on William to Lucas Beaufort's huge mural, the French artist's largest to date, on which he painted 588 small characters. 

Continue on Ottawa St and look to your right, at Young St. On the building at the far end is Montreal's largest mural, Lignes du temps, by the Artducommun collective on Pavillon A of the École de technologie supérieure. 

The Dow brewery was located in this district, hence the hops on the mural.

Sculpture Saturday

 We have found Plensa's work around the world.

Montreal QC Source
Des Moines IA Nomade
Toronto Canada Dreaming
Antibes French Riviera Nomade
Bordeaux France Sanna
Barcelona Spain Carmela
Chicago IL Crown Fountain
Calgary Canada Wonderland
Beverly Hills CA Endless

August/October 2025 Montreal QC

We saw Source twice in Montreal

April 2025 Des Moines IA
We found Nomade at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park!

November 2021 - Los Angeles CA

I found ANOTHER Plensa in our archives! 2017 Beverly Hills, Los Angeles CA!!

Endless by Jaume Plensa

September 2021 - Calgary AB

 I was cleaning out photos in my archives and was stunned to find that we had another Jaume Plensa sculpture from a 2013 trip to Calgary!!

This sculpture called Wonderland is at the base of Calgary's tallest tower, The Bow. The wire mesh piece stands 39 feet high and resembles a young girl's head. (It was actually inspired by a real girl in Spain.) Interestingly, the sculpture has two entrances so that visitors can walk inside of it. “My vision for Wonderland is to inspire everyone who experiences the sculpture: I believe the architecture of our bodies is the palace for our dreams,” said Plensa.

Weekend Roundup

 Welcome to The Weekend Roundup...hosted by Tom The Back Roads Traveler

1. Starts with "Q"

2. A Favorite

3. QUALITY - Chosen by Tom

Starts with Q (BIGGEST/SMALLEST/LONGEST/SHORTEST/OLDEST)

QUESTION Amarillo TX

FAVOURITE

QUIRK Toronto Flower Market

QUALITY Portland OR

Speechless

 tRump's $300 Million Ballroom: East Wing Demolished with Private Funds

Leavitt: At this moment in time, the ballroom is really the president's main priority.

Legally it’s not. All structural changes and funding for the White House is required to go through Congressional committee. The Republicans are just too cowardly to do their job as a co-equal branch.

So Cracker Barrel changing their logo was a destruction of American history and culture but trump destroying the White House isn't????

Unbelievable. The movie theater and everything is now gone. Sickening.

Toronto streets erupted into total chaos after Blue Jays clinched World Series berth

 

22 years after a young Vladdy Jr. raised his helmet at his dad's final Expos game, he's led the Blue Jays to the World Series.

Signs

  Joining Tom at Signs2

Wordless Wednesday Wordless 

September 2025 - Toronto ON

Having fun with my camera at the LCBO.

Intriguing name on this Portuguese wine. Created as a collaboration with the Portuguese winemaking Van Zeller family, Darkest Red is a classic, rich red blend from the famous Douro Valley. The wine has spent some time in port barrels which adds a layer of richness with a crescendo of blackberry, ripe black cherries and plums layered over subtle spice and a bold, rich finish.

CHIKA SAKE CUP

Foto Tunes

 Tom the backroads traveller hosts Foto Tunes

I saw this car on University the week before and was kicking myself that I was rushing and didn't get a photo. Then lo and behold we came across it when we were heading home on another day.

80s Mercedes by Maren Morris!

[Chorus]
Feel like a hard-to-get starlet when I'm driving
Turning every head, hell, I ain't even trying
Got them Ray-Ban shades, pretty in pink
Call me old school, but hey
I'm a 90s baby in my 80s Mercedes
I'm a 90s baby in my 80s Mercedes