[Nouvellecosse]

Wow really beautiful, vivid, eclectic imagery! The summer vibe is so intense it just feels like I'm there. Toronto and Montreal definitely have their own related but distinct vibes in the summer. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what they have in common but I think it comes down to sharing this unusual sort of "urban/rural" aesthetic where much of the urban cityscape outside of the CBD has this super relaxed feeling similar to what you'll get in the countryside where the buildings and other built elements are kind of weathered or even slightly dilapidated and the greenery seems to grow at times randomly with bushes, trees, weeds and vines sprouting up at every opportunity. This contrasts heavily with the urban neighbourhoods of many cities in NA and Europe which are highly manicured with greenery tightly controlled.

In Chicago for instance, many residential streets have manicured gardens in the road verge (space between the sidewalk and street) and often even have low fences enclosing the gardens. All the greenery is meticulously watered and pruned whereas the greenery in Toronto and Montreal often seems to be opportunistic plants fending for themselves. The result is that in Toronto and Montreal the landscapes seem natural and timeless as if the human environment is simply part of the existing landscape - a naturally occurring ecology that just happens to be dominated by one animal - whereas the more typical urban cityscapes seem as if they're totally separate things. The cultivated cityscapes can almost seem like the outdoors is an open-air building.

In terms of which is better, for my tastes Toronto sometimes takes things a bit far with the uncultivated vibe, at times verging on the abandoned/returning to nature aesthetic, while some cities take the up-tight cultivation a bit far verging on artificiality or sterility. I think Montreal tends to have a good balance.

Anyway, thanks for the amazing experience!