Today I went for a drive to Laval-sur-le-Lac.  It is part of Laval, a suburb of Montreal. But this place is very special.  Not only do you have a beautiful waterfront but you see also some very big mansions and monster houses.    I always like to look at the gardens and at the exteriors of the houses.    Here are some pictures  I took today.

This is my absolute dream garden.   In summer they often have garden parties and you see guests wandering about in-between the statues and flower beds. There is no fence and so people from outside, like myself, can look inside and take pictures.

Another house on the same street.

I took this picture on the little bridge which is leading to Ile Verte, another little island just across from Laval sur le Lac.    Another beautiful little place to visit.

 

 

I think I have an obsession with balconies.  Sometimes I even think that a balcony is more inviting and cozy than a huge big garden, where there is a lot of work to be done and you really have to like gardening.   Some people are really good with plants and know how to create beautiful garden rooms.   I really admire them.   Unfortunately, I am not one of them.   Perhaps because I used to live in apartments (called flats) when I was living in London and I never had a big garden.   But I liked decorating a small balcony when I had one.   Just with a table and chairs and a couple of flower pots. 

When I walk around Montreal I always admire the balconies and the stairs.   I take pictures of streets and the stairs and sometimes of the balconies if I can get near enough, or I ask some friends to send me pictures of their balconies. 

Here are a some more pics of balconies.

lots of plants on this little balcony.

lots of lovely stairs and balconies on this street.

A small narrow balcony looking out onto the street