Flight in was a red-eye from Fairbanks, via Chicago. We're back in Canada again - change back to Canadian money.
Contacted the apartment company and found that we could get into the apartment early - a great outcome, as a shower is so welcome after an overnight flight.
Unfortunately, Christine & Maurice are delayed and won't be in until noon tomorrow (Sunday).
For the afternoon, we had a wander around the local area. Our apartment is near Old Montreal, which is quite lively on a Saturday afternoon. We had an excellent meal (trout almondienne) at a table on the sidewalk, watching the world go by. The city is more French than English, but there is no problem getting by.
It was a day for weddings. We saw one large wedding party at Notre Dame cathedral and about six other wedding groups down near the Palais de Justice. Beautiful weather meant that it was a fine day for wedding photos.
We have found the local supermarket, so it was great to buy food so that we could eat in at night and also for the morning breakfast. However, we'll have to find better wine (perhaps even Canadian wine - I certainly don't want to buy the Australian "Wallaroo" at the
supermarket).
The next morning, we had a lazy start and then took the Metro to Parc Jean-Drapeau, located on two islands in the St Lawrence. Beautiful weather was attracting many people to the park, mainly to an "island beach" on the island. We had a wander around and even saw one of the local groundhogs who live in burrows on the island.
We wanted to be at the apartment to meet Christine & Maurice, so we headed back. They were held up by a long immigration queue, but eventually made it. We had a walk through part of the old town, which was again a busy area, before settling down for a nice lunch in a restaurant chosen at random.
Back at the apartment, we had a light supper and an early night.
Next day, we headed out to explore the old town in more detail. We took a tour of Notre-Dame Basilica, which is the premier church of Montreal - but not its cathedral. Apparently, Notre-Dame was built and run by the Suplician order, so when the first bishop arrived he had to build his own cathedral. Not to be outdone (he was also French), he built a large church after the style of St Peter's Basilica.
We then explored the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum. This museum is on the site where Montreal was founded and provides a view on Montreal history and archaeology.
We continued to wander around the old town and the old port area, finding lunch at a restaurant in Place Jacques-Cartier.
Later we took a one hour cruise on the river from the port. This gives a different view of the city. We saw part of the rapids on the St Lawrence River that made navigation difficult in earlier times. Initially a canal (The Lachine Canal) was constructed to allow craft to by-pass the rapids. This has since been superseded by the larger locks of the St Lawrence Seaway, and the old canal is now an attractive recreation area.
We had dinner at our apartment, having acquired supplies at the local supermarket.
Having completed our explorations of the old town and port, we ventured further afield on the next day. Initially, we took the metro to the area called Plateau de Mont Royal, which is an older residential area. Though reduced in popularity some years ago, it is now considered very up-market. Though the day was warming up, we strolled through the streets. The houses are set in tree-lined streets (often maples) and many are of stone with a residence below and with the upper residence reached by an external stair,
We also wandered through the commercial streets, generally of small shops (often fashion) or restaurants, before catching a bus to Mont Royal. Mont Royal is the large hill (Montreallers would say "mountain") near the city, after which the city is named. The hill is topped by a park and by two large cemeteries (one Catholic, the other Protestant), The park is popular in summer (for picnics and walking) and in winter (for cross-country skiing, skating and snow walking). Even though it was a Tuesday, there were plenty of people walking, jogging or picnicking.
There are excellent views of Montreal from the observation area on Mont Royal, while the area is landscaped with paths through forests and through more formal grassed areas and a small lake. We had lunch at the restaurant by the lake.
We set out to walk to St Joseph's Oratory, which is situated on the side of the mountain. The temperature had climbed to 26 C, but with the high humidity, this felt like 34 C, so the walk was not pleasant (and it was further than we anticipated). Perhaps the discomfort getting to the Oratory was "karma", because pilgrims apparently come to this place, with numbers climbing the 99 steps up to the church on their knees.
The church developed from a small chapel established by a Brother Andre in the early 20th century. Brother Andre was the illiterate doorkeeper of the school across the street, but people claimed that he would heal the sick as well as give spiritual guidance. His superiors brought the adjacent land and let him set up a small chapel to avoid the nuisance of all the people that came calling.
He was clearly popular. His friends set out to build a large church on the spot. Nearly a million people attended his funeral in 1937 and the current church was finished in about 1980. It is very large, over multiple levels (when you've negotiated the 99 steps, you have the benefit of escalators thereafter). The church dome is the third largest of its type (after St Peter's) and the top of the dome is the highest structure in Montreal (but it is on the side of a hill). The building contains a large chapel (the crypt), a smaller chapel full of lit candles (and the canes and crutches of the cured) and a much larger church.
Exhibitions document Brother Andre's life (he is now a saint) and display his heart (too ghoulish!!). Still, they don't charge entrance (they do at Notre-Dame)!
Leaving, we saw a heavily pregnant woman slowly making her way up the stairs on her knees - on a hot and humid day. She was 80% of the way, and while she was clearly finding it difficult, she seemed determined. Where does piety stop and superstition begin?
We found our bus (with little walking this time) and headed home. A cooked chicken, a baguette and some wine made a fine dinner.
Contacted the apartment company and found that we could get into the apartment early - a great outcome, as a shower is so welcome after an overnight flight.
Unfortunately, Christine & Maurice are delayed and won't be in until noon tomorrow (Sunday).
For the afternoon, we had a wander around the local area. Our apartment is near Old Montreal, which is quite lively on a Saturday afternoon. We had an excellent meal (trout almondienne) at a table on the sidewalk, watching the world go by. The city is more French than English, but there is no problem getting by.
 |
| Saturday crowd at Jacques Clavier square |
We have found the local supermarket, so it was great to buy food so that we could eat in at night and also for the morning breakfast. However, we'll have to find better wine (perhaps even Canadian wine - I certainly don't want to buy the Australian "Wallaroo" at the
supermarket).
 |
| A well-fed Montreal groundhog |
The next morning, we had a lazy start and then took the Metro to Parc Jean-Drapeau, located on two islands in the St Lawrence. Beautiful weather was attracting many people to the park, mainly to an "island beach" on the island. We had a wander around and even saw one of the local groundhogs who live in burrows on the island.
We wanted to be at the apartment to meet Christine & Maurice, so we headed back. They were held up by a long immigration queue, but eventually made it. We had a walk through part of the old town, which was again a busy area, before settling down for a nice lunch in a restaurant chosen at random.
Back at the apartment, we had a light supper and an early night.
 |
| Blue tones inside Montreal's Notre-Dame |
We then explored the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum. This museum is on the site where Montreal was founded and provides a view on Montreal history and archaeology.
We continued to wander around the old town and the old port area, finding lunch at a restaurant in Place Jacques-Cartier.
 |
| St Lawrence cruise |
We had dinner at our apartment, having acquired supplies at the local supermarket.
 |
| External stairs in Plateau Mont Royal - tough in winter! |
We also wandered through the commercial streets, generally of small shops (often fashion) or restaurants, before catching a bus to Mont Royal. Mont Royal is the large hill (Montreallers would say "mountain") near the city, after which the city is named. The hill is topped by a park and by two large cemeteries (one Catholic, the other Protestant), The park is popular in summer (for picnics and walking) and in winter (for cross-country skiing, skating and snow walking). Even though it was a Tuesday, there were plenty of people walking, jogging or picnicking.
 |
| On Mont Royal observation point |
We set out to walk to St Joseph's Oratory, which is situated on the side of the mountain. The temperature had climbed to 26 C, but with the high humidity, this felt like 34 C, so the walk was not pleasant (and it was further than we anticipated). Perhaps the discomfort getting to the Oratory was "karma", because pilgrims apparently come to this place, with numbers climbing the 99 steps up to the church on their knees.
 |
| St Joseph's Oratory |
He was clearly popular. His friends set out to build a large church on the spot. Nearly a million people attended his funeral in 1937 and the current church was finished in about 1980. It is very large, over multiple levels (when you've negotiated the 99 steps, you have the benefit of escalators thereafter). The church dome is the third largest of its type (after St Peter's) and the top of the dome is the highest structure in Montreal (but it is on the side of a hill). The building contains a large chapel (the crypt), a smaller chapel full of lit candles (and the canes and crutches of the cured) and a much larger church.
Exhibitions document Brother Andre's life (he is now a saint) and display his heart (too ghoulish!!). Still, they don't charge entrance (they do at Notre-Dame)!
Leaving, we saw a heavily pregnant woman slowly making her way up the stairs on her knees - on a hot and humid day. She was 80% of the way, and while she was clearly finding it difficult, she seemed determined. Where does piety stop and superstition begin?
We found our bus (with little walking this time) and headed home. A cooked chicken, a baguette and some wine made a fine dinner.
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