Update # 12: Montreal, Quebec

Bonjour, mes amis!  Good Morning or Good Afternoon, my friends.  In Ontario, directions and signs appear in English and then in French along the roadways and in businesses.

 In Quebec seeing an English translation is rare.We are thankful for the time Derrille lived in France and has some memory of the language. I took French in high school and can pick out some bits of the language.

Here are a couple of fun differences. PFK .....Poulet Frite Kentucky
                                                          VR  .....Vehicule Recreation

Montreal is a short drive from Ottawa. The countryside contains fields of corn (now about 3-4 feet high) and acres of golden wheat swaying in a soft breeze. The temperature still  hovers above 94 degrees and has us changing clothes more often than usual.  Cows occasionally lounged in a pasture under whatever shade they can find.

Farm houses and their barns sit closer to the neighbors than before.  I was struck by the number of houses built in a barn shape. I wonder if the curved roof helped with heating and cooling rather than the geometric roof lines. These two photos are from village houses.

Upon our arrival we set up the RVs and found the local laundromat.  Laundry needed doing even though the temperatures heated us up inside and out. We chose to have dinner at Boston Pizza.  The hostess didn't speak English, our waitress did. The sample menu we received at the campground was written totally in French, however, we were given English menus in the restaurant.

The Aloutte Campground located in Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, east of Montreal accommodates 400 campers.  The fact that our check-in girl spoke English as a first language started us off well.The resort provides: a large swimming pool with a lifeguard,  a large and maintained playground full of colorful equipment, and several horseshoe pits.

Sections are matched to each campers need. For our size and 50 amp electricity needs, we face the golf range and, of course, the highway.  Many rigs either own a site or rent it for extended periods of time. One site even has a hot tub under a screened tent area. They have another screened area for their outdoor table and chairs. I took photos of a few other interesting sites.

These new block house were being constructed not far from our RV park. We thought they looked a lot like Monopoly hotels and not very inviting to purchase.

We headed into Montreal just after the morning rush hour traffic. I thought we would drive south and take one of the bridges, but the road were on took us directly to the tunnel that goes under the St. Lawrence River and onto the island . The city of Montreal sits on an island created by the Prairie River and the St. Lawrence River. Over a million people live in the city which makes up 50% of the entire population of Quebec. Of all the people who work in Montreal about 20% ride bicycles to work, so the city is constructing more bike lanes all over town.

Those Catholic missionaries found great success here! Most of Montreal is Catholic.  The prominent churches spires, usually glinting shiny silver from the sun, show high above the roof lines. In most instances the churches were Catholic.  Every little town and neighborhood has their own parish church. It is not uncommon to see several churches in close proximity of each other. Most are made of gray stone with either silver or red doors.

This basilica represents the Vatican in Rome and made as an exact scale model.

We traveled through a section of town label on the map as "the Village". Apartments and townhouses displaying a variety of architecture and color sat crammed next to each other. Doorways stepped directly onto the sidewalk with small balconies extended from rooms on the second and third floors. Curved black wrought iron bars billowed out to protect things from falling off the balcony. Small patio chairs and tables, bicycles and/or plants sat on some balconies.  Others spaces were overflowing with the owner's possessions and what looked like junk.  Small mounds of clear plastic bags filled with garbage stacked upon each other awaited their weekly collection. The arrangement of mounds down the street reminded me of school bus stop sites.  

I didn't take many photos here, as I was trying to read the map. The biggest obstacle to getting around Montreal was not the language, but the poorly constructed map. The map superimposed the subway lines over the streets.  Some streets go a few blocks and cease for a ways before starting again. Some streets are restricted to vehicle traffic, or are one way. Then add in the construction. Map insets/enlargements didn't always connect to each other.The Quebec map was too broad and the Montreal map too defined to get us from the outlying regions easily into the city. However, we managed with just a few side trips.

One of the unique features here and in other parts of the city is the use of curved outside stairways rather than using landings or interior stairs. Some stairwells were nearly circular.  They are a bit difficult to see here.

After our usual visit to the Visitor's Centre we hopped on the Gray Line Double Decker bus for our two hour trip around the city.

 Carol our French tour guide brought along her white and black parasol to fend off the sun and get a bit of relief from the 94 degree temperature at the start of the tour. We were not aware until the next day that the mercury actually climbed above 100 degrees during our tour. However the gusting wind on the bus helped us feel a bit cooler. That night I noticed the spots where the sunscreen missed.



Construction is everywhere! Several streets were closed to big trucks because of building construction. Scaffolding with protective netting hung from many large buildings and churches. Some street repair was happening,but in general the roads here are in disrepair. I suspect the harsh winters remain a major contributor to bumpy streets. Major remodeling continues at some sites. The jazz festival just ended so crews were dismantling the stages around town, and blocking traffic. The garbage truck blocked half the street and fire trucks the other half in one place. The tour buses often need to find alternate routes to navigate around the construction. I complimented our bus driver on his skills. Some main streets in Montreal are wide with room for four lanes of traffic and parking. Side streets are narrow and one way fortunately.  Some have room for two lanes of cars and a parking lane; others barely have room for a single car to pass. The majority of locals drive very small cars. Some drive SUV's or pick-ups, but downtown the small cars and bicycles appear to be the vehicles of choice.  Drivers in Montreal tend to slow, but not stop at stop signs or they continue through long the intersection long after the light turns red. Turning right on red lights is not allowed in the Providence of Quebec. We needed to stay alert driving around Montreal.

We boarded the bus first and took our seats on the top level. Every time another person stepped on the bus the entire vehicle bounced...a hint of things to come.

Just as we pasted the entrance to China Town, the bus lurched and bounced making photo taking a real challenge. A challenge that continued throughout the ride.




The bus drove by Notre Dame Cathedral and past "Vieux Montreal" the Old Town of Montreal. Next the bus bumped down a cobblestone hill which made us clung to anything to keep from toppling over. The bumping and swaying made me think of riding in a buckboard wagon.

Some buildings close enough to touch were erected in the early 1600's when the city was established. Some side roads made us question whether or not the Explorer could even navigate through it. Other buildings were typical skyscrapers.

We passed the Montreal Science Center and one of the many city parks. This park follows the shore and apparently is a favorite meeting place because of its proximity to the river and to excellent restaurants. 

The tour took us to the Ile Sainte-Helene and the Jean Drapeau Park.  The Ile Sainte-Helene houses the Biosphere and a 6 Flags amusement park.. I wanted to tour that, but it was closed due to construction. The Jean Drapeau Park  was the side of Expo '67.  A casino built to look like a cruise ship now claims the location.  Funny block apartments made from cement housed people during the Expo. Many original residents have stayed on.

While driving along this part of the St. Lawrence River gave us some lovely views of downtown Montreal. However between the bumps in the road, the wind and the lurching bus, photos again were a challenge. I happen to like this one with the lamp post in it.

The  bus then headed uptown  and beyond to McGill University. We read Kathy Reichs books which are the bases for the TV show "Bones".  When her story is based in Montreal she often mentions McGill. 

A couple of city hospitals that resemble castles share this part of the hill. 

The bus continues up Mont Royal. on Ch. de la Cote-des-Neiges, which is also the name of the  huge cemetery near the top. Currently over two million people repose her, with room for many more. The grounds are covered with trees and greenery that make it look like a park. Apparently some people walk through the cemetery because of its beautiful grounds. According to our guide this cemetery ranks the biggest in North America.  St. Joseph's Oratory covers  one of Mont Royal's three hills. The green basilica dome rises well above everything else. (more on this later)

Mont Royal Park, adjacent to the cemetery, covers the middle hill . The picnic tables under the tall shade trees looked very inviting on this hot day. Beyond the picnic area the grass sloped down to a sparkling blue lake.  On this hot, humid, hazy day people enjoyed what coolness the park offered. Most of the trees are deciduous, promising spectacular colors in the fall.  The refreshing water today, becomes an ice rink in the winter. People use the park then for cross country skiing and snowmobiling too. What a gift the people of Montreal have in this park.The third hill offered a  spectacular view, almost 360 degrees, of Montreal.

The bus then returned to town for a quick trip down Crescent Street, which is touted as the heart and soul of the city. Terraces and patios for dining nearly line the street. People sit at small round tables for two,  eating lunch, drinking wine, and/ or smoking cigarettes. Small boutiques do business between the dining and entertainment places. Crescent Street is "the" nightlife destination" for Montreal. It reminded Derrille a little of Bourbon Street...extremely cleaner of course.

 The tour included a few blocks of St. Catherine Street and Sherbrooke Street to view some of the shopping possibilities. Under the visible glass, steel and brick businesses lies a whole other world for the shopaholic. The Underground Mall  boasts over 1000 shops, and several food courts.The letters RES along the street identify an entrance to the underground experience.  Most stores along the street connect with the underground complex.  We entered through an American Outfitters store.  Seeking relief from the heat after the tour, we chose to have lunch in one of the food courts. Before we ventured far into this mall, a map would be needed to find our way out. It looked like a good place for visitors to get lost.

An interesting part of Montreal is not only their love of riding bikes, but the fact that bike rental stations are all over the city. You put money in a collection station, release the bike and ride. We assume you can return it to any of the stations around town.

This sculpture includes 88 people each with a different emotion.
You have to look carefully to see the range included. Our guide pointed it out as we drove by.

She also pointed out the Olympic Games site. We opted not to go there.

Normally following a bus tour we look for a boat trip.However after assessing the route we chose to pass on the boat this time.

We picked up the car and headed for old town and Notre Dame.  Black posts cemented into the sidewalks and close to the buildings become your parking space indicator. Each has a letter and a number. A pay station somewhere around the area collects the money. Quite often bikers chain their bikes to the post.

Unlike Notre Dame in Ottawa with the tall, shiny aluminum steeples, Notre Dame Montreal is dark gray rock stone with square towers

One step into the church, you stop in your tracks and try to remember to breath. The majestic view in the subdued lighting nearly overpowers your senses.   Dark, heavy, ornately carved pews fill the church. Long pews  flank the center aisle beneath the two story cathedral ceiling. The shine of the blue and gold tiled floor reflects the blue and gold emitting from the sanctuary.

 The dark wooden pews absorb what little light exists near the back and focuses all attention of the circular, backlit sanctuary. The arched centerpiece near the back of the sanctuary includes the crucifixion scene surrounded by five icon bearing alcoves.  A large tabernacle sits below the centerpiece. Additional alcoves with statues of the saints ring the top of the sanctuary wall above ornate gold trim. 

A marble altar situated near the front edge of the sanctuary includes an ankle level lower shelf with ornately carved buildings, maybe temples displayed.

The main body of the church rises 3 stories high. The topmost balcony looks down on the church through arched opening.

At the front to back midpoint on the left side, a heavily, ornately carved lectern rises nearly to the ceiling. The lector speaks from about the second floor level. A circular staircase provides access to the lectern that extends well above the congregation. The light from the windows makes photographing it difficult.

Side altars only lie with votive candles interrupt the flow of the shorter pews toward the front of the church. Here the ceiling forms only one level.. Several confessional line the walls next to the short pews. Two or three side altars and two or three sets of confessional are aligned on each side of the church. Additional side alters (in front) peer out of their recessed areas on each side of the main altar, and face the array of short pews. These two recessed altars sit perpendicular to the main alter. 

 Directly behind the sanctuary, a hallway leads to the chapel. The hallway can be accessed by walking between the outside of the main sanctuary and  either recessed front (side) altar.  This part of the church looks newer. Although not as awe inspiring, it is beautiful in a different way.

The chapel sanctuary wall consists of a singular, immense, wooden carving. Stillness exists in the small chapel welcoming meditation and reflection.

Although the chapel possesses its own beauty, the basilica maintains a presence of something very special.

A circular staircase on each side of the entrance doors leads to a small rear balcony.

Notre Dame forms the southern boundary for Vieux Montreal....old town. Here narrow, cobblestone streets and very, very old building identify thing from another time. Several blocks restrict vehicular traffic. Here visitors wander down the uneven cobblestones to shop in boutiques or visit art galleries.

 Enticing aromas waft out of the many eateries, sometimes giving hints to its ethnicity. Most restaurants include outside dining areas. I believe our French tour guides referred to outside eating places as "terrasses". 

St. John's Oratory sits high above the city of Montreal. Father Andre created this place for people to come and ask St. Joseph for healing. Several different areas of the oratory are open to visitors. We were already hot and tired by this time of day and were more than pleased to find a parking space immediately below the entrance doors.

Some pilgrims climb to the shrine all the way from the bottom to the entrance on their knees. A center row of stairs is reserved for them.  This photo does not show the difference in height from the base to the doors of the church.

The bells that chime regularly were intended for use in the Eiffel Tower in Paris. When it was determined the tower could not sustain the weight of this bell assembly, they were donated to St. Joseph's.

 The chapel of St. Joseph is located on the lower level. Just beyond the chapel entry, we thankfully found escalators inside to take us to the various levels. A second floor exit leads to a garden with the Way of the Cross. It was too hot to explore that on this day.

The simplicity of the oratory design gave off a beauty of its own. An oratory is a private place of prayer, as opposed to the big cathedrals whose purpose is communal celebrations. 

An indoor way of the cross in life-size relief covered several walls.

As we were working our way out of the structure we found the Votive  Chapel. Red light from thousands of red votive cups permeated the room.

Individual alcoves for prayer and meditation fill the room as well and thousands of crutches and canes left by pilgrims who apparently limped in and walked out.

 Many people had shared horror stories of how rude the French can be. With the exception of two clerks in the electronics store, everyone was most helpful. As we stood on a corner in downtown, map in hand, trying to figure out where to go, a very nice young man stopped and asked if he could help us. On a bus in Quebec City, the lady in front overheard our concern about where to get off, and helped us.

We also noticed that taxi cabs have no lettering on their cars.  Just the small illuminated sign that sit on the car top just above the rear view mirror.

Seeing the sights in Montreal once appears to be enough for me.

Next stop:  Quebec City