Sun 27 Sep 2009
Maurice went to college for a year many years ago in Montreal so he wanted to make a trip up into Canada and see the area again. I had been to Quebec many years before but had never made it to Montreal. It turns out that Montreal, like Manhattan, is not only a city but an island. We had booked a hotel in what is called Old Montreal. I was a little disappointed that it turned out to be so modern but there were wonderful buildings here and there and a few very cool streets. We really found the people friendly in both Montreal and Quebec. I found the French spoken there to sound very strange and was told it is French Canadian not French. When we checked into our hotel the person checking us in spoke in French and Maurice said, “It is so good to hear French”. I didn’t know that he had missed it.
This cathedral was near our hotel. We were told that Celine Dion was married here. Like Prague, we had to pay to enter which is one way to pay for upkeep. I’m surprised that Notre Dame in Paris doesn’t do the same thing.
This was the interior. It didn’t used to look like this but after a trip to Paris and seeing the Sainte Chapelle, the church head decided to redecorate using the blue stained glass and gold paint.
We enjoyed an area in Montreal called the Plateau. It had a college feel and was full of cute little houses like this.
Along with many bike paths which, I guess, aren’t used too much in the winter, there were many, many steps with architecture often reminding me of that in Manhattan or Georgetown with a short flight of steps leading up to the front door and a basement flat underneath, but they also had many buildings with the first floor on the street then steps on the outside going up to the second floor. Maurice said it gave the people more room on the inside that way. I saw some photos of these steps covered with snow and I bet they could be deadly in the winter. I guess they get some serious snow here.
I liked this sign found in the Old section of Montreal.
We were going to head back to New York State the next day but heard of very heavy rain there so decided to take a day and go up to Quebec.
I love Montreal! I lived there for two years, and I can tell you, they do get snow! The stairs are actually quite handy because you don’t need to shovel yourself out after a storm – but they are treacherous when covered with ice. The Plateau is definitely one of the best bits of the city and if you ever go back, I recommend Au Pied Cochon on Duluth.
Georges goes to Montreal on average every 18 months for a big board meeting. I’ve heard there is a huge shopping mall area (or perhaps it is really several inter-connected areas) all UNDERNEATH the city, which is very popular during those frozen, snowy winters (yes, they DO get a LOT of snow, pretty much everywhere north of Albany, New York!) Without the underground mall, people would not have as much access to stores and entertainment during the long winter months, so I think it was a wise investment on the part of the city. Maybe some day I’ll go with Georges when he goes there, and I can see for myself.
I haven’t been to Montreal, but that church is gorgeous. Did you feel bad for Maurice when he said it was good to hear French again, or did you think, “Imagine how I feel living in a country where the language is foreign?”
Montreal and Quebec must be the “in” places to go, as my friend Barbara ..blog is Home in France..has just returned,from Montreal and Quebec..she is doing her posts right now too!! Barbara lives in Paris
And today my friend Dawn paid a visit to Oxford, she has tagged along with her husband who came to London for a business trip ..and at lunch we were chatting to a couple who are visiting from Montreal
Dawn also lives in Paris..
yes they said that the French is very different to the French you hear in France!!
The Plateau is my favourite part of Montreal, too! And yes, Quebecois French is quite different from Parisian French, isn’t it?
Ah joual! It half convinced me I couldn’t speak French!
I parked in Montréal in the winter and didn’t understand the significance of the flashing lights further down the street. Déneigement. We heard the beep-beep of the tow trucks in the early hours of the morning. Fortunately they don’t impound vehicles – just move them to a street that they’re not ploughing. It took us a while to find the car though! (And I still haven’t paid the ticket . . .)
Have enjoyed following along on your journey Linda. Montreal is a great place to visit – but all that snow in the cold, cold Winter is something I couldn’t handle again……just surviving New England Winters for several years was hard enough! BUT, I could return to live on the Maine coast – not too much snow and I do love the beach in Winter!
I have always wanted to go to both places, and maybe someday we will. I had a friend go there once and talked about a huge mall underground. She said it was fabulous!
I lived in Montreal for two years but was too poor to do any shopping. And I also have a print of a painting bought on the street in Quebec City. Both are wonderful cities and I’ve been back to Montreal in recent years to visit.