Even though Montreal has very long cold winters and short summers like Minneapolis/St. Paul, it has a 2 million population base in the city and a French connection that gives it a vibrancy or joie de vivre. There is always a festival going on, Cirque de Soleil sets up its tents here, and the nightspots stay open until 3am.
Old Montreal is where the city was born and is more our style. We used our Frommer’s Guidebook to outline walking tours of the cobblestoned streets, open air markets, cafes, shops, historic homes and churches. Even though Basilique Notre-Dame is resplendent in glittering blue and gold tones complete with a light show at night, we were drawn to the smaller Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, or the Sailors’ Church. Here you will find ship replicas suspended from the ceiling with lit votive candles in thanksgiving for safe passage at sea. You can tour the restored Chateau Ramezay and its sculpted formal gardens for a well-done historical interpretation of the area in the 18th century.
I had been reading about the historic Lachine Canal which was a precursor to the St. Lawrence Seaway around the treacherous Lachine rapids. Its banks have now been developed into a walk/bikeway and the canal is still operational for low clearance boats. Marche Atwater, a farmer’s market overflowing with fruit, produce, flowers and its inside space lined with bakeries, meat market, spice shops, was my destination and a mere 6 miles roundtrip west from the marina. I met an American couple there and we were all in total amazement at the amount of offerings as we tasted our way through the bakery.
We took the Metro out to the botanic garden, Jardin Botanique, located in Olympic Park. I miss not having a garden and really fell into this bed of roses. But, the highlight of our trip to Montreal was meeting 3 Looper couples, Tom and Diann aboard Noah Genda, Roy and Sandy, Dolphin and Russ and Cindy, Ladybug. This picture was taken in haste when the marina staff announced that the marina power was back on, so there was a mad dash to get tasks done and finalize tips to do the upcoming canal and Seaway sections. Au revoir..
Old Montreal is where the city was born and is more our style. We used our Frommer’s Guidebook to outline walking tours of the cobblestoned streets, open air markets, cafes, shops, historic homes and churches. Even though Basilique Notre-Dame is resplendent in glittering blue and gold tones complete with a light show at night, we were drawn to the smaller Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, or the Sailors’ Church. Here you will find ship replicas suspended from the ceiling with lit votive candles in thanksgiving for safe passage at sea. You can tour the restored Chateau Ramezay and its sculpted formal gardens for a well-done historical interpretation of the area in the 18th century.
I had been reading about the historic Lachine Canal which was a precursor to the St. Lawrence Seaway around the treacherous Lachine rapids. Its banks have now been developed into a walk/bikeway and the canal is still operational for low clearance boats. Marche Atwater, a farmer’s market overflowing with fruit, produce, flowers and its inside space lined with bakeries, meat market, spice shops, was my destination and a mere 6 miles roundtrip west from the marina. I met an American couple there and we were all in total amazement at the amount of offerings as we tasted our way through the bakery.
We took the Metro out to the botanic garden, Jardin Botanique, located in Olympic Park. I miss not having a garden and really fell into this bed of roses. But, the highlight of our trip to Montreal was meeting 3 Looper couples, Tom and Diann aboard Noah Genda, Roy and Sandy, Dolphin and Russ and Cindy, Ladybug. This picture was taken in haste when the marina staff announced that the marina power was back on, so there was a mad dash to get tasks done and finalize tips to do the upcoming canal and Seaway sections. Au revoir..
