Out in Montreal Twice Today

Tuesday, May 29, 2018--Montreal

The sun comes out early here this time of the year.  I was awakened by it around 5:00.  I went back to sleep, but I was awake again at 6:00.  I just decided to get up and make my breakfast.

I had slow-boiled two large white potatoes last night until they were barely cooked through.  I sliced one of them and put the pieces in a skillet with butter to fry.  Then I sliced half of a large onion and put it in the same skillet with the potatoes after they had cooked a while.  Adding the onions later assures that the potatoes will be toasty/crusty on the outside and the onions will be soft and sweet tasting.  I put that mixture on a plate while I fried two eggs.  Then I ate it all after salting and peppering it.  That's a common breakfast I make when traveling because it is easy and uses only limited ingredients.  Afterward, I had a mug of hot chocolate and a banana.

I had a day of sightseeing planned.  But when I arrived at the metro station and got on the train, I realized I had forgotten to bring my camera.  (Normally, I bring a small shoulder bag on trips to keep my camera, my guidebook info, etc., as I wander.  But since most of this trip was going to be by car I didn't pack it.  Now I wish I had.  My pockets were loaded to day with the camera, my wallet, my cell phone and folded guidebook pages!)  Rather than make the trip back to the apartment (45 min. to an hour round-trip), I just decided to go to my first stop which wasn't for sightseeing.  It was to the station where I will catch the bus to the airport early Saturday morning.  I wanted to know the station and to find the bus stop in advance. 

Because several metro lines form a "circle" around the central area of Montreal, I decided I would just follow the circle getting off at each transfer stop to see what was in the neighborhood, and return to the apartment when I got back to the local stop.  Only the last transfer stop, Jean-Talon, proved interesting.  It is a busy commercial area and has a huge market named after the area.  The market was very busy at 12:00 with people sitting at tables eating prepared foods, others shopping for plants and herbs for their gardens, etc. 

When I got back to my station, the sign showed it would be 23 minutes until a bus would depart (although they are supposed to leave about every 12-13 minutes).  I decided to walk.  I reached my street in 27 minutes, and there was still no sign of a bus coming from the metro station.  I did, however, meet 3 buses during that time headed toward the metro station.  So the schedule was way off and creating a problem.

After resting and writing some emails, I headed back out to see some of the spots I had intended to visit this morning.  I took the metro to Place D'Armes which is the center of the old historical district of the city.  I didn't visit the Cathedral there, because there were lines and I can go back another day, but I wandered the streets and looked at specific buildings I had identified as being of interest to me:

The Bank of Montreal Lobby
The mock-medieval Seminaire de St-Sulpice with the oldest public clock in North America which has been chiming regularly since 1701
The Aldred building which is Art Deco style
The old Montreal Stock Exchange which is now a theater
Rue St-Paul which is an old cobble stoned street
Place Jacque Cartier
Chateau Ramezay which houses a museum
Maison Pierre du Calvet which is being restored

Then, I walked southwestward along the Old Port (Vieux-Port) and then along the Lachine Canal which used to be very busy transporting goods to the port from the factories and the grain elevators which line one side of it and currently lie in ruins waiting for redevelopment as residential structures.  That took me to the edge of Griffintown which is an old Irish section of the city that is now trendy and a focal point for gentrification by young, style-conscious residents.

I was exhausted by that point, so I headed back to the apartment.  I just repeated what I had for dinner last night.  I still had some leftover baguette (a little tougher, but okay tonight), salami, and wine.  I had that for dinner on the back balcony.  Then I pulled out the computer to type this entry.  It's another beautiful day here in Montreal, and I am sitting here only in shorts--no shirt, no shoes--and comfortable!