As we walked through Place Jacques Cartier early Sunday morning, we stopped for breakfast at one of the trendy sidewalk cafes.   We then walked to Basilica of Notre-Dame.   It was incredibly beautiful inside and a mass had just started in French.  It's ceiling is colored in deep blue and decorated with thousands of 24-karat gold stars .  The rest of the sanctuary is a striking collection of blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold.  It's visual impact is spectacular.  Uncommon for a church, the stained glass windows do not depict biblical scenes, but rather scenes from the religious history of Montreal. We stood in the back for a few minutes and then continued on our journey.

We walked to the nearest Metro station and explored the subway system.  Dave is very comfortable and quite knowledgeable on subways no matter what city we visit, even if it is our first time.  I just follow his lead and enjoy the adventure ahead of us.  I especially love to people watch as everyone rides to their destinations, hearing the mix of languages, seeing the style of dress and observing the traits and characteristics of individuals in other cities; especially foreign cities.  The Montreal Metro was the first metro in the world to run completely on rubber tires. Because of the severe winters and the system's unusual design, the system is entirely underground.  It is one of the cleanest and easiest to use subways in North America. 

	Basilica of Notre-Dame   One of North America's largest churches it holds 5,000 people.  It was built between 1824 and 1829. Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, a French military officer and the founder of Montreal is the monument in front of the church.
	The dramatic interior of Notre-Dame Celebrities like Celine Dion and hockey great Mario Lemieux got married here

We took the Metro to the Olympic Park, the site of the 1976 Summer Olympics. (remember Bruce Jenner winning the decathlon and 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci scoring seven perfect 10's and winning three gold medals?) We took the ride up the Observation Tower. The tower sits at a 45 degree angle. The 546-foot ride takes only 2 minutes.  The world's tallest inclined tower amazes with spectacular views of Montreal, and surroundings areas.   We wandered through the Botanical Gardens (which has the largest Chinese Garden outside Asia and a Japanese Garden with a tearoom and fabulous bonsai collection) , and the Insectarium (walk through aviaries and living displays in six geographically themed areas. The butterfly aviary is a favorite).

Later in the evening we took a cab to the Casino de Montréal.  The casino actually consists of three buildings. Two of them, the French Pavilion and the Quebec Pavilion, were built for Expo 67.  It is ranked as one of the ten largest casinos in the world and has five levels, with windows, unlike casinos in Las Vegas or Atlantic City.  At the bottom level, a see-through floor is constructed over a small pond, allowing you to literally walk on water.  You can drive to the casino, but then you have parking costs or you can simply take the yellow line metro to Jean Drapeau Station and hop on one of the free buses. 

	Olympic Stadium and Observation Tower
	View of the Biodome from the Observation Tower.  The Biodome allows visitors to walk through replicas of four ecosystems found in the Americas. Built for the 1976 Summer Olympics cycling events.

The next morning, and our last day in Montreal, we planned to visit Mount Royal.  We headed out on foot and walked the steeply inclined streets especially around McGill University.  By the time we had reached the entrance, I was out of breath, but we continued on the paved walkways leading to the top and the much anticipated view of the city.

First opened to the public in 1876, Mount Royal was designed by famous American landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted (who designed New York's Central Park).  Two chalets, one at the top of the mountain, the other at the bottom, sell snacks and hot and cold beverages.  No trip to Mount Royal is complete without a visit to the terrace in front of the Chalet du Mont-Royal with it's observation deck that provides sweeping views of the city, the St. Lawrence River and the countryside beyond.  The 200 steps leading to this lookout is well worth your efforts.

In 1643, Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of Montreal, made a vow to the Virgin Mary that if the colony of Ville-Marie and the bulging riverbanks survived a flood, he would carry and place a cross on Mount Royal. A tall metal cross was erected in 1924, following a fundraising campaign organized by the St. Jean Baptiste Society, to replace that wooden cross and commemorate his vow.  The cross is 102 feet high and is illuminated nightly.

 

	Walking path through Mount-Royal. One can also drive to the park and use the parking lot for access to the attractions.
	Lookout over the city at the Kondiaronk Belvedere, a semi-circle plaza at the top of Mount-Royal in front of the Chalet
	The Cross The Mount Royal Cross is a historic and religious symbol. In 1992 a fiber-optic system was installed and colors can change to white, red, blue or purple.  Purple is illuminated during the death of the Pope.

Movies shot in Montreal include; Catch Me If You Can (2002), The Aviator (2003), The Day After Tomorrow (2003), Taking Lives (2003) and The Terminal (2003).

Every year Montreal organizes one of the longest running St. Patrick Day Parades in North America. An estimated 300,000 Montrealers are of Irish decent.

Over 50% of residents are fluent in both French and English.  Over 80% of business owners are fluent in both languages.

One of the specialty dishes of Montreal is poutine, a unique dish of French fries drowned in gravy and topped with chewy curds of white cheddar.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono held their legendary Bed-In in 1969 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal. During their seven day stay, they invited Timothy and Rosemary Leary, Tommy Smothers, Dick Gregory, Petula Clark and Al Capp. All but Capp sang on the peace anthem Give Peace a Chance, recorded in the hotel room on June 1.

Interesting sculpture found in front of the BNP Tower-Laurentian Bank, downtown Montreal,  on McGill College Ave.  The Sculpture is called "The Illuminated Crowd".  It contains 65 life size figures. The plaque reads: "A crowd has gathered, facing a light, an illumination brought about by a fire, an event, an ideology - or an ideal. The strong light casts shadows, and as the light moves toward the back and diminishes, the mood degenerates; rowdiness, disorder and violence occur, showing the fragile nature of man. Illumination, hope, involvement, hilarity, irritation, fear, illness, violence, murder and death - the flow of man's emotion through space."

A highly photographed piece of art, and one of downtown's most visited attractions, the back of the sculpture is even more intriguing as the light diminishes.   There's a lot of activity in the back including a nude man falling backwards over a crawling man, a knife-wielding Klansman,  violence, agony and anguish as seen on many faces. Passersby can only imagine what the crowd is reacting to both in the light and in the darkness.

The weekend ended much too quickly and there were many more sights to be explored that we did not get a chance to see.   Just to name a few . . .

The Biodome   It's divided into four ecosystems: The Tropical Forest where visitors can walk through a replica of a South American rainforest,  The Laurentian Forest, which is a replica of a North American wilderness, The Saint Lawrence Marine Ecosystem, where the cool breeze is just what you would expect when looking out over the river, and the Polar Areas representing both the north Arctic and the south Antarctic areas.

The Old Port and Waterfront. The old port is a nice place for a walk by the ocean. Stroll around and visit some of the over 300-year-old houses that still exist here.  At one end is the landmark Clock Tower that you can climb 192 steps and look out from its observation deck. The area offers a huge open-air skating rink, IMAX cinema, and a Science and Technology Center with interactive displays.

Oratoire St. Joseph sees 2,000,000 visitors per year,. Many come on a religious pilgrimage, or just to marvel at the hundreds of crutches and canes of once crippled people who were able to walk again after being healed by Brother Andre.  There are 100 steps set aside for those who are ill, that wish to climb on their knees seeking cures.   Brother Andre, the founder of the Oratory, is said to have performed many miracles which have been documented. He was beatified by the pope in 1982, a status one step below sainthood.  This unusual work of devotion by Brother Andre was constructed at his urging and holds his very heart, preserved in a glass case inside. The outdoor gardens are beautiful and inspirational.  Its Basilica is second in height only to St. Peters in Rome and is the highest point in Montreal.

The Underground City - One of the most fascinating attractions of Montréal is the unique underground city extending approximately 20 miles. In fact, this underground city is the largest in the world.  More than 500,000 people pass through the underground city every day, on their way to work, the university or to scope out bargains at over 1,700 boutiques, hotels, shopping malls, banks, corporate headquarters, museums, university buildings, seven metro stations, two commuter train stations, and the Bell Centre hockey arena.

Montreal’s Museum of Archeology and History - Constructed on the site where Montreal was founded in 1642, the Museum of Archeology and History is deservedly one of the most popular attractions in the city. On this spot were found a treasure trove of archeological finds.  Scientists have unearthed artifacts of French trappers, and local native tribesmen who passed this way throughout history.

Montreal's history, European feel, old world charm and bi-lingual residents will entice any visitor to return and explore more of this wonderful city. 

Au revoir Montréal nous avons aimé notre visite

-- © Patty