Montreal NYE Day

Light snow last night but no issue this morning.  Five minute walk to the Metro to buy a day pass. Very warm in the system. All of that energy!

Reached downtown just after 10am. Very few people about. Are they all on holidays? It is the day of NYE and at home the place would be abuzz. We were at the far end of the Vieux City. A popular church was closed, as was a popular museum. Had a chat with a worker who was curious about our accents and he said it was the shoulder season for tourists.
We pondered the wisdom of putting a large theme park( closed up) directly in front of historic buildings, but I suppose money rules. Another skate rink was being well utilised in the old port area where there was not a boat to be seen as the harbour was completely frozen. We DID see a concert area being prepared for tonight and noticed that a few roads were going to be closed later, in anticipation of a crowd.
A coffee shop with delicious cakes but only high tables to stand at was given a miss in favour of an Italian establishment tucked between the old stone walls of some historic origin. Chris and I voted the coffee the best we had tasted since leaving Oz, so we told the delighted barista.
One street away revealed a more lively part of the Old Town. A few more people and an atmosphere of history that we had tasted in Quebec. I was looking for the Cathedral "in which Celine Dion had married." We stumbled across it... and so had this massive queue of people! A ridiculous queue. Apparently there was a light show also happening inside the Cathedral which perhaps explains the intense interest. We decided to move on. I have my friend Anne's previously- taken- photos to give me an idea of the interior.
Heather's request was to find a large mural depicting the late poet/singer Leonard Cohen. He was a "native" of Montréal. The Google map took us the long way round, but the route revealed the extent of high-rise apartment buildings existing and being built in this town.  Emerged onto the main thoroughfare of St Catherine St, a more respectable crowd of people,  and then onto the trendy Rue Crescent where we found the impressive mural. Time for a late lunch at the Winston Churchill Pub. Nice and warm inside and we actually became interested in the ice hockey game on the TV. ( Canada vs KUO. What country is KUO? Great research eventually revealed that it was Finland. Go figure!)
Chris' request was to go to the top of the Mont Royal, a grand hill park minutes from the city centre. At 4pm we hailed a taxi. The taxi stayed while we joined others at the icy lookout, taking photos and avoiding slipping. The stairs to the true top were closed...all iced up. We returned to the city centre via an up-market neighbourhood ( city view on edge of the hill) and the taxi driver took us to a light installation that Heather had read about.  A fun domino creation with lights and music that we and others played with. It was now totally dark 'cause it was 5pm. Of course!

I wanted to see the Cathedral and its popular adjacent square in their night apparel and also to check-out what was happening at the port.
The Cathedral did not disappoint the healthy crowd that was filtering past( but not in...it was closed for the day) and the Old Town was also becoming more lively.  At 6.15 pm the port area was still a bit dull and the cold was also intensifying.  Having had a late lunch, we were not looking for a meal so we decided to return home. No little pubs in our neighbourhood to stop for a drink, but fortunately we had provisions at home.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all at Oz.     May 2019 bring only good things.    xx

Souvenir stalls and major rope course vs history. History lost. 

Edge of Old Port. Everyone still in bed?

Old withstanding the new. The huge chimney intrigued me. 

Snow shoe decoration. Another one for my "door" page. 

Hedge plants also packed-up for the season. 

Carriages and queues. 

Bustling Montreal has a real eclectic mix of appealing architecture. 

Leonard on a trendy street. Not sure whether that was his style. 

An icy lookout.

The sign warning of slippery danger was happily ignored by some. 

The dominos could be knocked over and re-set, with accompanying music, and changing lights. 

The Tree of Light...perhaps Life...was impressive. 

Montréal Local Neighbourhood.

Easy rise again. The plan was to visit the local well-reputed market. Return with our supplies, find a café and explore the neighbourhood.  We did not anticipate the pull of the market.


The Jean-Talon Marché was recommended by our taxi driver, host and tourist info. Just 200 metres or so and across two roads we found the major entry. From the first stall we knew that this was our type of market. Heather was nearly in Heaven. Are you sure that we were not in France!! Pies, cheese, charcuterie, cakes, seafood delicacies, artistically displayed fruit and veg...it was all here. The main indicator that we were in Canada, was the man making toffee on the ice ( with the added touch of covering fresh fruit skewers in the maple syrup before solidifying the toffee), and the stalls selling Maple Syrup( sirop d'érable) products.

We lingered longer, and longingly, at many stalls. Having passed considerable time just looking, lo and behold it was coffee time and we just happened to have reached the most delectable range of gateaux.   After decadent selections, we really needed to buy food. We planned our nibbles platter plus two evening meals. Perhaps we may still be in the streets on NYE. ( Although Heather has read the forecast and a cold front may arrive to thwart plans).

Cheese, bread, rillete, saucisse, and tomato was lunch. We then decided to follow a pedestrian map of our neighbourhood.   Found two more "de-commissioned" churches. Such a pity because the buildings were built to last. The copper spires stand out on the skylines. I really like the little street closeby with community vegetable gardens ( currently dormant) and sitting nooks along the main road in front of the cafés and small shops. A park was another destination complete with several squirrels and a frozen lake ( unlike the artificial rinks in the city) where locals either skated or walked.  (see photo)
The residences are the traditional 2/3 storeys of the early1900's with the outside staircases. I presume perhaps the elderly live on the first floors or maybe everyone is just so fit that constantly climbing up and down each day is no issue.  Checked out the Metro for tomorrow's sojourn to the Vieux Ville...yes, Montréal has one too.
Alcohol is only sold in certain outlets so I went back to the cute veggie-tub street and found a "General Store." The shopkeeper, having spoken French during the transaction, farewelled me with, "See you around Mate!"

Back to our warm home with the promise of a fresh pie of porc et boeuf  for tea.

Cautiously leaving the house. 

We all chose a different cheese...blue, sheep and brie. 

ready-made Coquille St Jacques ...we bought some for later.

Seriously!

How to choose from so many breads?

There were raised plates of cut fruit and veggies to try. 

Our selection of goodies including cheese, meats, rillette, pies, choc-coated cranberries and bread. 

View from our kitchen window. These are backyards. Note the wooden telephone pole with the accumulation of wires, clothes-line pulleys, bins hanging from the top balcony and the paintings nailed to the pole!

Skate or walk, your choice. 

No playing in this park...scary ice. 

The oh-so characteristic stairs. 

Travelling To Montreal.

Today we prepared to leave our comfy, homely, warm home in Quebec and start a new adventure in Montreal. We also learned of a new weather phenomenon...freezing rain. My brain was telling me that it was rain that was really cold. Heather had read the dire warnings from the weather people but its true meaning was lost on us.
After the heavy snow of yesterday it had started to lightly rain as we returned home. We noted that the layers of snow were now really shiny and smoothed out. When you stepped into a pile, the shiny layer cracked and broke like stepping onto a window pane. Oh! we thought. How odd.

Our 3 hour train to Montreal left at 1pm and we ordered a taxi for 11.30. Decided to walk to our local café for a drink at 10.15. Wooaaa! Glistening ice over everything. Thankfully our host had cleared our stairs, and added salt and grit, but we were still hanging on to the rail.
The cleared footpath from yesterday was now like a skating rink. So... freezing rain means that the rain freezes everything. Tree and small bush branches looked like they were made of glass. At times that ice would fall, so that the footpath was littered with ice shards. With the tiniest of footsteps we reached the café. Our walk back was actually on the road where car traffic made the ice slushy, which was better than icy.
So our departure from Quebec was timely. We have since seen reports that the city is suffering a weather event and even the locals are slipping and sliding.

Very little snow in Montreal as we arrived about 4.30. Taxi drove us to a suburb where the residential duplexes meet inner city apartment blocks. We are in another duplex-type building, but while those in Que tended to be stand-alone, the ones here in Mont. are like terraces, all join together. Our neighbourhood has multi-cultural eating places, food shops and the best local market in the city. Somewhere we plan to explore tomorrow. The underground rail line is also just around the corner.

Heather had Googled a local pub which turned out to be an excellent choice. The waitress had spent time in Oz. Milk purchased at the closest shop and time to retreat for the night.

The station at Quebec was a grand example of the heyday of rail. 

Not a great photo but typical of the view from the train. The countryside was "flat as" and most agricultural. The farms did not appear to be very big and the paddocks/fields were mainly long rather than wide.

 

Quebec 6

A special morning. Pulled back the curtain and there it was...a beautiful fresh layer of snow over everything.  This time it is a suburban look.

VERY VERY tentative down the stairs. Cautiously to our bus stop. Perhaps this snow is deeper than Halifax or maybe it is the icy layer of snow underneath it. I was loving my ski pants and fur- lined long boots that I bought with Lorraine in Europe in 1975!!

A different type of bus ride to the old city and a different look on the old city. I was loving it. Chris and Heather were more intent on staying upright. After a time of trudging, we returned to yesterday's booth-style café where the waitress greeted us knowingly!

The main aim of today was perhaps a return trip on the ferry and a visit to the Plains of Abraham Museum to get a definitive idea about this battle that changed the course of Canadian history. Leaving the café we trudged to the Furniculaire in order to descend the cliff and walk to the ferry terminus. Thwarted. The lift was closed as they were apparently trying to clear the snow. There was NO WAY that we were going to descend the snow-covered stairs.   Plan B. Walk along the terrace above the cliffs to watch adults and children having a great time speeding down the toboggan run. A long queue, but by the look on the faces of those that sped down, it was a lot of fun.

We wandered through some streets that we had not discovered before, to wend our way out of the old town and through a "gate" in the wall fortification. We were obviously on a trendy street with bars and restaurants that was being prepared for a New Year's Eve closure. Finally reached the Museum.
Various exhibits and hands-on displays later ( how on earth did the soldiers on both sides fire those very long muskets with accuracy...they are SOOO heavy!) we then sat down to watch a 30+ minute film on the Battle itself.  Both sides lost their leaders and various monuments around town commemorate their valour.

Venturing back into the snow, a decision was made to go to Rue Cartier ( Chapel St) for sustenance. The sky was grey, snow not falling, relatively mild ( perhaps 0 degrees) and so it was a really pleasant stroll. Found a new café ( a providore- type place Anne, on the left-hand side) and a delightful waitress who spoke to me in French and The Girls in English.

Bus stop to our home was just at the end of the street. Another new experience. Peak hour and a crowded bus.
However, a comfortable 20 mins journey, short walk to our home and we are preparing to make tea.

View from my window this morning.

Tentatively down the stairs. Rutts starting a snowman. 

Our street

Bus journey to town

Deliveries being slid to the basement. 

A different Frontenac

looking down on Rue Petit Champlain. Icy St Lawrence in background. 

Squeals of delight and a long queue to participate. 

Uniforms of the combatants. Both of whom died from wounds. 

Preparing for NYE.

Sliding to Grandpa down an ice slide. 

Loving it!

Homeward bound after a late lunch. 

Quebec 5 A Day Trip

Another sunny day to see the sights.   We had pre-booked a day trip to travel to the Montmorency Falls situated about 20 minutes from the town centre.

Firstly it was the usual bus ride into the old city. We had decided to have coffee/cake before we joined the tour at 12.30.  A small search before we forwent the very crowded modern café to find a quiet establishment with plenty of booth-type seats and serving hot coffee and housemade goodies.

Back to the Visitors Centre opposite the Frontenac to find our bus. "Find" being the operative word. Chaos comes to mind to describe the 5 to 6 buses parking in the small square with people criss-crossing the road amongst the slow traffic to find which bus was their's as there were NO SIGNS on any of them!!  
However, we were fortunate that our bus was 3/4 full and the three of us could have a window seat. The drive to the Falls was surprisingly short. You drove alongside the St Lawrence all of the way north.  The Falls were not frozen but still impressive. We caught the chairlift to the top of the cliff but our time was short here so we did not linger longer.
It was then a drive over the long bridge that connects L'ile D'Orléans with the mainland. What a surprise this island was!! Just beautiful. The large island has an established agriculture industry so there are expanses of fields. Of course they were covered in snow and the houses are all the New-England style so the scenery was picture-postcard material. We stopped here for the ubiquitous tourist chocolate-shop but we preferred to look at the small village.
It was then a further drive off the island and beside the river to a significant church...my words. That is all I knew about our next destination. Well!  I was looking on the river side when we arrived at our destination. Turning around, there was this giant edifice that looked as if it had been picked up from a significant city in Europe and plonked on the Canadian countryside. The basilica to St Anne de Beaupré attracts a million visitors a year due to its recognition as a miracle site and therefore a place of pilgrimage.  Phew! Accompanied by significant external infrastructure ( lodging, shops, cafés museum etc) it is certainly a major enterprise.  This is actually the 5th building on this site as the others were all damaged.    Not sure about the implications there!
It was then a pleasant 45 mins return journey in the semi-dark as the Christmas lights on the houses kept us entertained.
Being very cold, a warming meal was in order. We wanted to try the very Irish bar ( Quebec received many Irish immigrants during the Famine) that we had regularly passed and fortunately we could actually get in. Drinks and pub meals all round while I glanced at the ice-hockey game on the screen. Quebec is hosting the junior World Championships at the moment.

Warm bus ride home and another memorable day.

Another booted creature

Bridge to the island

Montmorency Falls

Some scenes of picturesque L'ile D'Orléans.

THE church.

Fun at the Irish bar accompanied by the local game and great live  music.