Sunday - July 23, 2006

What an amazing city. Around North America hip and beautiful people must practice and primp before they can find their way here. Miami's South Beach could be the only competition to this town that I've seen. Montreal is packed with gorgeous, fashionable, and friendly folks from around the world. Somehow, we snuck in here among them and no one has kicked us out yet. This city is also as French a place as you're going to find on this continent. Walking down the streets that absolutely throb with relaxed people who seem to have turned leisure strolling into performance art. Here, even I can imagine myself as a flâneur in the City of Lights. While Paris remains a goal for the Wood family, we have come pretty close to the Parisian experience by visiting this lovely city.

We woke up to a sunny morning and quickly found our way to the Metro. As luck would have it, we were located a block away from the Berri-UQAM stop, which connects to several lines that stretch throughout the city. Our first stop was Old Town and the Notre-Dame Basilica. Built in the early nineteenth century, this Cathedral offers a stunning interior whose complexity defies my description. This postcard scan (above) will have to do. We arrived in time to observe mass with multitudes of tourists and with locals fortunate enough to consider this their home church. While I'm not a follower of organized religion, I couldn't help but be drawn to the spirituality of this place.

We then wandered the cobblestone quarter where tiny shops sell flowers and tourist trinkets. Stopping to flip through some postcards, I spotted a picture of a geodesic dome set amidst some trees on an island. Asking around, I found that this was the biosphere located on Jean-Drapeau Park, site of Expo '67. I love the idea of flipping through postcards at a tourist site and then finding my way to those places that look most intriguing. Adding to that, I love the feeling that comes with figuring out a subway system - knowing that I can navigate a city that was unknown to me yesterday. Vienna was game, so we returned to the Metro and found ourselves looking at that huge sphere within a few minutes. The park that surrounds the biosphere is lush, and we encountered all manner of birds and other wildlife.

After our visit to the island, we did a bit of hiking in Mount Royal (figure out how Montreal got its name yet?) and worked up a furious hunger. Fortunately, this city is filled with cafes for al fresco dining, so we eventually discovered a table over the street where I enjoyed some French Onion Soup, of course, while Vienna dug into a Caesar Salad. At this point, Vienna suggested we search for Chinatown, so we were off again. She loved slipping into and out of tiny shops selling all manner of food and toys. The sun shone brightly through small clumps of clouds as we entertained ourselves by trying to interpret the buffet of smells that emanated from the shops.

In the afternoon, we returned to the Metro, journeying again to our hub station. While there, we spotted posters for a movie called Bon Cop, Bad Cop, a buddy comedy that plays against the cultural divide that splits English and French speaking Canada. If only we were staying through August when this movie hits the screen! The nearby movie theater plays mostly American movies, but a couple Canadian flicks could be found as well. We decided instead to duck back into our room and get refreshed before hitting the streets once more in late afternoon.

After a much needed break, we walked a couple of blocks to a long line of restaurants, cafes, and hookah bars. By this time, some clouds had begun to accumulate, creating a glorious backdrop to the city's many cathedral spires still lit by the golden sun. Vienna and I wandered down the street and back, looking for just the right place. Eventually, we found a packed restaurant where we can sit on a terrace overlooking the street. While our server warned that some rain might fall on our outdoor table, we were delighted when the sun peeked out of the clouds shining its light on the colorful Victorian facades. Our meal was delicious and we were invigorated. Later we visited a Lebanese restaurant and ordered mint tea. Birds flitted under the stairs while we enjoyed that savory taste that reminded me of a visit to Morocco years and years ago. The tea service for two cost a buck fifty Canadian, and it was the best tea I'd had in a long, long time. We concluded our mobile feast with a trip to a gelato shop. We then called Jenny and regaled her with stories of Montreal.

We concluded our evening with a relaxing stroll back through Old Town. By day, the structures are imposing enough. But at night the buildings are lit in yellow, green, and blue to delight the crowds of locals and tourists that throng the plazas. Buskers sang and performed while artists painted their portraits for waiting art lovers. One even offered "free" hugs! Vienna and I hunted for souvenirs and ambled back to our Metro stop. It had been a long day with so many sights and experiences that we felt that we've seen a lot of Montreal. Sure, we haven't yet gotten beyond the postcard view of the amazing city, but we'll be back. Collapsing into our hotel room, Vienna and I wished each other "bonsoir, mon ami" before calling it a night.