Rappelons Montréal

The rest of the week was mainly for catching up with friends old and new and with some family, a cousin I had not seen in a couple of years. We did manage to take in a lovely small museum as well.

Jeudi...Les Amis

Le 5 Novembre

Our next couple of days were going to entail spending time with old friends, new friends and family. Today, my friends Katherine and Keith are driving over from Quebec City. We had our breakfast and came back to the room to wait. They arrived a little after 11 and we met them down the road a block at Steve's music store. This looks like the ultimate store for musicians! It covers nearly the whole block, and is a series of small shops, most not interconnected from the inside. There's instruments of all kinds, amps, sound systems, accessories etc. All prices all ranges. Keith particularly wanted to visit and Graham found a few things of interest as well.

We came back to the hotel and they left their small dog in our suite. I didn't realize at the time but the hotel does allow small pets so we didn't really have to smuggle her in! We then drove over by where Katherine lived when she went to university here recently (she went back to uni after retiring from her teaching job to take up the call to be a minister!). Our destination was a deli on Metcalfe Street right by the tourist info centre where we caught the tour bus. The deli is Dunn's and is arguably a much better place to get a fix of famous Montreal smoked meat. The main tourist draw is Schwartz's deli on St. Laurent but Katherine says that's very crowded (it is, i've been there) and she thinks it's somewhat dirty and has rude wait staff and the food is better at Dunn's. I don't remember it being dirty but the staff were a bit abrupt. Anyway, the staff at Dunn's were all really friendly and the food certainly was great! It's been in business since 1927 and is open 24/7.

We went up to St. Catherine's street which is just a few feet away and shopped our way through a few stores including Chapters and a good souvenir shop. We had originally thought we might go to the Biodome and Olympic Tower but we decided against it as it might be a bit too much walking for us all. We came back to the hotel suite instead and i made coffee before they had to head back to Quebec. We later had a couple of drinks at the happy hour thing where i noticed someone playing with a mobile device. I checked. yep, free wifi in the lobby so we could play with the iPod a bit.

We caught a bus just down from the hotel to get up near St. Catherine Street but the driver went one stop then shut down the bus. He said we'd got on "on the wrong side" but it's a one way street so can't figure that one out. Anyway we waited for him to take a toilet break before he continued on the route again which went round the block into Old Mtl. before going back up. Then it seemed like the bus didn't go its usual route because it should have crossed St. Catherine's a few blocks further west than where it did but perhaps that was due to construction detours. Anyway, because it was dark, we couldn't really tell where to get off though we seemed to be on a street parallel to St. C. Probably should have stayed on a few blocks more but we got off and walked down to the street in question and then another number of blocks which seemed longer than it probably was. We were heading to Nickel's which is a 50s decor restaurant that Katherine recommended.

It's bright inside, with lots of mirrors and neon and a big jukebox. There are photos of 1950s music and Hollywood stars on the walls and it's all booths covered in music themed fabric. The menu had lots of choice and a barbeque chicken and rib section as well. Apparently Nickel's was conceived by Quebec singer Celine Dion. I may not have deigned to put money in her already well lined pocket had i known but there you go. Food wasn't bad for a franchise type of thing but i don't think it would become a favourite of mine. We walked a couple of blocks to the street where the same bus *should* come back down and around to the hotel which, luckily, it did quite shortly which saved our feet. We watched some telly berfore bed. Graham's internet friend, Karine, and her boyfriend (or so we thought) are coming from Quebec City tomorrow and should arrive by lunchtime.

Vendredi...Une Amie Nouveau

Le 6 Novembre

It looked sunny for awhile but it clouded over by noon today. It's cold but not too bad. We were a bit late getting breakfast so the lineup for omelets was long this morning. With an hour and a half or more to kill, what to do? We perused the Montreal Day by Day guide and saw that there's an old chateau that's now a museum not far away. It's called Chateau Ramezay and is right across from Montreal City Hall, just a few blocks away from the hotel. (Embassy Suites, by Hilton. I don't think i mentioned it before.)

Chateau Ramezay dates to 1705 and was the official residence of a colonial governor. It was also the Headquarters for the American Revolutionary Army when they invaded Montreal in 1775 and it's also been a school and a university among other things. It's got lots of artifacts, paintings, and antiques that follow the history of the city from before and just after the French missionaries founded the colony, trying to bring Christianity to the First Nation bands. The museum ends it's story at the end of the 19th century when the Chateau became a museum. One room was done up like a formal salon or drawing room with marvellous chandeliers and old mirrors and red walls. The row of folding chairs around a fold up table in the centre of the room kind of took away from the effect! I suppose the museum is used sometimes for meetings or conferences. There are about 8 or 10 rooms on the main level and a couple of rooms downstairs that are set up like actual living areas. We could have spent more time reading off the cards but were aware of the time passing. There's a garden in the back and they have an outdoor cafe in summer but it's not set up now.

We did get back to the hotel at noon but Karine was a bit late arriving due to traffic and didn't get to us until about 2. We could have spent more time at the musem! She didn't bring her boyfriend after all. He was working away. We got a restaurant recommendation from the concierge for Les 3 Brasseurs in Old Montreal but it turns out that they were closed. There seems to be a couple of days a week where it's only open at lunch and closes at 2. Just missed it! You wouldn't think a Friday would be one of those days, would you? Maybe because of the off season. Anyway, Karine asked in another place for somewhere we could go that was casual and we were directed across the road to a pub called Pub St. Paul which was up one floor from the ground. This would have been perfect for us when we were looking for a place that first day!

The building is quite old, the floor was wood and a bit slanted near the windows. Wooden tables and chairs with windows in the back looking over the river and over the street in the front. There are beamws in the ceiling and the staircases up to the pub and up one more floor to the toilets and kitchen were worn. There was a really good view of the river from the upper floor which looked like it might have a private dining area. We ordered beer and food and it was all good. We sat there and talked and had a few more beer over the course of several hours. Just as well we weren't in a proper restaurant. We wouldn't have felt comfortable to linger like you can in a pub. Apparently the pub does some really good music and gigs as well.

This is the first time Graham has met Karine with whom he's been communicating via the web for awhile. She promotes a couple of bands and he does an internet radio show. We all gone on really well and decided to come back to the suite and crack open the bottle of wine she'd brought us earlier. I had room service bring up a cork screw and we used the glasses that were in the room. We sat and talked for another few hours until she had to leave. She promised to leave the car where it was and she took a cab to her dad's place. We got all packed up and later on i think we ordered sandwiches from room service. Tomorrow is our last day and my cousin is picking us up when we check out in the morning. I think i'm starting to get sick, too. I've had a cough for awhile but it's getting worse and it's making it difficult to sleep at night. I'll have to see about it on Monday when we get back.

Samedi...La Famille et Le Fin

Le 7 Novembre

It's overcast and chilly, proper November weather, really. We've been lucky this week, and have had a couple of decent days though a couple more were breezy and cold. We had thought about having breakfast at a place around the corner that seemed to specialize in all things eggs but stuck with the free breakkie instead in the end. I didn't feel like going out again so we mooched around the suite until it was time to check out. Brian arrived just after 12 to pick us up and had his little 3 year old boy with him. We drove to the part of the city where they live, a mainly English neighbourhood. The main street had lots of little shops and cafes and we met up with his wife and new baby at one of them. The cafe is owned by the famed Montreal bagelery, St. Viateur but it was way too crowded. We tried sitting on the covered terrace by a heater but we were too cold and decamped to a pub a few doors down. I think it's called the Old Orchard or Oak or something. It's an older neighbourhood pub, small, wooden floors and tables and the staff all wear kilts!

It was warm and comfy and the food was in vast quantities and wasn't bad. I did find the fish and chips a bit on the greasy side. After we ate we went to their house a few blocks away and visited for the afternoon. We chatted and caught up and I cuddled th baby, scratched the dog's ears and played with the little boy. It was a nice week, a bit hectice the first few days but then we slowed down a bit and gave our feet a break. It was nice to spend time with friends and family as well as see a bit of the city. Brian took us to the airport later in the afternoon where, after a bit of a delay, we winged our way back to Halifax, picked up the rental car and drove to home sweet home.

I'd like to go back to Montreal again and see more of it. One thing I really liked about it was the old buildings, not just in the historic centre but through the city as well. There are some nice modern architecture and many of the 19th and 20th century buildings have lovely little details on them. It is a city of neighbourhoods and universities and diversities. I also want to see historic old Quebec City whick is about a 3 hour drive east of Montreal. Maybe we can combine the two on another trip someday. A post script...I did have a light case of the flu so I kept things pretty low key for a few days but have since recovered.

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