After a brutal red-eye flight from Seattle to Toronto, then seven hours of nonstop driving from Toronto and then traversing through busy Montreal Center Ville to find parking; I was expecting myself to be in a zombie state.
But then again, every now and then you visit a place that makes you fall in love at first sight. It feels like all stars have aligned and life is idyllic. You forget all the pains it took to get there. Montreal seemed like that kind of a place. (it might as well have been my overpowering wanderlust :P)
So after freshening up a bit, I hit the road again to go to Mount Royal park. Why, you ask? Well, I have this strange obsession every time I visit a new place. I like to see the whole city at once before starting to explore, almost like a bird's eye view. Not sure why, and it probably also explains my fascination with mountains that let you see the things around you in whole another light, rather sight!
Drive to mount royal park was a bit tricky and finding my way out of bustling Friday night streets out of downtown, reminded me of dashing cars! As I got out however and started climbing towards the Mount Royal hills, a gorgeous landscape started unfolding. Just when I reached a viewpoint, sun was beaming infinite shades of yellow, orange, read and bit of pink on this old francophone metropolitan.
After soaking in the rich palette, the gorgeous views of St. Lawrence river, the 1976 olympic stadium at a distance, abundant parks and parts of old Montreal; I decided to head out to another viewpoint. It was quite dark by the time I got there. But it was just getting better and better!
Looking at a busy and bustling city at night is almost like watching a carefully crafted light choreography of starry skies and golden buildings providing a dazzling backdrop to synchronously blinking traffic lights and the moving cars, boats and trains adding a dash of artistic serendipity!
Hmmm... This (the ordeal to get here) was worth it, I muttered.
Coming back to the city, I started noticing the young and charming urban Montreal out on the streets on a lively Friday night! As much I would have loved to just stay out, the hunger and lack of proper sleep in past 48 hours was finally catching up! So I helped myself with a sumptuous serving of Ramadan meal near downtown before hitting a real bed after two days!
Next morning, I woke up a little early and got out to check on my car. I noticed something that I completely ignored the night before - graffiti everywhere, in parking lots, in dilapidated buildings, on bridges and roadside walls. Nothing unusual really, for the city of the size of Montreal and given its prominent young (thus rebellious) population. But somehow it stuck with me.
Moving on, I finally went to the usual tourist spots in old Montreal (Vieux Montreal) and old port (Vieux port). First stop was Notre Dame basilica. Not a very religious person myself, I rarely go to such places for praying. But it's like they say - Beauty is somehow god in abstract form. The colorful glass windows on both sides depicting the history of Montreal and stories from bible, the Gothic style sculptures glittered with gold, the deep blue, golden ceilings and a grand pipe organ just above the entrance make you feel like you are in Rome!
After getting out of the basilica, some things, rather some interesting locals caught my the eye.
After torturing some more locals by asking them to pose for me, I thought it would be a good idea to head out before they come after me!
So I moved through bunch of live performance stages (Montreal Jazz Fest FTW!) to one of the hippiest neighborhoods of the city- Le Plateau Mont Royal, or as I called it the Brooklyn of Montreal!
If graffiti was a fringe art seemed like a fringe art in center ville; over here every street, alley walk and exposed wall sections were converted into a mural showcase, quite an official one too (with signatures of the artists who were fortunate or influential enough to display their art wide in the open!)
The shutterbug in me started itching and I turned into one of those crazy tourists admiring and taking picture of each and every colored wall!
Here I met an old but young at heart gentleman - Guy who was enthusiastically telling me about his love of Montreal and Quebec in general. He seemed pleased when I told him that I am going to Quebec City next!
As I started driving towards Quebec City, I made a promise to myself to return to this place sometime in near future. This, my friends doesn't happen to me very often!
But then again, every now and then you visit a place that makes you fall in love at first sight. It feels like all stars have aligned and life is idyllic. You forget all the pains it took to get there. Montreal seemed like that kind of a place. (it might as well have been my overpowering wanderlust :P)
So after freshening up a bit, I hit the road again to go to Mount Royal park. Why, you ask? Well, I have this strange obsession every time I visit a new place. I like to see the whole city at once before starting to explore, almost like a bird's eye view. Not sure why, and it probably also explains my fascination with mountains that let you see the things around you in whole another light, rather sight!
Drive to mount royal park was a bit tricky and finding my way out of bustling Friday night streets out of downtown, reminded me of dashing cars! As I got out however and started climbing towards the Mount Royal hills, a gorgeous landscape started unfolding. Just when I reached a viewpoint, sun was beaming infinite shades of yellow, orange, read and bit of pink on this old francophone metropolitan.
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une belle soirée!
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Montreal - Love at first sight!
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Hmmm... This (the ordeal to get here) was worth it, I muttered.
Coming back to the city, I started noticing the young and charming urban Montreal out on the streets on a lively Friday night! As much I would have loved to just stay out, the hunger and lack of proper sleep in past 48 hours was finally catching up! So I helped myself with a sumptuous serving of Ramadan meal near downtown before hitting a real bed after two days!
Next morning, I woke up a little early and got out to check on my car. I noticed something that I completely ignored the night before - graffiti everywhere, in parking lots, in dilapidated buildings, on bridges and roadside walls. Nothing unusual really, for the city of the size of Montreal and given its prominent young (thus rebellious) population. But somehow it stuck with me.
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| Capitalism - a love story? |
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| Add Bansky to Baroque! (Typical scene in Montreal Centre Ville) |
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| Notre Dame Basilica |
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| Finding God! (St. Notre Dame Basilica prayer room) |
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| Humming ancient hymns.. |
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| Gimme a musket, a hat and swanky jacket - Cool summer job! |
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| The Bagpiper! |
So I moved through bunch of live performance stages (Montreal Jazz Fest FTW!) to one of the hippiest neighborhoods of the city- Le Plateau Mont Royal, or as I called it the Brooklyn of Montreal!
If graffiti was a fringe art seemed like a fringe art in center ville; over here every street, alley walk and exposed wall sections were converted into a mural showcase, quite an official one too (with signatures of the artists who were fortunate or influential enough to display their art wide in the open!)
The shutterbug in me started itching and I turned into one of those crazy tourists admiring and taking picture of each and every colored wall!
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| Bird whisperer? |
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| Flames of all colors! |
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| Inspired from Hindu mythology?! |
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| Mirror mirror on the wall..
By this time I was hungry and was craving for food and my daily soccer dose! So I ventured a streetside place that had a TV (that looked like a dhaba), and ordered the much hyped poutine! As delicious as it was, I couldn't even finish the generous helpings of meat, cheese and potato fries poured on a delicious gravy. I promised myself to try it again in winter, maybe after a gruelling skiing in Whistler..
Now that sun was blazing in the sky, I thought this might a good time to run for some shade. So I drove to botanical gardens. A mini-train in the park took us past small gardens and some greenhouses made reminded me of ever so abundant green scenery back home (Seattle or Konkan)!
Next stop was the greenhouse inside the gardens.
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Guy - the young spirit hidden behind a wrinkled face!
Last stop was the olympic tower just next door. Usually I don't go for towers and bridges or any other made-for-tourists viewpoints (they know how to shell out mullah!), but I couldn't say no to Dad!
It turned out to be a brilliant idea! As we were rising up from the elevator to the top deck, I could almost feel an invisible crescendo of anticipation for a grand view! I was yet again mesmerized looking at 360 degrees panoramic view of this old yet charming city. It just seemed like a perfect note to end the visit to the city of one hundred steeples! |
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| Montreal 1976 (Remember Olympics) |
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