Sightseeing in Montreal
So I have been to a hockey game and on a pub crawl through the lively student area so thought its high time i saw some more touristy sights here in Montreal. Well i guess it would be rude to not.
Headed down to the metro station to Place D’Armes and wandered down the cobblestone street to Montreals Notre Dame Basilica – thinking to myself would it be on a par with the one in Paris and oh boy was it ever. Now im not a very religious person but having paid my $4 to go in i was blown away. The altar glows eerily in colours of blues and purples and just oozes this spiritual pull that washes over you. Few churches and cathedrals have had the same power one being St Peters in Vatican. It helped coming at this time of year when crowds are minimal but i sat for awhile in awe. My pictures just dont do it justice. At the back is the Sacred Heart chapel which in a distinct contrast is yellows and golds and has a two year waiting list for weddings. I can totally see why and felt respect for a place that holds power over the people of Montreal.
Having had enough spiritual enlightenment i headed back out of the Basilica and down more cobbled streets towards the Hotel De Ville and to the Nelson monument in Place Jacques Cartier. I can totally see this place rammed with tourists in the summer.
Slightly bored with culture for the day i headed down to the riverfront which was rammed with workmen completing a refurb and people out for a stroll. My first draft of this post was a lot more interesting it has to be said but the stupid computer decided to crash on me as i hit publish grrr and i cannot for the life of me remember what i wrote.
I headed (got to think of a new word) back to the downtown area and on to Rue St Cathrine which kind of reminds me of OXford Street aka a shoppers heaven. It was here that i set myself the task of finding the Amex building to change my travellers cheques commission free, but have started to think there is a conspiracy at work here. As in Halifax the Amex building was not where LP said it would be and asking around as in Halifax also people looked at me blankly saying that it had moved but no one seemed to know where. Sigh. So as if the rapid strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the Pound wasnt enough i had to pay commission as well. More sighs. I hope to god the American dollar doesn’t decide to go the say way.
Back at the hostel i contemplated why i just wasnt sure about this city. There is just a certain je ne sais pas feeling that i have. Old Montreal is cool, the Habs hockey team awesome and the bars awesome so why do i feel weird? Who knows maybe because i absolutely loved Halifax that no where was going to seem as great.
Having changed my train ticket for a more reasonable time – i mean who wants to get up for a 5am train anyway i settled in with a book and wondered what Quebec was going to be like……………….
Tags: Canada, Montreal
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