Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Being a tourist in Montreal

Ok, it was blistering hot and humid outside. I said I would take one day and go downtown and be a tourist in my own city just to get out of the house and enjoy doing something different on my vacation. So I did it.

For starters when I got to the subway booth to buy tickets the operator was coming back from the little Metro store, saw me, asked if I had correct change and when I confirmed this he let me go on for free..........! Cool... Beats me but he must have been in a good mood or liked my face.

I have to admit I did the traditional tourist run.... there are so many other parts of the city worth visiting (Mont-Royal/Le Plateau, rue St-Laurent, rue St-Denis, rue Crescent, Mont Royal itself, Outremont, Westmount, the Lachine Canal, Ste-Anne de Bellvue, along Riviere des Prairies, Ile Notre Dame & Ile Ste-Helene... but what I photographed here would be what a tourist coming for a day or two would see.. the highlights of the main parts of the city.

Basically I went to McGill station and onwards into Eaton Centre, up to McGill University, down to Peel & Ste-Catherine... across Dorchester Square to PVM, up to deMaisonneuve Square, down to Victoria Square where I had lunch.... over to the new Cité International.. further on into Chinatown then south to Old Montreal where I finished out the day... here it is in picture format with comments...

...starting with my free ride drop off at the McGill Metro station. I see they've installed huge video display panels showing live advertising. Like we don't have enough advertising in our lives... This station is one of the busiest but it could do with a make over.


Eaton Centre was quite busy, THe sun filtered in from the skylight giving it a morning air feeling. I looked at some shirts at Old River but in the end bought nothing but water. For some reason I saw a lot of Asian tourists... seems like a theme with me lately. I wonder if Montreal is finally getting recognized in that part of the world. Beats me why they go to some cities in North America, ours can beat out most of them as far a I'm concerned.




McGill College Avenue hasn't changed all that much. It still looks in pretty good shape. SOme new outdoor cafés though have added to the ambiance. Most are on the east side which I've never seen there before.




McGill's Roddick Gates still are impressive. An interesting thing about these gates is that they were originally designed to be outward facing but the people who constructed them put them in backwards...


This statue of James McGill is new. It was never there when I was attending McGill. Quite nice actually. The campus still looks like a peaceful haven in hte heart of the city. I loved it then and I still love it today. The walk up the main road brought back memories and I found it very calming and relaxing.


These kids were just tooo cute... Future students I suppose.


The main Arts Building


...and the impressive view of upper Montreal's downtown core.


OK, here's one of the reasons why I took the Metro and not my car... and one of the main reasons why I hate driving downtown. Throw in a weekly festival with streets blocked off... idiot drivers, crazed double parking trucks and cars and forget it... the city is impossible to navigate without getting frustrated.


The restaurant Clem, Pascal & I ate at last Sunday after seen Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith


Peel & Ste-Catherine, the unofficial heart of the city. I have to admit the sidewalks and roads are a mess in Montreal. They are all crumbling. Trees with dangerous holes around their base. Sidewalks cracked up with concrete coming up ready to trip an unsuspecting pedestrian.. they are a mess.


Dorchester Square looked a little better than usual although this is such a well travelled park in the centre of the city it's impossible to keep clean and unspoiled. There was some event with a band there but I didn't stop to watch or listen.


Some of the builidngs around this and Dominion Square across the street.








The Paramount Theatre where Clem, Pascal & I saw Star Wars on Sunday. Arguably the best theatre in the city... many levels, an IMAX and al sorts of amazing things to do in there.


McGill College Avenue & Ste-Catherine (Place Montreal Trust);


...as seen from the Plaza at Place Ville Marie




THe PVM Plaza itself - After all these years I finally noticed the statue in the middle is a "whale woman" for lack of a better term... a fish with brests or a woman with fins...


Place Ville Marie itself


This is cool... the reflection of on of the newer skyscrapers in another buildings facade.


This is the actual building is called Les Promenades de la Cathedral. There's an entire shopping complex underground... beneith both buildings and connects to the two (unseen) buildings to the east and west of it.


One of the city's main shopping stores... Les Ailes de la Mode


I think this is St James church but don't quote me.


Nice architecture on the front. They seemed to have cleaned it up nicely




DeMaisonneuve Square was a mess of people. Another square over run by humanity. The poor guy sits on his pedistel and gets shitted on my every pidgeon in the city


The Montreal Symphony Orchestra workers were on strike and protesting at the square as well... so I was bombarded with leaflets and so forth.... striking musicians;


Heading down Beaver Hall Hill... a traditional information post but one on steroids...


The IBM building looming far away... the tallest building in the city;


Victoria Square has changed so much since I used to work in this area. It's now really beaufitul.


I stopped off at Victoire Hot Dog for a couple of Montreal Steamies and greasy French Fries.. this little nothing place was here ages ago and the same Greek family still is there running it just like before. This is the exact restaurant Dan Akroyd go his inspiration for the famous Cheeseburg/Pepsi restaurant skit they did on Saturday Night LIve way back when... they still bark out questioning you if you want a Cheesburg or Pepsi..LOL. Lots of character in here and the steamies and fries are the best.


Place Victoria loomed overhead;


...and lots of people were in the park taking in the beautiful weather.


I then headed into the all new Cité International which is really impressive/


A beautoful square with this nice fountain fills what was just landfill a while back.




The new extension of the Palais des Congres is colouful... not everyone likes it. I think it's ok.. better to have colour than everything steel grey or black.




Chinatown beckoned me... they were having a street festival.










not sure what this is for;








Next I headed into Vieux Montréal


Notre Dame Church was the centre of activity as always


The BAnk of Montreal building is one of the most beautiful buildings in the area actually. I'd recommend anyone to go inside and see the beautiful architecture and high ceilings.. but outside the stonework is actually quite amazing. I never really noticed before so I took these pics.




An amazing clock on the east side of the square;


Lots of Caleche riders around.. didn't see many carrying people though. Perhaps it's too hot and I'm sure too hot for the horses.


City Hall looked impressive




The main square, Place Jacques Cartier wasn't as busy as usual but still was quite active.


The old Sailer's Church always looks nice from this view




This restaurant has a date of 1725 on the outside...


One of the outdoor terasses in the main square. I've been here.. high prices, average food.


Looking up from the bottom of the square




Some more terasses


Rue St-Paul, the main street through Old Montreal

Les Deux Pierrots is a well known club in Montreal


More terasses


A well know prestigeous restaurant Vieux St-Gabriel


Humm... interesting


Down into the old Port area


Looking back up at Notre Dame church.. a contrast in architecture and years


This is in the heart of a region of 3.5 million people?


More kids LOL


Ok not California but it is getting better and the boats a bit bigger...


Bonsecours Market


The Sailer's Church from behind;


The Jacques Cartier Bridge & Clock Tower


The main square again


Ok is this a georgeous woman or what??


I noticed this on Nelson's Column and thought it was well done


The fountain outside City Hall


The view of downtown from Old Montreal


Some city governmnet building


Champs-de-Mars Metro station


The newer trains on the Orange Line


The original trians on the Green Line


All in all a nice day. I was pretty tired when I got back... relaxing now

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