Montreal

We left Quebec City last week and moved to Montreal.  Actually we are staying in a little town called Saint-Phillippe, which is about 20 miles outside Montreal.  It has been a little more difficult here in the Montreal area as everything is in French and everyone speaks French.  In the city we did find that many people were bilingual.  I found myself at the self serve pump at the gas station just pushing any button to get the darn thing to pump gas.  I could recognize some French words but then got lost.  Finally I pushed the right button and was able to get gas but at a cost of $5.70 a gallon.

It is a beautiful area and the city of Montreal is interesting to explore.  We ended up taking a double decker, hop on, hop off, bus tour so we could see the highlights of the city.  We then went back the next day and did some walking around.  Mainly it is all about the churches.  The two main church attractions are Notre Dame Basilica and St. John’s Oratory.  First, St. John’s.

St. John’s Oratory sits on the top of a hill overlooking the city.  It is built into the mountain and has a spectacular dome that can be seen from all over the city. 

Panoramic view of the city from the church terrace.

Inside the church.

The jewel of the churches in the city is the Notre Dame Basilica.  I have to admit this is probably the most beautiful church I have ever seen.  The woodwork and painting on the inside are just amazing.  I did not use flash on the pictures but hopefully you can see what I am talking about.

Front of the church

Inside looking towards the alter. On the sides are two sets of balconies.

A wooden spiral staircase in the middle of the church that leads to a pulpit. 

Carving of the last supper in the alter.

This is a smaller chapel adjacent to the main church.  This is looking towards the front of the chapel.

This is the rear of the chapel.

We took a walk through The Village.  Here they have a street blocked off so people can walk.  The street has many restaurants, with outdoor seating, and shops.  

There are pink balls strung across the street.  This is a part of town where the gay population congregates.

The tour bus took us to Mont Royal park which offers a great view of the city on the side where the Olympic stadium is.

We took a walk through the Old City.  This is where Montreal started and it has the feel of a Europe.

This finishes up a 5 week tour of eastern Canada.  On Monday we leave for central New Hampshire.