Montreal-Quebec
Seldom are those days, when I wait for a day to arrive and for situations to turn out as I expect. It did happen, and it was the Friday, 25th of March 2005. Not because it was a Good Friday, but because it was a holiday and had resulted in a long stretched weekend. The sea was calm and the sails of my activities were temporarily low. Seemed like weekend will be very well utilized, and it has been...
BTW, this was my first proper holiday here, albeit Sundays...!
Guys here planned to visit Montreal and Quebec city in for these 3 days.
Friday, March 25th...
We planned to leave by 2:30 PM sharp on the Friday morning and we boarded our cars at splendid sharp 3:45 AM...!
No regrets... whatsoever...!
After finishing the formality of breakfast at a Highway exit, I took the wheel of impala ... vroomed thru at times at unimaginable speeds...!
I wasn't alone... I did have company of other souls with the same bearing... :-P
We reached Montreal at around 10:30 AM. Olympic Stadium was the first place. Montreal hosted the Olympic Games in 1976 and this stadium breathes there pretty empty, witnessing swimming classes, fitness classes, Music concerts and lot more... It was good, and the architecture impressive.
The mainstay for the roof of the Olympic Stadium is a tall Edifice and has cables to suspend the roof. Empty space at the top is used as an observatory providing the aerial view of the city.
Next was the Bio-Dome, where all seasons are simulated. It has Tropical, Autumn and Spring. Tropical was my best. I felt, as though I was in Kerala... Good one.
Finished this and got into Harveys for a burger as lunch. Some Guys were helping the team by booking a hotel. Finished lunch and reached hotel at around 4 PM. It was St Denis - Ontario intersection, Pakka Montreal Downtown.
Quebec was a French colony and French influence is blatantly visible in ppls language and some extent in their lifestyles.
Hotel was le joli décent (Pretty decent one), with wood finish all over...! I liked it.
Freshened up and went to visit Mont Royal Park. It seems that Jacques Cartier (discovered Canada??) came over here and called this place as Mount Royal. This over a period of time, gave the name Montreal to this city. This is an elevated place giving good view of the city. Strolled in the park for about an hour and went to Notre-Dame Basilica for some performance on the Good Friday evening. Long Q and gave up the thought of attending it.
Took a stroll on the streets and some guys decided to experience the subway (Metro) trains. I was game and joined them. 2 dollars and you can keep traveling in a particular circuit, to and fro, back and forth... forever. Sad, that I did not have my third eye (camera)
It reminded me of the movies like MARTIX, SPEED, END OF DAYS, Spider-man...
Where on earth had I dreamt that I'll one day be traveling in such a train...!
Came back, tired. Bumped into a Mexican Burrito shop, Got good Burritos, some boiled rice and Naturales (chips), it was filling. Got into the hotel to get some sleep at around 1 AM, (remember, we got up around 2 AM).
Saturday, March 26th...
Saturday morning got up at around 8 AM, finished the routines and left to Quebec City at around 9 AM. Reached there by 12 noon and went to Montmorency. This place is a waterfall. Water was partially flowing due to Spring. In December water was frozen... ahem... running water was frozen...
The water droplets from the splashing fall form a cone over the frozen surface of running water, and it is aptly called the "Sugar Loaf". There is a rope car and also a walk-way supported by kind-a scaffolds. We took the walkway. Every location is very well planned to give the best view of the falls and the city. Had some funny falls over the snow there and guys took hundreds of snaps.
Later...
Parked our Cars, had lunch at BK and entered Old Quebec, the so called French colony. The essence of the town seemed to be intact and we reached the Old Port to board the ferry. Went to the other side of St Laurent (??) River to reach Levis. This place was absolutely deserted. No ppl on the streets, we were the only guys making noise and hulla-gulla there. Came back at 7 PM to climb the ferry and back to old Quebec. Explored the city some more and left to Montreal at around 8:30 PM.
Reached the hotel at around 11 PM, and had a cat-nap waiting for others to join. Guys came in around 12 midnight.
Went to a pizza restaurant just below our hotel and hmmm... yummy... ! pizza ho-to aisa... thin crust pizza and delicious. This was the first time I had eaten a pizza without hurting my gums and not getting cramps in my jaws ...!
Went for a stroll on the streets, to reach the St Catherine street. To put is short, It is like Moulin Rouge of Montreal...! I will leave it at that ...!
Also visited the Cresent Street, the street for Discs...
Came back at around 3 AM and slept.
Sunday, 27th March...
Got up at 9:30 AM... tired and lethargic... By the time we finished our Breakfast of Muffin, coffee and orange juice it was 11:30 AM.
We all left to Notre-Damme Basilica.. This place rocks. Just splendid...! It is real big. It has an orchestra in 1st floor which had an organ with around 7000 pipes (I didn't count, I am referring to the brochure..!) I was fortunate enough to listen to them also... it just vibrates entire hall. Too much of details in the craftsmanship used there.. I stood in awe... and recalling, still in awe...
We were out by 2 PM
Later roamed around the city in general. Spring had sprouted in here, and did see some splendid racing bikes driven on the roads....
Bye bye to Montreal at 4 PM, back to Mississauga. It was one of the fascinating trips I had had till date...
Yaaaa...awn...!
au revoir
salut
Darshan.
BTW, this was my first proper holiday here, albeit Sundays...!
Guys here planned to visit Montreal and Quebec city in for these 3 days.
Friday, March 25th...
We planned to leave by 2:30 PM sharp on the Friday morning and we boarded our cars at splendid sharp 3:45 AM...!
No regrets... whatsoever...!
After finishing the formality of breakfast at a Highway exit, I took the wheel of impala ... vroomed thru at times at unimaginable speeds...!
I wasn't alone... I did have company of other souls with the same bearing... :-P
We reached Montreal at around 10:30 AM. Olympic Stadium was the first place. Montreal hosted the Olympic Games in 1976 and this stadium breathes there pretty empty, witnessing swimming classes, fitness classes, Music concerts and lot more... It was good, and the architecture impressive.
The mainstay for the roof of the Olympic Stadium is a tall Edifice and has cables to suspend the roof. Empty space at the top is used as an observatory providing the aerial view of the city.
Next was the Bio-Dome, where all seasons are simulated. It has Tropical, Autumn and Spring. Tropical was my best. I felt, as though I was in Kerala... Good one.
Finished this and got into Harveys for a burger as lunch. Some Guys were helping the team by booking a hotel. Finished lunch and reached hotel at around 4 PM. It was St Denis - Ontario intersection, Pakka Montreal Downtown.
Quebec was a French colony and French influence is blatantly visible in ppls language and some extent in their lifestyles.
Hotel was le joli décent (Pretty decent one), with wood finish all over...! I liked it.
Freshened up and went to visit Mont Royal Park. It seems that Jacques Cartier (discovered Canada??) came over here and called this place as Mount Royal. This over a period of time, gave the name Montreal to this city. This is an elevated place giving good view of the city. Strolled in the park for about an hour and went to Notre-Dame Basilica for some performance on the Good Friday evening. Long Q and gave up the thought of attending it.
Took a stroll on the streets and some guys decided to experience the subway (Metro) trains. I was game and joined them. 2 dollars and you can keep traveling in a particular circuit, to and fro, back and forth... forever. Sad, that I did not have my third eye (camera)
It reminded me of the movies like MARTIX, SPEED, END OF DAYS, Spider-man...
Where on earth had I dreamt that I'll one day be traveling in such a train...!
Came back, tired. Bumped into a Mexican Burrito shop, Got good Burritos, some boiled rice and Naturales (chips), it was filling. Got into the hotel to get some sleep at around 1 AM, (remember, we got up around 2 AM).
Saturday, March 26th...
Saturday morning got up at around 8 AM, finished the routines and left to Quebec City at around 9 AM. Reached there by 12 noon and went to Montmorency. This place is a waterfall. Water was partially flowing due to Spring. In December water was frozen... ahem... running water was frozen...
The water droplets from the splashing fall form a cone over the frozen surface of running water, and it is aptly called the "Sugar Loaf". There is a rope car and also a walk-way supported by kind-a scaffolds. We took the walkway. Every location is very well planned to give the best view of the falls and the city. Had some funny falls over the snow there and guys took hundreds of snaps.
Later...
Parked our Cars, had lunch at BK and entered Old Quebec, the so called French colony. The essence of the town seemed to be intact and we reached the Old Port to board the ferry. Went to the other side of St Laurent (??) River to reach Levis. This place was absolutely deserted. No ppl on the streets, we were the only guys making noise and hulla-gulla there. Came back at 7 PM to climb the ferry and back to old Quebec. Explored the city some more and left to Montreal at around 8:30 PM.
Reached the hotel at around 11 PM, and had a cat-nap waiting for others to join. Guys came in around 12 midnight.
Went to a pizza restaurant just below our hotel and hmmm... yummy... ! pizza ho-to aisa... thin crust pizza and delicious. This was the first time I had eaten a pizza without hurting my gums and not getting cramps in my jaws ...!
Went for a stroll on the streets, to reach the St Catherine street. To put is short, It is like Moulin Rouge of Montreal...! I will leave it at that ...!
Also visited the Cresent Street, the street for Discs...
Came back at around 3 AM and slept.
Sunday, 27th March...
Got up at 9:30 AM... tired and lethargic... By the time we finished our Breakfast of Muffin, coffee and orange juice it was 11:30 AM.
We all left to Notre-Damme Basilica.. This place rocks. Just splendid...! It is real big. It has an orchestra in 1st floor which had an organ with around 7000 pipes (I didn't count, I am referring to the brochure..!) I was fortunate enough to listen to them also... it just vibrates entire hall. Too much of details in the craftsmanship used there.. I stood in awe... and recalling, still in awe...
We were out by 2 PM
Later roamed around the city in general. Spring had sprouted in here, and did see some splendid racing bikes driven on the roads....
Bye bye to Montreal at 4 PM, back to Mississauga. It was one of the fascinating trips I had had till date...
Yaaaa...awn...!
au revoir
salut
Darshan.
posted by Contemplation at
8:08 AM
0 Comments
