We loved these 10 days in La Belle Province
Our time in Quebec included visits to old Montreal and walking the streets of Mile End, a district of Montreal bustling with diversity and life. This fascinating district is tucked in shoulder to shoulder with the more affluent district of Outremont, sandwiched between Mount Royal and the downtown.
We also got into the Laurentians to see the autumn colour of the hillsides and the reflective waters of the lakes.
During our time in Montreal we attended an organ recital at Notre Dame Basilica. My friend, Dale, had a sound metre on his watch that identified the volume level inside that beautiful church hit 97 decibels. And then, the next day we attend a plainsong mass celebrated at peaceful, productive L’Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.
We also got into the Laurentians to see the autumn colour of the hillsides and the reflective waters of the lakes.
During our time in Montreal we attended an organ recital at Notre Dame Basilica. My friend, Dale, had a sound metre on his watch that identified the volume level inside that beautiful church hit 97 decibels. And then, the next day we attend a plainsong mass celebrated at peaceful, productive L’Abbaye de Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.
A strange thing happened at the organ concert in Notre Dame Basilica. We got to see gaggles of tour guests walking behind the classic Viking Cruises red lollipops. Ah-ha, there must be a Viking ship docked in the harbour! Sure enough, later we spotted the Viking Ocean ship at the dock. Of course, in years past we'd been them, that gaggle of tour guests (or they'd been us). But now we got to see how such groups might be perceived by others. Shockingly in the sacred space of the Basilica men's hats remained on, many selfies were posed and taken, and phone cameras beamed their lights at the distant organ at the back of the church. All this seemed disrespectful of such a sacred space and such immersive music.
Setting out from there, the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal were packed. We did find some street musicians.
The delightful heart of folded cranes shown above was on a concrete pole near the harbour.
Setting out from there, the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal were packed. We did find some street musicians.
The delightful heart of folded cranes shown above was on a concrete pole near the harbour.
In a garden behind a museum, what had once been a "kitchen garden" for one of the austere buildings of Old Montreal now a museum, we found flowers and autumn leaves.
We loved walking in Mile End, Montreal, the district where our friends, Dale and Carol Breitkreutz live. Two and three storey tenements lined the residential streets. Postage stamp sized front yards, delineated by low wrought iron fences and gates, separated the tiered flats from the sidewalk. Outdoor staircases accessed the upper floors. The long blocks between commercial streets were a continuous front with no side yards or passageways. Each tenement stood shoulder to shoulder with its neighbour, one from the other distinguished with different brickwork and ornamentation at the roof line. Large trees shaded the streets. Small cars parallel parked on both sides, bumpers only inches from the vehicle in front and behind. Bicycles were everywhere, sometimes abandoned to be overgrown by the grapevines that grew in the tiny yards. The bikes chained to the fences were old-fashioned, fixable to be able to last, not given over to electricity. They provided practical, affordable, environmentally friendly, physically-conditioning transportation.
The area was dominated by young families, the vast majority of the people we saw were at least 20 years younger than were we. That said, I was impressed with one very well-dressed woman who looked to be in her seventies riding her bike near the busy corner of St. Laurent and Laurier, just steps away from the loft we had for our stay.
The area was dominated by young families, the vast majority of the people we saw were at least 20 years younger than were we. That said, I was impressed with one very well-dressed woman who looked to be in her seventies riding her bike near the busy corner of St. Laurent and Laurier, just steps away from the loft we had for our stay.
Dale and Carol Breitkreutz live in the ground floor flat of the tenement pictured below (upper left and right). Their daughter, Sara, her husband Henry, and two grandchildren, Nori and Yoshi, live upstairs on the second level. Bottom right photo shows Dale and Carol walking Nori to school. The dog is Bowi and the spacious looking park is actually in the more opulent Outremont, the neighbouring district of large family homes and spacious parks next to Mile End. Dale is congratulating Bowi on a great training walk. The gracious fall photo as the header to this page was also taken in that Outremont Park.
The seated photo unfortunately shows that Carol's halo had slipped slightly ... but we were really all very content.
The seated photo unfortunately shows that Carol's halo had slipped slightly ... but we were really all very content.
In Mile End and neighbouring Outremont there is a settlement of Hasidic Jews. We happened to there during Jewish holy days of Sukkot (First Days) which follow close onto Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. We often saw the men and boys walking in the traditional Jewish clothing for the occasion, many of the men wearing the Shtreimel, a fur covered cylindrical hat. During a festival day for Mile End we got to walk the streets behind a Klezmer band (sousaphone, accordion, trumpet, trombone, violin) in the parade of families snaking behind the band, through streets and alleys between one live musical venue and the next.
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The crossing streets, perpendicular to the tree-lined residential streets, provided the commerce for the area: Bernard, Saint-Viateur, Fairmont, Laurier. Retail stories stores were small shops run by their owner's. Mary shopped for take-home gifts and treasures at a fabric and clothing designer, a Japanese paper store, a lithographer. There was a great corner store at the end of Dale and Carol's block and a massive flower store across the street from it (pictured below). Across the corner and a couple of doors down a cobbler sat outside his shop door. But most remarkable were the eating places. Dale has counted 75 of them within a 15 minute walk from their home: cafes, bistros, bakeries, ethic foods, bagel shops etc. If you want a chain restaurant you need to head to another part of Montreal. One of the images below shows four small eateries in a row: Falafel, Pizzeria, Lloyds Caribbean, and Sushi.
I had the opportunity to play at LaDepanneur Cafe on Bernard. The cafe hosts live musicians, a different one every hour starting at 10am. They agreed for me to play at 9. While I played, Islam, the owner of the Lux La Lumiere Bistro-Gallery next door came by for his morning coffee. Chatting with Dale he asked if I could play at his place that evening. While I played that evening folk came in to have a glass of wine with the live music and even livelier conversation with Islam. At one point extra hands found the upper registers of the piano to improvise along with my original jazz.
We saw a large billboard on our way into the neighbourhood the day that we arrived. It had a foreboding message for this lively district: RIP Mile End.
Mile End had been the childhood neighbourhood of author Mordecai Richler. Leonard Cohen lived there and wrote songs about the neighbourhood but was living just south of the district at the end of his life. Author Sean Michaels wrote much of his Giller Prize winning novel in Cafe Olympico on Rue Saint-Vaiteur. We walked by that cafe at least a dozen times while there.
So why the Rest In Peace?
Gentrification.
Old tenements there are now being gentrified with fresh coats of paint and renovations. During the time we visited, the old brick on the two storey place across the road from Dale and Carol's home took on a coat of stark white paint. Lots of renovations had been done inside. Dale thought it was going to end up as an up-and-down single residence rather than two separate flats. Pictured below are two of those renovated tenements.
Mile End had been the childhood neighbourhood of author Mordecai Richler. Leonard Cohen lived there and wrote songs about the neighbourhood but was living just south of the district at the end of his life. Author Sean Michaels wrote much of his Giller Prize winning novel in Cafe Olympico on Rue Saint-Vaiteur. We walked by that cafe at least a dozen times while there.
So why the Rest In Peace?
Gentrification.
Old tenements there are now being gentrified with fresh coats of paint and renovations. During the time we visited, the old brick on the two storey place across the road from Dale and Carol's home took on a coat of stark white paint. Lots of renovations had been done inside. Dale thought it was going to end up as an up-and-down single residence rather than two separate flats. Pictured below are two of those renovated tenements.
After a quick trip to Knowlton, home of author Louise Penny (who posed with Mary and Carol for a selfie in the bookstore there) we were back through Montreal on the way to the Laurentians.
Weekends in the hills and lakes draw many Montrealers, all who seemed to be clogging up the highways north along with the four of us. After a tedious trip we arrived at Auberge du Lac Morency, near Saint Hippolyte. Our spacious resort, a two bedroom lock-out arrangement, was great for the three nights north. Carol and Mary had time for stitching and artful pursuit, Dale and I spent time out on the lake in a canoe. Oh, one more thing ... Dale and I got to try our hand at axe throwing too.
I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
Weekends in the hills and lakes draw many Montrealers, all who seemed to be clogging up the highways north along with the four of us. After a tedious trip we arrived at Auberge du Lac Morency, near Saint Hippolyte. Our spacious resort, a two bedroom lock-out arrangement, was great for the three nights north. Carol and Mary had time for stitching and artful pursuit, Dale and I spent time out on the lake in a canoe. Oh, one more thing ... Dale and I got to try our hand at axe throwing too.
I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
We had two more beautiful places to visit back in Montreal. From our loft we walked over to Mount Royal park. It was a sunny and hot day and we didn't venture all the way to the top. The monstrous trees and autumn leaves of the lower park were sufficient. Next time we come, we will take in the view from the top. Yes, there will be a next time.
The night before we were to fly home we went to the Botanical Gardens. It languishes massively at the base of the Olympic Stadium, that iconic structure east of downtown Montreal. We didn't get to see all the exhibits but walked through the Indigenous Garden (spooky), the comfortingly spacious Japanese Garden and ended in the ornately beautiful Chinese Garden. As dusk fell we delighted in the Garden light show.
The night before we were to fly home we went to the Botanical Gardens. It languishes massively at the base of the Olympic Stadium, that iconic structure east of downtown Montreal. We didn't get to see all the exhibits but walked through the Indigenous Garden (spooky), the comfortingly spacious Japanese Garden and ended in the ornately beautiful Chinese Garden. As dusk fell we delighted in the Garden light show.
As Canadians we are fortunate to live in a diverse, inclusive and geographically beautiful country. We come away from our trip to Montreal marvelling in how different it is than life out on the Canadian Prairie. The unique neighbourhood that is Mile End reminds us that many cultures can live side-by-side with differences celebrated. Somehow, it seemed to have befriended us.