Canada – Montreal

Montreal, Canada

Allons -y! Polish up your French in this city, as if there was ever a bi-lingual city, it is here! Get to the Olympic stadium to remember the past glories and get a selfie with the stadium, Olympic rings and flag in the background while standing on a podium. The city has a cute old quarter of classical and historical buildings, small shopping streets, a fabulously decorative Cathedral and an atmosphere of a bygone era. However it has a big modern area too, complete with skyscrapers and parks and one of the best art galleries I have ever been to. 

How to get from Ottawa to Montreal

(This trip was part of a Canadian 5 city tour of Toronto, Niagara, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec before I flew to a friends wedding in Chicago. Click on links for reviews on these locations).

My trip to from Ottawa to Montreal was by train (click here for VIA Rail Canadian Railways info) as I had booked it in advance in the UK and downloaded copies of the pre-paid tickets. Cost was about $60 and the bus – see Greyhound buses here would have been about $35. Much cheaper I know but I had heard several report of delays and comfort issues on this route and as I was travelling to a tight schedule I could not afford to arrive late in my destination.

Don’t even think about flying – it was $200 and actually no quicker after taking into consideration adding on security and to/from airport times and cost. My previous experience of the train service from Toronto to Ottawa (where the train fare was actually cheaper than the bus) made me look forward to yet another great travel journey in comfort. I was not disappointed!

Train from Ottawa to Montreal.

Yet again big comfy seats, great services and fabulous scenery on the way and we left/arrived on time …..perfect. If I ever come to Canada again (a definite possibility), then I would join the preference scheme and get the discounts !

So train it was with VIA Rail – click here for train info

Was so glad I chose train as the journey and comfort were far better than I expected. I actually chose train for all my others intercity journeys. The seats were really big with huge leg room, tables, at seat wifi and recharge and the food and drink great from the trolley cart that came by numerous times. The scenery excited me at first as I got to see Lake Ontario for a long part of the journey but after that it was surprisingly flat and just fields and woods till we got nearer Montreal.

At least I now know what the countryside is like between the two cities, rather than seeing the inside of two similar airports. On arrival it was an easy transfer to the Metro nearby and a journey to my hotel.

Buy a travel pass !

I bought a 3 day travel pass at the Metro station, with the help of an attendant at the ticket office, as the machines were not clear on how to do this. The 3 day ticket, (click here for info) is $19.50 (2019 ) for any bus/Metro as opposed to $3.25 for each single trip. There are 1 day, weekly, monthly and 4monthly passes also. It’s valid for 3 days (not 3 x24 hour periods) so the later you validate it (use it) on the first day the less of that first of the 3 days you get use of it! So, if you are already into the afternoon of your first day and just need a single trip’s use, I would advise to buy a single trip and start you pass early the following day to get maximum use out of it. I saved a lot doing this due to my need to move around constantly and quickly.

There are two options for good use. If you are coming from the airport (I didn’t but I know many reading this will), the pass includes the shuttle to/from the airport, (click here for info). It goes to the main central bus station near Berri UQAM Metro stop, in central Montreal. Remember the bus shuttle fare to Montreal from the airport costs $10 alone each way so if you buy it for use two and from the airport alone you save money! If using the bus shuttle 747 there are two routes. One takes you to the nearest Metro stop at Lionel-Groulx (25-45 mins depending on traffic) where you can connect to use Metro if your hotel is not central or on another Metro line.

The other route (also called 747) takes you to the central bus station (about 60 mins) where you can connect to the Berri UQAM Metro stop just outside. The route into town goes for a long way along Boulevard René-Lévesque where a lot of hotels are situated. If you are staying on this street ask the driver which stop is nearest to your hotel.

Old Port area

My first call, next day, was to the old Town area and the Old Port. I had read that the buildings in this area are the oldest and the quaintest, so it was a natural choice. My first stop was the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel. It is a 17th century chapel with seafaring connections, relics of a saint, a small museum and the opportunity to go up the tower, for far reaching views over the waterfront.

Unfortunately it was closed but the view of its exterior left me a bit perplexed.  It had an oversized statue on its dome, more statues on its turrets, strange chimney like structures lower down and what looked like a long windowed terrace at the front. Certainly the most unique chapel I had ever seen. It left me wondering what I had missed on the inside though!

The walk continues along the sea front where you get marvellous views of the St Lawrence River, the inland skyline and the redevelopment of what used to be the port and docks. Here are also two small marinas and a cruise ship terminal. I took a pic of the old steel bridge over the river and the old Clocktower facing it

Here is Bonsecours Market, (click here for opening times etc), an old domed, public market from 1847 that at one point also housed the City Hall. Today it has been developed into a shopping Mall and worth the visit to get an idea of its past grandeur.

I then walked down to the waters edge and took in the modern skyline to one side, versus the nearer old town skyline.

Old Town Montreal

A walk up from the waterfront leads to the wide and pedestrianised Place Jacques-Cartier, named after the French explorer who discovered this region and claimed it for France in the 16th Century.

This area is somewhat touristy by the number of people around but that is because so many of the famous and beautiful buildings of Montreal are here. The Square has many cafes, shops and the lack of cars here and, indeed the whole Old Town area, gives it a peaceful feeling and a definite “French” city feel.

To the side of the square sits Château Ramezay, (click here for opening times etc), a museum now of the history of Montreal with a small garden. In the past it was an official residence of the French Governor of Montreal Claude de Ramezay from 1705.

Over the years it was a govt building, commercial offices, army headquarters of invading American colonial forces, private residence and even Benjamin Franklin was here in his day. A visit here, taking in the numerous displays, really gives a feel of how the city grew from the 17th Century and the important role this house had.

In front of the chateau lies Montreal City Hall, housing also the offices of the city Mayor. Tours are available but I got a good enough impression of its stateliness from the outside admiring the grand columns and windows of its design.

A walk from here along Notre Dame St East will take you to my next stop. However, on the way I diverted down side streets and backtracked back to get a feel of the old colonial French atmosphere of the architecture along the streets. I now headed to Place D’Armes.

Place D’Armes

I entered the square with the Aldred Building next to me. This tall building was once the tallest in Montreal and looks like a mini NYC Rockefeller Centre in its 1931 Art Deco style.

In the middle of the square is the large commemorative Statue to Paul de Chomedey, a French Military officer, who was the founding father of the city in 1642.

The square, dating from 1693 is the second oldest square in Montreal and has important buildings on its periphery. The Bank of Montreal stands to one side facing the Basilica with the Prêtres de Saint-Sulpice Seminary standing next to that, with the pretty horse drawn riding carts available for hire in front.

England V France in snobbery!

Ok, now for a bit of humour. There has always been a bit of rivalry between the English and French speaking inhabitants of Montreal (although in reality I found everyone happily bilingual). On the square on each side of the huge modern skyscraper – facing away from each other – are two comical statues with snooty body language. One is an Englishman with his representative English pug and the other a French woman with her traditional French poodle. – ignoring each other with their noses in the air ….very comical.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal

Built in 1887, in a Gothic Revival style, it was the biggest church in North America in its day. The interior is highly decorative and embellished. Rich colour adorn the walls with heavily carved wood,  higher areas and columns, and gold is a colour much in abundance.

It also has many intricate wooden carvings and statues and, unusually for a church, has glass domes in the roof. It houses the first ever electrical driven organ. Interesting facts – Canadian P.M. Pierre Trudeau had his State funeral here and Celine Dion was married here.

The back of the church was destroyed in a fire in 1978 but was rebuilt and a heavily embossed and carved bronze altar piece placed here. The piece shines strongly in the light and almost gives an art gallery feel to the area as it feels oversized but a real masterpiece nonetheless.

A walk from here through the streets of more of the Old Town via Place Royale gives a sense of the old 17th century city layout

Place des Arts

A walk up St Urbain St will take you to the Place des Arts. It’s a centre of culture, of modern buildings comprising the bland glass walled home of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the round shaped Opera House, and the Museum of Contemporary art (with its outside water feature in the street).

Next door is the huge Complexe des Jardins shopping Mall with its indoor magical fountain shooting water into the air in timed patterns. It was interesting to walk around the area, howeverl I decided not to go inside the culture houses due to time constraints and how late in the day it was.

Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral held a fascination for me – a little history lesson now. In 1850 it was proclaimed a Cathedral, but destroyed by fire in 1856, rebuilt in 1859 in Neo-Gothic architecture with a 2,778 pipe organ. The steeple listed badly and was later replaced with one made of aluminium plates moulded to simulate stone, which is still there today.

The famous copy of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci hangs in the main part of the building.

On the wall just above and to the left of the pulpit is the Coventry Cross. It’s made of nails taken from the ruins of England’s Coventry Cathedral, destroyed by German bombing in 1940.

Now for my connection to it – it is modelled on Snettisham Parish Church in Norfolk, England (the county in UK that I come from ! )…… never knew that !

Next door is a huge modern 34 storey skyscraper and a shopping Mall has been built under the Cathedral and connects to it ….. modern or what ! Just behind the Cathedral is a mini square with a fountain that is actually peaceful and quiet and worthy of a stop here to rest your weary legs.

Just opposite is the larger St Philips Square and an imposing statue of King Edward VII, placed there in 1914.

On the way to my next stop, I wanted to pass by the well known a modern piece of street art called Illuminated Crowd. It’s a large sculpture of life-sized people in a crowd, each portraying a different expression. It didn’t fail to impress, sitting in front of a large modern skyscraper and I had definitely moved into the modern high rise area of Montreal now

The McGill University

I wanted to walk from here to McGill University, about 15 mins away, as I had heard that the park and setting is lovely, It would also be an opportunity to rest my legs, as I had done a lot of walking by now.

The McGill University was certainly pretty with its lawns and lovely green roofed buildings and there was a festival on. So many students were out relaxing on the grassed areas and enjoying the sunshine and I finally got to lay on the grass and rest my feet, watching the world go by.

Dorchester Square area

After a rest, my next walk was down towards the river and stopping at Dorchester Square and Place Du Canada. It contains four statues but that of Robbie Burns (representing the Scottish Community in Montreal) and one in memory of the Boer War stand out. The huge Sun Life Building from 1931, where the Gold bullion of the British Govt was held in safety during WW2, dominates one side of the square.

In the gardens, squirrels, accustomed to humans, run around the lawns and happily take offering from those seated nearby.

Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral

This is an opulent 19th-century church modeled after the famous St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Indeed the interior is very similar with its heavy panelled roof and Paladin centre  The exterior has statues of 12 Saints, a large portico and a large copper gilded dome and roof.

It was built in 1894 and consecrated as St Jame’s Cathedral (Catholic) in what was a very Anglo-Protestant area. Apparently it was deliberately built in this location to annoy them! Its name was changed to Mary, Queen of the World in 1955.

Next day, and today’s visits were going to be long ones so I planned more time for them. I wanted to visit the a big city art gallery and the Olympic stadium, which was outside of town.

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, (click here for info), is one of the best art galleries I have ever visited. Some of the abstract art images have stayed with me in my mind ever since and I have kept pics of them for personal use.

The huge Museum is in two parts as it is connected by a wide underground passageway to the annex building on the other side of the road.

There are works by a multitude of internationally acclaimed artists but the works by Toulouse-Lautrec and Mapplethorpe really caught my eye in particular. Other favourite art works are below.

The gallery is huge and had sculptures and art forms outside, as well as inside .

It has a a café and a huge gift shop full of art books. I would so have loved to buy one of the books on my favourite artist there but weight and size limitations in my luggage always restrict me on my travels and this time was no exception.

Olympic Stadium

To get here I would need to take a long Metro ride to the station of Viau – the nearest Metro stop to the stadium.

Built as the main stadium for the 1976 Olympics, this stadium in the Olympic Park, (click for info here), seats 56,000 and is still in use today, mainly for concerts and trade events. The cabled tower supports the roof and is the highest inclined tower in the world and underneath it still has the Olympic pool in use.

The velodrome was converted into the Biodome attraction but the outside football pitches and Olympic Village are still in use.

Yes, the complex feels a little dated now (it is nearly 45 years old) and does not see anything like the Olympic-sized masses nowadays that it was designed for. This has always been a place I wanted to see, because of its unusual design and am so glad I did the trip to get here.

The tower has a glass-sided elevator cabin that rises up the side of the tower, giving great views as it takes you to the top. At the top the observation deck gives you amazing views across all of Montreal and onto the St Lawrence River.

So, Montreal is all done and dusted and impressed me more than I was expecting.

I hadn’t envisaged the old town area, as my vision was of a modern, vibrant city. It is also this but the history goes back several centuries and to not include it as part of the make-up of the city is to avoid a huge part of its growth and importance.

Now to say goodbye to Montreal and prepare for tomorrow’s trip by train further up the St Lawrence River to French inspired Quebec, click here.

Sept 2016.