Day 20 July 7 Montreal QB

Waking up in Montreal, we were ready for a great day exploring this city. Our first task for the day was buying our day passes on the Metro (subway).  We had enough of Montreal traffic yesterday to know we didn’t want to try to drive and park in the busy downtown area, especially with a good Metro system available.

Four Metro stops later, we got off a short walk from the Basilica. This is the largest church in Canada.  This is in the old area of the city, settled 400 years ago.  We got to the Basilica just as a tour in English was starting.  The inside of the cathedral was impressive, with quite a variety of different architectural styles.  We enjoyed the enthusiasm of the young tour guide and learned quite a bit about the history of the cathedral as well as the city.     We both took lots of lovely pictures.  And then we had to do a selfie on the step.

We ate a picnic lunch and people watched on the plaza in front of the cathedral.  There were visitors from around the world.    We could have sat there all day and just "people watched." 

There were a number of street musicians and performers around the city. On the square in front of the Basilica was a series of performers. There was a sax player and then a small band with a vocalist.  They seemed to be scheduled since they took turns and stopped when the Basilica's bells were playing.   It was so exciting to just soak it all in.

We followed a self-guided walking tour down the street, and saw many lovely old buildings.

We then went to Château Ramezay, one of the fine historic homes in the city which is now a museum.  It had many reincarnations throughout the centuries. It told the story of Montreal as we walked through the rooms.   We learned that Benjamin Franklin was in the house for 6 weeks trying to convince the Canadians to join them in trying to overthrow the British.  They remained loyal and turned him down.

Then we had the treat of a bagpipe concert in the garden.  Always love to hear Amazing Grace and Scotland the Brave….Four young men in kilts playing their pipes at the edge of a public square.  What fun!

We were the on to the Metro to get out to the island where the Expos ’67 had happened.  Dick made a trip there a few years after the Expo, and saw some of the remaining exhibits.  The star of it was the large Geodesic dome that had been the home of the USA pavilion in 1967. He also returned some 20 years ago. This was designed by Buckminster Fuller.  It was given to the Canadian government and is now an environmental museum called to the Biosphere.   

This was such a wonderful museum.  It focused on a variety of different environmental issues such as climate change and weather, as well as some really experiential movies and sensory experiences encouraging the enjoyment and protection of our planet. It even gave Patti a chance to dress up in a BioHazard suit. A highlight, was going to the top floor of the building inside the dome and getting the chance to look out over the city.  Spectacular views! 

We were both ready to hop back on the Metro to our lovely Air BnB aparment.  We settled in for the evening with a homecooked dinner, glad to have soaked in a taste of Montreal.