08 AUG 2010

We woke in Kingston to the sound of rain on the tent and thought –“Great! Packing up a wet tent!”. And of course I was thinking “breakfast is a bust”. The rain stopped but the clouds did not look too friendly so we quickly wiped down the tent and packed up camp. There was a pancake breakfast being offered at the common buildings for $4.50, which under the circumstances seemed reasonable.

Then it was hit the road and let’s get to Montreal. We had decided to book ahead at the University of Montreal where the rooms with a double bed costing only $49.99 per night.

Remembering that dorm floors have shared bathrooms was a negative but being close to the subway and car parking availability was the positives. Parking of course cost 12 per day and the internet access cost 5 per day – but still very reasonable considering this is Montreal.

It turns out that the room is smallish, but very comfortable. It includes a fan, a frig and lots of other benefits like a common kitchen for our use. The kitchen was not equipped with dishes, but hey we have a car full of those types of things and being able to make breakfast here saves us money again.

We arrived around noon to learn that we could not check in until 3 since the room was not ready for us. But we could park the car, and we headed downtown on the subway. The subway for those who have never used it is very clean and easy to use. Just remember to read the maps carefully.

We decided to get a 3 day pass which allows us to make unlimited use and this was much cheaper than buying 2 one day passes. So off we go to explore the harbour area of Old Montreal and Old Montreal itself.

I think that to describe all the places we visited would not really be wise. However, I think that my impressions are more interesting. We left the subway with the no sense of direction which since traveling below ground tends to corrupt. We spent several minutes turning in circles hoping to find a sense of direction and finally agreed that to go down to the water front we first had to go up.

The streets seem to be very narrow with tall stone buildings rising on either side. The roads are rough and uneven with rock or brick inlays. However the charm of the old section of Montreal is hard to miss.

 Even when we managed to find the old harbour that has been totally set up for tourists, bikers, skaters etc., the sense of the holidays around everyone is clear. If you were a people watcher you would have no problem in this area from the old folks to the young families with kids to the physically active – all sharing the same environment.

We learned that unfortunately Cirque du Soleil was not performing in town this month but was in Quebec City. We immediately decided to book tickets for our stop there later this week.

Off we went to continue back into the heart of Old Montreal up towards Place Jacques-Cartier where we really found the tourists, shops, performers and artists. There is an alley full of artists displaying their work. This narrow street goes for one block, then turns 90 degrees and exists on the other street.

This is a fantastic area to explore and enjoy. Again we found ourselves surrounded by stone buildings reminding us of the depth of history and the state of permanence. There is something about feeling the history that cannot be learned through the books.

By this time we are getting a bit tired of walking and still have not checked into our room so back onto the subway to return to the university. We check in and decide that an hour rest before returning to the downtown area for dinner was needed.

When we next looked outside, we discovered it was pouring rain (thankfully we are not in a tent). Well regardless we need to head back for dinner and have some fun, so a little rain should not be a problem. Besides, it actually almost stopped raining by the time we left. However, by the time we got off the subway it was pouring – and I don’t mean just a nice spring rain – buckets would fill in minutes and clothes would be soaked in seconds. Even with our umbrella (yeah only one - can you imagine us from Kamloops not having more than one?) we only walked a short distance and felt the rain water on the skin. Wes had a light rain jacket but mine is not rain proof.

St. Catherines Street has been closed off to traffic for several blocks. It is now foot and bike friendly. Many restaurants and bars have added outdoor seating – covered of course – and this atmosphere of terraces for dining is really pleasant, or would be if not for the rain. Interesting enough the rain is very warm so we are not feeling chilled at all.

After we finished dinner we waited for the down pour to drizzle out, but to no avail. So we decided to bite the bullet and head on out to a couple of pubs. We had a few places recommended for us to attend and we managed to visit them. In total we visited 3 pubs and at one of them had a good time on the dance floor. In addition we stopped to 2 others but did not stay because they were not active – the Karaoke Bar did not start karaoke until 11 and one bar did not even open until 10 and we stopped by at 9:30. However, by this time we both were wet from walking around and decided to call it a night and take the subway homeward. The city life here really does not seem to get started until after midnight and with the driving and sight seeing, we both were not really into such a late night. A excuse for being old I am sure many of you are thinking, but really we are young at heart and smart.