September 10th marks a big day in our house. We were two crazy kids that decided to get married at 22. Everyone thought we were nuts to tackle this at such a young age. We were both still in college after all. We didn’t care, we happily ran down the aisle and have been running together ever since. Our normal anniversary celebration is dinner out but every now and again we do it up right. This year was definitely one of those times.
Mark was working in Montreal the week of our big day and because he has a gazillion air miles, I traded our never-ending summer heat for cool temperatures and long pants for a long weekend. I am so glad I hopped on that plane. Montreal is absolutely beautiful. It’s also very walkable. I logged a little more than 35 miles in three and a half days. While Mark worked Friday, I ran at the hotel gym then got to work on some blogs. It was a very productive day.
Our first stop was the St. Joseph Oratory. It’s considered a minor basilica yet is Canada’s largest church. The huge dome that sits atop is also the largest in the world. Everything about it is beautiful. From the grounds to the original chapel to the beautiful inside of the basilica. Everywhere you turn there is so much sacred beauty. Standing on the ground looking up toward the massive dome, a statue of St. Joseph stands at the front of the garden. Walking past him, you see meticulously manicured grounds with three sets of stairs rising to each new level. The center set of stairs are wood and we thought those may be the original stairs dating back to original construction. Inside, we learned that the center stairs are for those that pray their way up them. Each step is a new prayer and it takes about two hours to complete. After hearing that I was bummed we didn’t get to witness it.
The grounds at each level that we climbed offered a larger view of the surrounding area. The incredible detail of the basilica also comes into better view with each level. When you go, I urge you to stop and take it all in at every level as you climb the stairs.
Inside, you’ll be enveloped by the size and beauty. The aisle is long and wide. As I stood there I thought about getting married here and walking down that aisle as a bride. The organ is magnificent in size and sound. Along the sides are the stations of the cross depicting Jesus’ final days. We’ve seen them in many churches but this one was different because it was life-sized. Walking along them different passages of the gospel of Matthew were scrolling through my head.
We closed out our tour with the Original Chapel where Brother Andre’ spent his life tending to the needs of others. The tour booklet states, “His was a life filled with faith and love.” He lived upstairs and worshipped downstairs. Inside you can see lots of old canes and crutches left by people after he tended to them, prayed with them and they didn’t need their devices anymore. It was moving to see it all.
After that, we walked around before dinner. We walked down to and along the waterfront, watching boats in the Saint Lawrence River and listening to a good little band. We circled the lighthouse and walked via one of the marinas and taking in the tall buildings of the financial district standing tall against the old buildings of Old Montreal.
Dinner at John Michael’s Pub along the Jacques-Cartier Place. It’s a pedestrian only roadway with restaurants lining both sides. Of course we sat outside where we were treated to a mini concert of sorts as different musicians played the entire time we were there.
Our first day in Montreal was a real treat. As with most of our trips, our next day was going to be an action packed adventure.
Up next, Olympic Park and more walking Montreal.
Check out our other Montreal adventures: