Montreal Mondays

Our last day in Montreal was pretty much just me. Mark got up early for breakfast then was hard at work. After a run, I set out to walk Old Montreal one last time. It was a cool day as a storm was rolling in.

Old Montreal dates to the 1600’s. Many of the streets are still cobblestones with modern sidewalks It’s cool to walk the cobblestone streets and see signs on the buildings telling their story. They’ve done a great job preserving so many of the old buildings. Too many cities simply tear down all the old to make way for the new.

I could not get enough of the pretty plants and flowers that were everywhere. Even at this late stage in their summer, vibrant color was on full display. Planter boxes are full of greenery on almost every street. Baskets of color hang in many patios and store fronts. The leaves of one plant in particular are gigantic, elephant ears I later learned. I sure wish they would grow in my little corner of the world.

One side of Montreal’s City Hall building has pretty flower and plant arrangements the entire block. Each one has meaning to the city, marking an important part in the their history.

Across from city hall sits the Chateau Ramezay. It has a revolutionary war era look to it which made me curious. Turns out, it’s the first place designated as part of their national parks system. The house was built for Claude de Ramezay, Governor of Montréal in 1705. He hosted many important visitors while he and his family lived there. After that it was used in many different official capacities for the city and was saved from demolition by Antiquarian and Numismatic Society of Montreal then opened as a museum on May 1, 1895.

It’s an exciting look into the past. You walk through the house as if you’re a visitor to the home when the family lived there. The upper rooms showcase artifacts of the time including furniture and other finishing. Downstairs houses the kitchen and sleeping areas. The thick walls were interesting. I figure it was an insulation factor for the harsh winters. Much like most homes today, the kitchen area was the center of activity for the family.

Outside lay a beautiful garden. It was laid out like an English garden with ornate sections and practical sections framed by a nice path. There were strawberries, cucumbers, grapes, cabbage and herbs easily seen as well as others that I couldn’t tell. The base of the grape vines were thick and gnarly, I wondered if they might be part of the original garden. How cool that would be! I meandered in that garden almost as long as I was inside the house.

I spent the rest of the day just walking around. Montreal is a walking friendly city. There are new things to discover with just about every street corner you turn on. This fun homage to the 1976 Olympics is located on a corner in the modern section of town. The lights move up and down simulating the torch. There are many dedicated pedestrian walkways in Old Montreal where musicians play. All totaled I walked over 35 miles over the long weekend. I could have walked a bit more Monday afternoon but the promised rain was making an appearance so I hustled back to the hotel before I got soaked.

Monday was our anniversary so after Mark’s workday was finished, we had dinner plans. Thankfully the weather was cooperating. The rain had stopped and we had a nice cool evening ahead of us. I brought boots just for tonight. I was so excited to wear something other than sandals in September! We walked down the cobblestones to Vieux-Port Steakhouse, which was highly recommended by one of Mark’s coworkers. Dinner and dessert were amazing, just like every anniversary dinner should be. We devoured our dessert before I thought to take a picture. We took one last walk along the waterfront before heading back to our hotel. The rain began again within yards of the hotel, we made it back just in time. Happy 30th Anniversary to us! Cheers to the next 30.