je parle anglais
I’d just checked into my hotel and had clambered into the elevator. The humidity of the city had hit me hard and I was already feeling slightly wilted and a little bit soggy. That’s when the lift dinged, signally a stop at the second floor. The doors opened and eight young and beautiful people squeezed into the already populated carriage. They were all working that cool, studied urban vibe in clothes and hairstyles, and some of the women were carrying champagne flutes in their perfectly manicured hands. The doors closed, sealing them in with us. One of the guys in the group started dancing, and then they all were. Dancing. In a lift. Whilst brandishing champagne glasses aloft. I had to interrupt the impromptu gyrate-a-thon when the elevator arrived at my floor, exclaiming “Pardon” and “Excusez-moi” as I pushed my way through their little bumping throng. I got out, and they were still dancing as the doors closed, the elevator heading up up up to the top floor. And that is when I really KNEW I was in Montreal. After all, where else could I be?
I like Montreal. It’s not really what I expected - I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just different. The heat and humidity have been incredible too. I know, I know, an Australian complaining about the heat - yes, Australian summers reach far higher temperatures than it’s been here, but it’s a dry heat. This soggy heat takes some getting used to. And it’s been slowing me down. On my first day here I only got through half of what I wanted to see and do! I was outraged at myself and so got up extra early the next morning to make up for it, planning to DO EVERYTHING. I can’t say I completely succeeded, but I did a lot (and ended up having walked so far from my hotel that I wimped out and resorted to getting a taxi back). The first day I explored Mont Royal and Orataire Saint Joseph (and it wasn’t until after I’d climbed the two hundred and something steps outside to the top viewing area that I found out there were perfectly serviceable elevators and lifts inside!). Agnostic with atheist leanings that I am, I still paid the fee to light a candle and make a little wish/prayer thingo - hey, when in Rome/Montreal! My hotel’s on the “Golden Mile” quite close to the Museum of Fine Arts and I’d seen a sign for a Rodin exhibition, so I HAD to go to that (I’m a huge Rodin fan). There’s also a bunch of funky sculptures around the museum that I checked out after closing hours. Then the next day I kicked the Old Town’s arse, and the Port area too, seeing a plethora of historic sights and taking a cruise (because I can’t go anywhere without doing a cruise, apparently). And so today, just to mix things up and get away from the heat, I decided to explore the Laurentian Mountains outside of Montreal. So pretty and fun!
The most disappointing thing about Montreal? The Underground City. Call me a literal name stickler, but I was expecting an underground city… or at the very least, some kind of grotesque subterranean dwelling place inhabited by mutants a la “Futurama”. Instead it was a vast series of underground tunnels and underground shopping centres connecting to other shopping centres and hotels and so forth. Great if you love shopping, but where were the mutants?!
The most unexpectedly thrilling thing about Montreal? I got chased by actual zombies (or at least people wearing zombie masks and making zombie noises)! No, seriously!! I was just about to hop on my St Lawrence river cruise when I saw the most incredible thing right by the Port - a zombie game/experience called “Virus” where there’s all these linked shipping containers and you have to make your way through the zombie trail. You have a monitor bracelet on so they can tell how you’re doing and if it gets too much you can yell out “Poule!” (“Chicken!”) and then someone will come and escort you out of the game. I did scream once with actual fear and there was a lot of suspense as you made your way through, but most of it wasn’t overly scary (and a couple of bits were perhaps a little bit lame). Still, I was proud of myself for being immature enough to do it and for surviving - I always figured I’d be one of the first to die in a zombie apocalypse, so my success here has given me fresh zombie related hope!
Finally, under the cut I’m dumping a few Niagara Falls photos - mainly because I haven’t gone through my Toronto ones yet and I definitely haven’t looked at the Montreal ones either. I think the problem is I’m taking too many photos, which makes it a massive task to sort through - my camera has been magnificent though. I’ve dropped it twice onto concrete and it’s survived. I got it completely sopping wet at Niagara Falls and it remained (mostly) unfazed. I highly recommend my camera to anyone lucky enough to own it!
.
I like Montreal. It’s not really what I expected - I don’t mean that in a bad way, it’s just different. The heat and humidity have been incredible too. I know, I know, an Australian complaining about the heat - yes, Australian summers reach far higher temperatures than it’s been here, but it’s a dry heat. This soggy heat takes some getting used to. And it’s been slowing me down. On my first day here I only got through half of what I wanted to see and do! I was outraged at myself and so got up extra early the next morning to make up for it, planning to DO EVERYTHING. I can’t say I completely succeeded, but I did a lot (and ended up having walked so far from my hotel that I wimped out and resorted to getting a taxi back). The first day I explored Mont Royal and Orataire Saint Joseph (and it wasn’t until after I’d climbed the two hundred and something steps outside to the top viewing area that I found out there were perfectly serviceable elevators and lifts inside!). Agnostic with atheist leanings that I am, I still paid the fee to light a candle and make a little wish/prayer thingo - hey, when in Rome/Montreal! My hotel’s on the “Golden Mile” quite close to the Museum of Fine Arts and I’d seen a sign for a Rodin exhibition, so I HAD to go to that (I’m a huge Rodin fan). There’s also a bunch of funky sculptures around the museum that I checked out after closing hours. Then the next day I kicked the Old Town’s arse, and the Port area too, seeing a plethora of historic sights and taking a cruise (because I can’t go anywhere without doing a cruise, apparently). And so today, just to mix things up and get away from the heat, I decided to explore the Laurentian Mountains outside of Montreal. So pretty and fun!
The most disappointing thing about Montreal? The Underground City. Call me a literal name stickler, but I was expecting an underground city… or at the very least, some kind of grotesque subterranean dwelling place inhabited by mutants a la “Futurama”. Instead it was a vast series of underground tunnels and underground shopping centres connecting to other shopping centres and hotels and so forth. Great if you love shopping, but where were the mutants?!
The most unexpectedly thrilling thing about Montreal? I got chased by actual zombies (or at least people wearing zombie masks and making zombie noises)! No, seriously!! I was just about to hop on my St Lawrence river cruise when I saw the most incredible thing right by the Port - a zombie game/experience called “Virus” where there’s all these linked shipping containers and you have to make your way through the zombie trail. You have a monitor bracelet on so they can tell how you’re doing and if it gets too much you can yell out “Poule!” (“Chicken!”) and then someone will come and escort you out of the game. I did scream once with actual fear and there was a lot of suspense as you made your way through, but most of it wasn’t overly scary (and a couple of bits were perhaps a little bit lame). Still, I was proud of myself for being immature enough to do it and for surviving - I always figured I’d be one of the first to die in a zombie apocalypse, so my success here has given me fresh zombie related hope!
Finally, under the cut I’m dumping a few Niagara Falls photos - mainly because I haven’t gone through my Toronto ones yet and I definitely haven’t looked at the Montreal ones either. I think the problem is I’m taking too many photos, which makes it a massive task to sort through - my camera has been magnificent though. I’ve dropped it twice onto concrete and it’s survived. I got it completely sopping wet at Niagara Falls and it remained (mostly) unfazed. I highly recommend my camera to anyone lucky enough to own it!
.