As luck would have it, we experienced our first day of rain when our walking tour of Old Montreal was scheduled. We hopped the metro and made our way to the “Loop” (pictured yesterday) where we met fellow travelers. Most were from the US and Europe, as well as Australia. There was only one other Canadian couple on the tour.

As I am sure that you know, Montreal is made up of a number of islands surrounded by the St Lawrence River to the south and the Riviere des Prairies to the north. Mount Royal is the hill that raises above the city (more about this in a future post).

My photos are not in the order that we saw them on the tour. I was taken by the gallantry of this statue. It looked like one of the three Musketeers to me but in fact it is of Paul de Chomedy. He founded Fort Ville-Marie which later grew into Montreal.

This is Le Petit Dep a cafe and grocery store in old Montreal. I took the picture because I am a lover of all things turquoise and then I realized that I had enjoyed their hospitality on a previous trip to Montreal

Across the river on one of our stops, we spotted Habitat 67. Erected from cement modules for Expo 67 (the World’s Fair) that Montreal hosted, it was designed as a project by a student at nearby McGill University. Our tour guide pointed out that it is the most expensive property in Quebec.

This ornate, vaulted ceiling enhanced with gold was once the headquarters for the Royal Bank (no wonder my bank fees are so high). We saw it on the part of the tour that was conducted inside. Montreal’s Underground City is necessary because of their harsh winters and abundance of snow, as well as the city’s hot, humid summer climate. It links Metro stations to to shopping plazas for over 33 kilometers!

This colourful landmark is a piece of the Berlin wall, giving to Canada to represent the triumph of unity, reconciliation and community. Interesting that just yesterday, Germany discouraged the wording of Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union.

We strolled through Montreal’s World Trade Centre under its glass atrium.

Back at street level, this building once housed the Molson’s Bank. I guess you have to own your own bank to afford an NHL team in Montreal. In Winnipeg the Jets are owned by one local family.

We spent time in Place d’Arms gazing at the Notre Dame Basilica. We went into the church on a future day.

The “Gossipers” is my favourite Montreal Monument. I have paid tribute to it on my three plus visits to the old city. I have renamed it “Three Sistas”.

With all that walking in the rain, we were chilly, tired and hungry. We discovered “Le Vieux Senateur” where we shared moules et frites, French onion soup and warm little buns, freshly out of the oven. D enjoyed a local beer and I a cuppa tea with milk and honey.

We bought fixings for a light supper at home and made our way there by Metro. It was a cozy night with our books (and wine).

Kath’s quote: “Chilly night, cozy blanket, warm husband.”-authour unknown

Love never fails.

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