Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Eastern Canada Trip 2013 Day 11 Sunday September 22 Montreal

UPDATED: February 10, 2021

This is the 11th of a series of posts dealing with my third trip to Eastern Canada. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports. Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification.  These are indicated by “NOW”.

I walked along Rue Masionneuve, getting more photos of Illuminated Crowd, also a bit of Rue Ontario. I took a Green Line from Station Place-des-Arts to Guy-Concordia and had breakfast at the hostel.  I wandered Ste Catherine and briefly headed north to photograph a giant hand sculpture (Mañana; got that Muppets song running through my head now). I worked my way to Old Montreal, where that rain that wasn’t supposed to happen today happened. I got to Place-d’Armes, took the Orange Line to Lucien-d’Allier, and grabbed my coat from the hostel. I got turned around leaving upstairs and followed the Sortie signs. Big mistake: got locked into an area of the hostel I couldn’t get out of and had to pound on a door and shout to get out.

[NOW: all transportation this day STM/Société de transport de Montréal].

I walked around Ste Catherine again. I think I took a Green line but I can’t recall from where. I transferred to an Orange Line at Berri-UQAM where I heard a large bang. I not off at Station Mont-Royal and soon took an 11 bus to its mountain namesake. The bus overshot the stop I wanted to, and I had to dash back from a cemetery. I took photos back at the observation area and then took another 11 bus back to Station Mont-Royal, where I took an Orange Line to Lionel-Groulx (Montreal marathon runners were on the same train). I visited a Superclub Vidéotron and bought some DVDs. I took an Orange Line from there to Lucien-d’Allier and then Rue Ste Catherine, where Librairie Astro wasn’t open yet. Capitaine Quenec across the street was. I bought more DVDs from Movieland Dépot before taking another Orange Line back to Mont-Royal, where I met up with my friend Teresa. We walked to a poutine place whose name escapes me. I had a large one. After we chatted and ate lunch we returned to Station Mont-Royal after a quick peek at Librairie Millenium.

[NOW: The station I couldn’t recall was Station Atwater in the enclave of Westmount; I didn’t realize until; later that I had briefly left Montreal. That Superclub Vidéotron, Librairie Astro, and Movieland Dépot have closed.The poutine place is La Banquise.]

Parting company, I took the Orange Line to Station Lucien d’Allier one last time. I went back to Librairie Astro, where I had an unpleasant experience with the dealer [NOTE: my original report detailed this but I’ve opted not to make the matter public]. I shopped around a few places for baggage; also HMV. At Respirez a live model at the window looked a bit self-conscious. I did buy a bag that was smaller than I’d like from Urban Outfitters.
 
[NOW: HMV is now defunct.]

I walked to the Old Montreal by way of Victoria Square; another newlywed couple just outside the area. I returned to Victoria Square and took an Orange Line to Sherbrooke where I explored a small shopping area (Latin Quarter I think), then walked to my old hostel from last year (Hotel de Paris) before heading south.

Played a hunch I found the video store on Ontario I got DVDs from last year, still open, just not on my list. I bought more DVDs there. I then revisited the bus depot, still connecting with last year, then  wandered along Ste Catherine, finally finding an Archambault too late. I made it to that first McDonald’s I ate at in Montreal, then headed north to Rue Maisonneuve, hoping to get to the Scotiabank. I got locked just as I arrived so will need to get cash in Ottawa instead.

[NOW: The video store from 2012 was Club Video Revue, now closed.]

Then I returned to the hostel and waited for its one terminal to be free (other nights it was already free).

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