This is the 7th of a series of posts dealing with
my fourth 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”. After I booked the trip I unexpectedly had to move and was
staying at a friend’s place at the time of the trip, so I was already pretty
tired before the trip back.
Unless noted all non-walking
transportation is Montreal's system, STM. I left just before 6 and walked around
the outside of the Museum of Fine Arts and McGill University. Heading west I
walked to the tiny community of Westmount, which is surrounded by Montreal. I
also probably visited here last year as well, not realizing I had actually left
Montreal briefly. I returned to Auberge Bishop and had breakfast.
[NOW: STM is short for Société de
transport de Montréal. Auberge Bishop has closed.]
I walked to the Lucien-L’Allier metro station and got a 3-day pass before taking an Orange Line train to Snowdon and a Blue Line train from there to Parc (all trains are a light blue regardless of line name). From there I walked to Parc Connaught in Mont-Royal, another town surrounded by Montreal. Like Paris, lots of streets converge at the park. Unlike Paris the park obscures the view of this.
I walked to Acadie metro station and took a Blue Line train to Jean-Talon, an Orange Line train from there to to Berri-UQAM, and a Green Line train from there to Honoré-Beaugrand... only to find that the bus I wanted didn't arrive there again for another few hours. I was going to take it to the northeast end to walk over to Repentigny and a couple of other communities, but this triggered a memory of Trip Not Possible messages, or maybe a different, longer route; can't recall which. So I began to get concerned that if I did take the bus over to do those three communities it might be very hard to get back.
I walked to the Lucien-L’Allier metro station and got a 3-day pass before taking an Orange Line train to Snowdon and a Blue Line train from there to Parc (all trains are a light blue regardless of line name). From there I walked to Parc Connaught in Mont-Royal, another town surrounded by Montreal. Like Paris, lots of streets converge at the park. Unlike Paris the park obscures the view of this.
I walked to Acadie metro station and took a Blue Line train to Jean-Talon, an Orange Line train from there to to Berri-UQAM, and a Green Line train from there to Honoré-Beaugrand... only to find that the bus I wanted didn't arrive there again for another few hours. I was going to take it to the northeast end to walk over to Repentigny and a couple of other communities, but this triggered a memory of Trip Not Possible messages, or maybe a different, longer route; can't recall which. So I began to get concerned that if I did take the bus over to do those three communities it might be very hard to get back.
[NOW: The partial memory above refers to
my using the Google and STM’s trip planners.]
To avoid this being a total loss, I took the Green Line back just to Viau, where I walked along part of the outside of Olympic Park including the Montreal Biodome, which I think was made for the 1976 Olympics. Unfortunately construction prevented me from exploring much around here (aside: at the hostel as I type this staff are playing rap VERY loud).
I took the Green Line again from Pie-IX (the other side of the park) to Berri-UQAM, then an Orange Line train from there to Mont-Royal (the Station). I got a pop at Jean-Coutu and took a 97 bus along rue Mont-Royal. I forgot that the bus I wanted was actually an 11 not 97. I grabbed lunch and a frosty from an A&W/Petro-Canada, then finally to Mont-Royal (this time the mountain/park) where I took a few photos at the observation area. This time I didn't feel like lingering long and at one end of the area someone was receiving texts with that annoying whistling sound that triggers anxiety in me so I took an 11 bus soon after back to Mont-Royal (the street/rue). More whistling text on the bus so I got off a little too soon in my nervousness, though the traffic is so heavy it probably made little difference. I visited Paul Boutique (wasn't yet open), Librairie Le Port De Tête, and La Boîte Noire.
To avoid this being a total loss, I took the Green Line back just to Viau, where I walked along part of the outside of Olympic Park including the Montreal Biodome, which I think was made for the 1976 Olympics. Unfortunately construction prevented me from exploring much around here (aside: at the hostel as I type this staff are playing rap VERY loud).
I took the Green Line again from Pie-IX (the other side of the park) to Berri-UQAM, then an Orange Line train from there to Mont-Royal (the Station). I got a pop at Jean-Coutu and took a 97 bus along rue Mont-Royal. I forgot that the bus I wanted was actually an 11 not 97. I grabbed lunch and a frosty from an A&W/Petro-Canada, then finally to Mont-Royal (this time the mountain/park) where I took a few photos at the observation area. This time I didn't feel like lingering long and at one end of the area someone was receiving texts with that annoying whistling sound that triggers anxiety in me so I took an 11 bus soon after back to Mont-Royal (the street/rue). More whistling text on the bus so I got off a little too soon in my nervousness, though the traffic is so heavy it probably made little difference. I visited Paul Boutique (wasn't yet open), Librairie Le Port De Tête, and La Boîte Noire.
[NOW: La Boîte Noire has closed.]
I returned to Mont-Royal metro station and took an Orange Line train back to Berri-UQAM and a Yellow Line from there to Jean-Drapeau. This particular metro station is at Île Saint-Hélène, Parc Jean-Drapeau. Unfortunately the water jets that Teresa and I played in a couple years ago were off. I walked to Île Notre-Dame (same park), then back to Île Saint-Hélène, taking photos of the Biosphère (made for a world fair). I took the Yellow Line to the only other stop, Longueuil-Université de Sherbrooke in Longueuil. The hub has so many buses you have to find the right wing to catch the bus at. I took a 13 bus (RTL, Longueil area's line) to Archambault in Brossard. I was going to also visit a SuperClub Vidéotron in the area but it was humid, the store was a few blocks away, and Brossard wasn't very interesting. Unfortunately RTL doesn't allow transfers for cash, but I still took a 43 bus (RTL) from the nearby Terminus Panama to Terminus Centre-Ville aka Station Bonaventure in Montreal, where I took an Orange Line to Berri-UQAM.
[NOW: The world fair mentioned above was
Expo 67. RTL is short for Réseau de
transport de Longueuil. That SuperClub Vidéotron has closed.]
I walked to Place Jeanne-Mance and this time, after waiting for a father to finish photographing his son, walked in the water jets and then lay down to dry off. I then returned to Berri-UQAM and took another Orange Line train to Cartier in Laval. I crossed Pont Viau back to Montreal and began a long trek down south.
I walked to Place Jeanne-Mance and this time, after waiting for a father to finish photographing his son, walked in the water jets and then lay down to dry off. I then returned to Berri-UQAM and took another Orange Line train to Cartier in Laval. I crossed Pont Viau back to Montreal and began a long trek down south.
[NOW: Place Jeanne-Mance is where you
find the Places des festivals with the water jets.]
For the next few places, the name of the store is followed by the street name in parentheses as some were franchises. In order: Le SuperClub Vidéotron (Lajeunesse; bought DVDs and blu-ray), Boite Vidéo (St-Denis), Le SuperClub Vidéotron (Villeray; bought DVDs), Video Beaubien (Beaubien; gone); Dollarama (can't recall but around here; bought a Pepsi variant I didn't care for), McDonald’s (St-Hubert), Mega (St-Hubert; gone), Renaud Bray (St Hubert), Attakus (Casgrain; gone), Le SuperClub Vidéotron (Parc), and Boite Vidéo (Laurier; gone). Then from there I walked to Rue Mont-Royal, took an 11 bus to Mont-Royal station, and an Orange Line train from there to Champ-de-Mars. I entered Old/Vieux Montreal and walked from there to Place Jacques-Cartier again, and other parts of the cobbled streets. I used the same route as the previous day to Square Victoria. I entered the metro station of the same name and took an Orange Line train back to Lucien-L’Allier. I walked to the hostel and did my best to type a trip report with as few typos as loud rap in the background allowed.
For the next few places, the name of the store is followed by the street name in parentheses as some were franchises. In order: Le SuperClub Vidéotron (Lajeunesse; bought DVDs and blu-ray), Boite Vidéo (St-Denis), Le SuperClub Vidéotron (Villeray; bought DVDs), Video Beaubien (Beaubien; gone); Dollarama (can't recall but around here; bought a Pepsi variant I didn't care for), McDonald’s (St-Hubert), Mega (St-Hubert; gone), Renaud Bray (St Hubert), Attakus (Casgrain; gone), Le SuperClub Vidéotron (Parc), and Boite Vidéo (Laurier; gone). Then from there I walked to Rue Mont-Royal, took an 11 bus to Mont-Royal station, and an Orange Line train from there to Champ-de-Mars. I entered Old/Vieux Montreal and walked from there to Place Jacques-Cartier again, and other parts of the cobbled streets. I used the same route as the previous day to Square Victoria. I entered the metro station of the same name and took an Orange Line train back to Lucien-L’Allier. I walked to the hostel and did my best to type a trip report with as few typos as loud rap in the background allowed.
[NOW: I think the Dollarama might be
slightly out of order. I had dinner at the McDonald’s. Le SuperClub Vidéotron (all three) and La Boîte Vidéo have closed]
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