Friday, April 2, 2021

Eastern Canada Trip 2019 Day 8 September 14 Montreal, Laval

This is the eighth in a series of posts covering my trip to Eastern Canada in September 2019, adapting emails originally sent to friends. I use NOW to refer to any updates since I did the trip.

Some trip days get out of hand and all you can do is ride the wave. Heard some of the concert a block over plus people whooping it up afterward. Someone in my room was doing some power snoring. It was raining in the morning. Walked to where the Illuminated Crowd sculpture is suppose to be but as I suspected it was either gone or covered by construction.
 
[NOW: I left from the now-closed Auberge Bishop.]

I returned to the hostel for breakfast. The TV had Friends and the radio had music that clashed with the TV. One address on my itinerary didn't look right and since the connection at the hostel is slow, lost a bit of time correcting that. Walked to Station de Métro Lucien-d'Allier and took an Orange Line train to Station de Métro Place-d'Armes  (all transportation today STM) and walked to the Old Montreal for some  photos with few people around. Returning to the station, I took another Orange train to Station de Métro Côte-Vertu. Due to construction I got confused trying to find the right bus stop but finally did. I took an 84 bus north to near the Ottawa River. I crossed the same bridge to Laval that I did in my first visit in 2013. I still recalled from that visit that the street curves left and if you continue forward you wind up non another street. I did  a very long hike along boul. Cure-Labelle, longer than I should have attempted really. One bridge I had to enter a dormant construction zone to pass over. I did briefly step on a nail. I finally found the Superclub Vidéotron. Mostly anglophone DVDs you can get elsewhere so I passed. I doubled-back through that bridge and turned on to St-Martin where I had lunch at a McDonald's. Kiosk worked. I actually misplaced the coupons but now had the number memorized. Not far was Cosmos BD (comics). I hiked to the more or less nearby Terminus Montmercy where I took another Orange Line train to Station de Métro Cartier. Bought some DVDs from a nearby Superclub Vidéotron, the only one in fact that's a repeat from past years. The closing of most of them plus the off season weather is why I've been doing the longer walks rather than the more fun sticking closer to Montreal; last chance to see. I would have liked to have crossed the Ottawa River on foot but was way behind schedule so returned to Cartier. Accidentally went the wrong way one stop to Station de Métro de-la-Concorde, but then I corrected and got off at Station de Métro Jean-Talon.

There I transferred to a Blue line and got off at Station de Métro Snowdon. I'm pretty sure I was there before for unrelated reasons to this time. Recognized the McDonald's.  Visited Komico, then returned to Snowdon and took it to Station de Métro St-Michel.  i was going to take the 141 bus  but with the day I was having was worried I'd take it the wrong way. In fact I did get turned around a few times before finding the Jean Talon branch of 1000000 Comix.

I was going to take the 129 bus south but hit construction yet again and wasn't sure which stops were still active. So even though I bumped it from the itinerary yesterday I ended up seeing the Biodome at Olympic Park after all. With all the construction I admit to have entertained the thought of taking off to Trudeau Airport and flying home,  but I shall at persevere.

At Station de Métro Pie-X I took the Green line train to Station de Métro de-Serres.  I  walked along Wellington (which ha\d a street fair for two small blocks to Superclub Vidéotron,  but it closed for the day at 5 and it was just after 5. I could return tomorrow but I doubt  it. In fact, having done this power walks outside of STM range, tomorrow I want to focus on places I've visited previously, so I've bumped a couple of things and just having a low key day tomorrow.
 
[NOW: I never made it back and that Superclub has now closed.]
 

Returning to the station I took a Green line train to Station de Métro Lionel-Groulx, where I  took an Orange line train back to Place-D'Armes. I ate dinner at the Old Montreal McDonald;'s and then wandered the waterfront a bit. I visited Place Jacques-Cartier once more and then walked to Station de Métro Champ-De-Mars. I took an Orange line train to the central hub, Station de Métro Berri-UQAM and after a briefly passage though the underground city (RÉSO) (Le Parchemin is closing) started walking along rue Ste-Catherine. I visited Boutique Volume. They have a book I wanted but not at I price I wanted to pay,especially given my concerns about Megabus luggage restrictions. I relaxed at Jeanne-Mance. Water jets were on with  different night colours. If it was earlier/less cloudy I 'd have gone in and cooled off. I passed through the rue Crescent concert again. less people than yesterday. Despite being free outside, I think it was a better spectacle than the Weird Al concert I went to recently. Tomorrow is wind down/greatest hits day!

 

 

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