Quebec Trip 2025 Day 10 Wednesday June 25 Montreal, Westmount

 

This is the 10th of a series of posts dealing with my 2025 trip to Quebec Canada. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports (typos, bits I don’t feel like making public). Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification. These are indicated by “NOW”.

 

I decided to walk to Station Universite-de-Montreal and take a Blue Line/Ligne Bleue train from there to Station Snowdon (all trains today STM/Société de Transport de Montréal); from there I took an Orange Line/Ligne Orange train to Station Square-Victoria-OACI. I walked along Square Victoria and then went to Old Montreal/Vieux Montreal, where I had breakfast at McDonald's. I visited Square Jacques Cartier, though it was noisy due to street cleaners. I walked to the waterfront including Bassin Bonsecouers to check out the Clock Tower and when I returned to the square it was quieter. I took an Orange Line train from Station Champ-de-Mars to Station Berri-UQAM and from there transferred to a Yellow line/Ligne Jaune train to Station-Jean Drapeau. At Parc Jean-Drapeau, this time I was able to walk from Île Sainte-Hélène to Île Notre-Dame and I returned to the former via another bridge close to the Biosphère. I did a long walk around the park including the exterior of La Ronde amusement park. I got more shots of the Biosphère and then took another Yellow Line train back to Station Berri-UQAM.

 

[NOW: I started out at the ZUM Residences, University of Montreal / Université de Montréal. The Blue Line is Line/Ligne 5, the Orange Line is Line/Ligne 2, and the Yellow Line is Line/Ligne 4. The Clock Tower is Montreal Clock Tower (Tour de l'Horloge).]

 

I walked west mainly along boul. Maisonneuve, again seeing the Manana hand sculpture. I revisited the former Auberge Bishop and then the outdoor art (including a Pinocchio themed piece) around le Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts). Heading onto rue Ste-Catherine, I visited Place Montréal Trust (including Indigo) and then Centre Eaton and Complexe Desjardins. I had lunch at the Burger King by Square Phillips. I walked to Place Émilie-Gamelin. By the Gare de l'autocars I saw the police appearing to deal with two separate incidents.

 

[NOW: That Burger King has closed.]

 

Heading north along rue St-Denis I visited Librairie du Square and then revisited Square St-Louis. I also visited Débédé (mainly comics). I left the street and visited Millenium Comics. Walking east along the pedestrian/bike area of av du Mont-Royal In got a drink from Dollarama. Briefly leaving that area to the east I tried to visit what appears to be Montreal's last video store, Le Cinoche, but my info on its hours proved outdated; it's now open on weekends only. I headed west, revisiting Multimags (erroneously called Mega Mags in a previous report), then got a Blu-ray at La Bouquinerie du Plateau. I had a wait due to a complicated purchase from the person in front of me. The same thing happened again soon after when I bought a book at Librairie l'Échange.

 

I  took an Orange Line train from Station Mont-Royal to Station Bonaventure, as I wanted to somewhat simulate the walk I used to do from the Megabus terminal to Ste Catherine before heading to the hostel. I saw Place du Canada and Parc Durocher in the process. I walked west along rue Ste-Catherine, getting another drink, then crossing into Westmount then Montreal again on the other side, then took another Orange Line from Station Vendôme to Station Champ-de-Mars. In Old Montreal I visited Marche Bonsecouers, Bassin Bonsecouers, and Place Jacques-Cartier. Leaving Old Montreal, I found a pedestrian only section of Chinatown. I visited Place Jeanne des Feativals. There and in the pedestrian area of rue Ste-Catherine, the jazz festival set-up was still present, though the Hydro-Québec display was taken down a couple days ago I think.

 

I walked to the Burger King where I could get lime Coke and then returned to Place Jeanne-Mance. I found an upper area of Place des Arts and explored that before going to the station of the same name. I took a Green Line/Ligne Verte train to Station Berri-UQAM, an Orange Line train from there to Station-Jean-Talon, and a Blue Line train from there to Station Édouard-Montpetit.

 

I did all this wearing the same shirt as yesterday. Walking into the water jets yesterday helped clean it and I want to clean shorts for tomorrow. Tomorrow is the trip home and in case I get sweaty in the morning, I want a shirt in reserve. I expect to get into Victoria really late tomorrow so I'll probably do a report from the airport in the afternoon and then do a final bit about the flight home when I'm awake enough to do so.