This is the 8th 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 left ZUM Residences and got a 3-day Zone A pass at Station Édouard-Montpetit. I took a Blue Line/Ligne Bleu train from there to Station Jean-Talon and from there transferred to an Orange Line train to Station Mont-Royal. All transportation today STM/Société de Transport de Montréal. I walked south to Square St-Louis, a small park with a disproportionate number of squirrels for a park its size. I walked along the pedestrian only area of rue Prince-Arthur, which seems more run down than it did 6 years ago. On rue Ste-Catherine I had breakfast at a different McDonald's than before this trip. I revisited the former location of Auberge Bishop and this time went up the exterior step and looked inside. Looks like it's been gutted with lumber on the ground. However when I went down the steps I had the same feeling I used to have when heading out from there. Maybe if souls exist and their energy, part of them stay at places that matter the most to us.
[NOW: ZUM Residences are at the University of Montreal / Université de Montréal. The Blue Line is Line/Ligne 5 and the Orange Line is Line/Ligne 2.]
I walked to the enclave city of Westmount and visited Parc Westmount. One area is supposed to have a "clock" made out of plants. I'm pretty sure I found the location but no plants here currently other than the surrounding grass. I had a lot of time before the first store of the day opened so I decided to walk a long way west, returning to Montreal. I visited Parc Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, which has a Vimy/World War I memorial. Construction blocked my route just before I got to Montréal-Ouest (aka West Montreal). I tried going south and walking along the north end of Gare Montreal-Ouest, but when I reached the west side the exit was blocked by the construction, so I finally made it past on the other side. Interestingly it seems like the west side of Gare Montreal-Ouest is indeed in Montréal-Ouest but the east side is in Montreal. I got Montreal-Ouest via the south side of the Gare. During this process I saw multiple trains. Since one was about to pass I looked for the blockade being lowered. It was directly above me so I hastily moved back. After that I visited Librairie Bonder Bookstore (English books).
There was still time before the next store opened so I headed west some more but noticed that there's a section that pedestrians can't get through. I doubled back but because the past does a brief side route I think I missed one. I finally took the 90 bus to the Lachine area of Montreal. I passed by Parc LaSalle and visited Librairie des Passages. I took another 90 bus west to the main area of Montreal. After first passing through a tunnel under railroad tracks, I got a drink at Dollarama, visited Encore Books, and then grabbed lunch at PFK/Poulet Frit Kentucky (do I need to translate that?). I took an Orange Line train from Station Vendôme to Station Côte-Vertu. I got another drink at Family Dollar and then visited Cosmix (comic shop). I took an eastbound 121 bus to Comic Hunter, in the basement of an office building.
[NOW: It looks like the dollar store had a different name; probably wasn’t Dollarama.]
I took another 121 bus to near a Renaud-Bray. I got a water at a Metro Plus, where someone had spilled food. I visited Parc-nature de l'Île-de-la-Visitation (Visitation Island Nature Park). But I didn't stay as long as I might have had I not been overheating. At another construction zone I took a 49 bus to Station Henri-Bourassa. No window seat to get photos but I was glad to be inside. I took an Orange Line train from there to Station Berri-UQAM and from there switched to a Green Line/Ligne Verte train to Station Pie-IX. There was more I wanted to do but it was too hot out so I just did my main goal of getting photos of the Biodôme de Montréal at Montreal Olympic Park/Parc olympique de Montréal. It kind of looks like a done that someone inserted a scoop into.
[NOW: The Green Line is Line/Ligne 1.]
i took another Green Line train to Station Guy-Concordia and revisited Capitaine Québec Les Livres Comiques. I walked along rue Ste-Catherine to Place des Festivals. I took everything out of my shorts and walked into the water jets to cool off. I then walked to Old Montreal/Vieux Montreal. I walked a little ways towards Bassin Bonsecouers but with the heat I soon turned around and again went to Marche Bonsecouers just for the drinking fountain again. I walked along Place Jacques-Cartier. Leaving the area I took an Orange line train from Station Champ-de-Mars to Station Sherbrooke. I visited Librairie Planète BD and then had dinner at the McDonald's at rue Saint-Denis and av du Mont-Royal. Heading west along the latter's car-free area I visited the Librairie Le Port de tête on the north side of the street. The south version is more comics focussed and had moved a few doors down. Paul Boutique had stuff inside but was not only locked up but was also blocked by a fence. I finished walking to the west end of the car-free area and then did the same to the end of the east side, though my legs were protesting. Heading west again I got another drink at a Dollarama.
[NOW: I later confirmed Paul Boutique had closed.]
I took an Orange line train from Station Mont-Royal to Station Jean-Talon and from there a Blue Line train to Station Édouard-Montpetit. Returning to the hotel, I saw a marmot more clearly this time, though he kept shifting as if to make sure most of the photos were of his butt. I filled some of the empties I acquired today with water from a drinking fountain on the ground floor (7th) before returning to my room. I found out that a single outlet in my room doesn't work and that's the one I was charging my laptop with. I had the fan on in my room but I unplugged it so I could charge this for at least a bit. And it did keep trying to move my text even in Notepad.
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