This is the 9th 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”.
Today was St-Jean-Baptiste Day, a Quebec holiday. I didn't notice any holiday related festivities, but a number of stores were closed or had reduced hours.
I walked to Station Édouard-Montpetit and just missed a train trying to keep someone out of my shots. I finally took a Blue Line/Ligne Blue train from there to Station Jean-Talon and from there switched to an Orange Line/Ligne Orange train to Station Henri-Bourassa, the last northbound Orange Line stop in Montreal. In the past I would have gone one more stop but with the new fare zone system that's a separate fare. I'm not complaining because on day 4 and especially day 2 I benefited from the new system. I grabbed breakfast at a McDonald's and then crossed Pont Viau over Rivière des Prairies from Montreal to Laval. I got a few shots of Terminus Cartier and then doubled back to Montreal on the other side of the same bridge.
[NOW: I started out at the ZUM Residences, University of Montreal / Université de Montréal. The Blue Line is Line/Ligne 5 and the Orange Line is Line/Ligne 2.]
I walked south along rue Berri, though at some point because the latter splinters off I think I wound up on rue St-Denis. I found some A&W coupons but might not use them because the booklet makes a nice souvenir. I walked all the way s On my rue Ste-Catherine. Just before that I checked the McDonald's from the day I left for Quebec City about my cell. I was pretty sure I had it after but I wanted to do a check anyway; no luck as expected. I walked east along rue Ste-Catherine. This took me through le village gai. As someone who isn't LGBTQ I didn't have any problems in that regard nor did I expect any. Instead of the pink balloons they used to have, they had chalk decorations. I did notice a lot of panhandlers on the street whereas I hadn't noticed any previously.
Leaving the street and on my way to Pont Jacques-Cartier, having had to skip a number of refreshment places because they weren't open yet or weren't open at all today I saw a Couche-Tard and was going to check it out but I had attracted the attention of some strung out guy so I had to pass on that. I crossed the bridge over the St. Lawrence River/Fleuve St-Laurent from Montreal to Longueuil. I visited Terminus Longueuil, remembering the drinking fountain there. I had packed some water but it was consumed by then. I then crossed the bridge on the other side back to Montreal.
I walked to the nearby Station Papineau and took the Green Line/Ligne Verte train to Station Place-des-Arts. In the RÉSO (underground area) I found the Archambault, only it had become a Renaud-Bray. This has furthered my suspicions that they're the same company. I walked along rue Ste-Catherine to the Burger King that offers lime Coke and had lunch there. A couple of women were asking, in English, strangers their views on abortion. I wasn't up for a chat with obvious evangelicals trying to push their message so I rushed past them before they could talk to me. One of them had started talking to someone else so that gave me a window.
[NOW: The Green Line is Line/Ligne 1.]
I took a Green Line train from Station Guy-Concordia to Station Angrignon and visited Parc Angrignon including a pond. I managed to get a water bottle refill there. Leaving, I had issues with my pass; I think I tapped it twice by mistake. I always keep my receipts handy because one bailed me out of a pass issue years ago, so I got the ticket guy to help me through the gate; this again went a lot faster because I had the receipt. I took a Green Line train to Station Joliette and walked to Promenade Ontario, on rue Ontario. Like av du Mont-Royal it was now a pedestrian and bikes area so I wandered the area. I finally managed to get a drink from a Jean Coutu that was open today; that business by the way is another pharmacy type business but with generally slightly better prices than Pharmaprix/Shoppers Drug Mart.
[NOW: Obviously I refilled the water bottle at a drinking fountain, not the pond.]
I took a Green line train from Station Joliette to Station Berri-UQAM then transferred to an Orange Line train to Station Mont-Royal. I walked through the west side of the pedestrian/bike area and then past construction to a bus stop where I got an 11 bus to the main viewpoint area of Mount Royal. I got some nice shots, but less than usual because it was like a furnace out and I was keeping an eye out for the next bus out of there. A 711 bus showed up and I took it back down the mountain. Both the 11 and 711 buses had the annoying mesh screens on their windows.
I took an Orange Line train from Station Mont-Royal to Station Place-d'Armes, hoping to get a fountain drink from the Couche-Tard that was part of the Palais de Congress, part of the same complex. Still out of order so I continued on Old Montreal/Vieux Montreal. I rested a bit at Bassin Bonsecouers, finding some shade and dipping my feet in the St. Lawrence River. Sadly I don't think you're allowed to swim in it. The water was very clear. I rested some more at Place Jacques-Cartier, the arts area that kind of symbolizes Old Montreal and then left and returned to rue Ste-Catherine. I got a DVD and some Blu-rays at Boutique Volume. Earlier I had found seasons 1 and 3 of a French series called C.A. and I found season 2 there. I cooled off again at the water jets at Place des Feativals.
I walked west to the Burger King by Square Phillips. They messed up my order but I was too tired to mention it. I went west some more and got some more DVDs at a Jean Coutu. I then took an Orange Line train from Station Lucien-L'Allier to Station Snowdon and a Blue Line train from there to Station Édouard-Montpetit before returned to ZUM Residences.
[NOW: That Burger King has closed.]
I think tomorrow, my last full day here will be a lot quieter because I've done most of what I set out to do and a few things I didn't. Mostly what's left is getting to a few easy to reach stores the timing hasn't worked out yet for and then revisiting a few favourites. But it'll depend on my mood.
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