I've been wanting to visit Montreal for a long time and finally did last month when I attended the Rotary International Conference. At last I got the opportunity to practice my French without going to France! Given my passion for cruising, it's unusual that I would stay in a hotel for more than a few days at a time, but my weeklong stay at the Marriott Chateau Champlain was very nice. It was very well located downtown (Centre Ville) as I could easily walk to Vieux-Montreal, the charming old section of town and to the Rotary conference events at the Palais des Congrès and Centre Bell.
During our first day there, Steve and I walked around Vieux-Montreal and had lunch at a sidewalk cafe on the Place Jacques-Cartier. The food wasn't great but the ambience was unbeatable for people watching and enjoying the street musicians. I didn't know what to expect in Montreal as I had heard that the Québécois could be downright snooty towards Americans. But I can now honestly tell you that this is dated information as Steve and I felt warmly welcomed wherever we went in Montreal. As long as you stay in areas frequented by tourists you don't need to worry about speaking French. Go 30 miles east however and it's a different story. Although I didn't need to speak French, I practiced it at every opportunity and as long as the Québécois slowed it down a little, I could understand much of what was being said.
I was pleasantly surprised when people approached me to ask a question in French and I was thrilled when I could actually answer in French. Perhaps I fit in better in Montreal than I do in Europe; when people approach me anywhere in Europe they always speak English so I figured I must just look like a typical American tourist.
At long last I saw Cirque du Soleil -- in their birthplace no less! Cirque du Soleil got star
ted in Montreal in 1984 with a group of 20 performers and now has over 1,000 artists who perform all over the world. The show that we saw was called Totem, which traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. I was amazed at the dazzling costumes and awestruck by the sheer talent of the performers. My two favorite acts involved a man and woman who came about as close to making love on a trapeze as two people could in front of a large crowd and the five Chinese ladies on unicycles who juggled metal bowls with their feet and caught them on their head. I wondered how they managed to learn this trick.
The next day Steve and I boarded "le bateau mouche" to catch a view of Montreal from the St. Lawrence River. Although the literal translation of "bateau mouche" is fly boat, the name comes from the fact that they were originally manufactured in boatyards situated in the Mouche area of Lyon. Do you suppose this area was known for its flies? It is an open excursion boat that offers a great view of the surroundings. We sat on the top deck, had a tasty lunch and enjoyed the company of a couple who was from a town on the other side of the Pont Jacques-Cartier. Although we passed the Iberville Passenger Terminal, there were no cruise ships docked.
For the next few days, Steve explored more of Montreal while I attended the Rotary International Conference with 17,341 other Rotarians from all over the world. When he welcomed us, Gérald Tremblay, the mayor of Montreal said that the Rotary conference was the most important
gathering in Montreal's history. The conference was not only inspiring but entertaining as well. It was wonderful to hear Greg Mortenson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Central Asia Institute and author of Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace....One School at a Time, talk about his success in building schools for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I enjoyed Dolly Parton, whose Imagination Library has distributed 25 million books to children in need. She is a very personable and funny lady who doesn't know how long it takes to do her hair in the morning because she is never there.
During our first day there, Steve and I walked around Vieux-Montreal and had lunch at a sidewalk cafe on the Place Jacques-Cartier. The food wasn't great but the ambience was unbeatable for people watching and enjoying the street musicians. I didn't know what to expect in Montreal as I had heard that the Québécois could be downright snooty towards Americans. But I can now honestly tell you that this is dated information as Steve and I felt warmly welcomed wherever we went in Montreal. As long as you stay in areas frequented by tourists you don't need to worry about speaking French. Go 30 miles east however and it's a different story. Although I didn't need to speak French, I practiced it at every opportunity and as long as the Québécois slowed it down a little, I could understand much of what was being said.
I was pleasantly surprised when people approached me to ask a question in French and I was thrilled when I could actually answer in French. Perhaps I fit in better in Montreal than I do in Europe; when people approach me anywhere in Europe they always speak English so I figured I must just look like a typical American tourist.
At long last I saw Cirque du Soleil -- in their birthplace no less! Cirque du Soleil got star
ted in Montreal in 1984 with a group of 20 performers and now has over 1,000 artists who perform all over the world. The show that we saw was called Totem, which traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. I was amazed at the dazzling costumes and awestruck by the sheer talent of the performers. My two favorite acts involved a man and woman who came about as close to making love on a trapeze as two people could in front of a large crowd and the five Chinese ladies on unicycles who juggled metal bowls with their feet and caught them on their head. I wondered how they managed to learn this trick.The next day Steve and I boarded "le bateau mouche" to catch a view of Montreal from the St. Lawrence River. Although the literal translation of "bateau mouche" is fly boat, the name comes from the fact that they were originally manufactured in boatyards situated in the Mouche area of Lyon. Do you suppose this area was known for its flies? It is an open excursion boat that offers a great view of the surroundings. We sat on the top deck, had a tasty lunch and enjoyed the company of a couple who was from a town on the other side of the Pont Jacques-Cartier. Although we passed the Iberville Passenger Terminal, there were no cruise ships docked.
For the next few days, Steve explored more of Montreal while I attended the Rotary International Conference with 17,341 other Rotarians from all over the world. When he welcomed us, Gérald Tremblay, the mayor of Montreal said that the Rotary conference was the most important
gathering in Montreal's history. The conference was not only inspiring but entertaining as well. It was wonderful to hear Greg Mortenson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Central Asia Institute and author of Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace....One School at a Time, talk about his success in building schools for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I enjoyed Dolly Parton, whose Imagination Library has distributed 25 million books to children in need. She is a very personable and funny lady who doesn't know how long it takes to do her hair in the morning because she is never there.
On our last night in Montreal, Steve and I had some of the best Chilean Sea Bass we've ever tasted at the Firegrill Restaurant & Bar on Stanley Street. Up to that point, I had been somewhat disappointed in our meals in Montreal -- they weren't bad but they weren't great either. The portion was generous and the fish was moist and delicious.
More photos of Montreal
More photos of Montreal
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