Saturday, May 13, 2023: A brief glance at a small part of a big city.
Info:
With its 1.8 million inhabitants Montreal is the largest city of the province of Quebec, but not the capital. There are more than 4 million people in the metropolitan region.
If you approach the city from the opposite side of the St. Lawrence River, you’ll have a wonderful view of the many skyscrapers of the city, while their glass fronts are gleaming in the sunshine – provided that the sun shines.
But there is also an older part of the city, and that’s the one I visited.
My opinion:
There are places where you feel at home from the moment you see them. Quebec and St. John and Reviere-du-Loup were such places for me. Of course, Montreal is beautiful. Nevertheless …
Diary:
Our campground was located out of town. Being asked how to get to Montreal, the lady at the front desk suggested to go by Metro and marked the way to a parking lot next to the terminal of the yellow line. Everything very simple.
It was not so much a problem to find the parking lot. But to buy the park ticket. Some people gave up and went away again. Finding the ticket counter of the Metro was an investigative masterpiece. Apargt from buying the correct ticket and paying the correct price for it. But it worked. Some Signs with symbols for people who are not able to speak French would have been helpful. Anyway, there is a metro line from the university below the St. Lawrence River to an Island and then to downtown. Between the two terminals there is only one station on the island.
Luckily, because they don’t announce or show on a display what the next station is.
It felt like 15 floors that I had to climb up on stairs or with escalators to get out into the sunshine at Berri UQAM. I wanted to go down to the Quai and started out into the wrong direction. As usual. Village, a colourful quarters that became more and more sad from one block to the next. Finally homeless people were lying between the garbage, which was artistically distributed by the wind, special shop windows showed revealing facts, addicts asked for money and food, a man was walking his friend on a leash, and a sweet scent was hanging in the air despite of the wind which tried hard to blow it away.
At that point even I realised that it might be a good idea to turn round, because not all my detours turn out to be strokes of luck.
Back to the Metro-Station and further on. There things were quite different. I found myself in the culture area with its modern boxes of theatres and museums. And an enormous mall. Behind them skyscrapers were being built. From there I went into the direction of the Quai, passing the neo-gothic cathedral, and finally walked along the St. Lawrence River.
On my way I saw a number of really nice alleys, a Chinese quarter, yes, there was a lot that makes a city worth visiting. However.
I was glad when I found the entrance of my Metro-Station again, and when I finally was back at Annie Way’s parking lot.
I certainly had only seen a small part of this city, as much as I was able to walk before I got tired. It would be bold to make conclusions about all of Montreal. Nevertheless I feel no need to come again in fall on my way back. Quebec – absolutely. Reviere-du-Loup – a necessity. St. John – if I have time for another detour, yes please! But Montreal … on the other hand, perhaps it deserves a second chance.