Seeing more of Montreal

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Geo: 45.5088, -73.5878

Since we couldn't get in Château Ramezay yesterday, we went straight there this morning after breakfast. It's a smallish manor house of significant historic interest to the city. It was built by Claude de Ramezay, Governor of Montréal, in 1705. After his death, it became the headquarters of the West India Company (Compagnie des Indes) which dealt mainly in the fur trade with Ameri-Indians. Later the house was used by the Governor of British Canada, occupied by Benjamin Franklin in 1776. It was subsequently turned into a school, left derelict and finally opened as a museum in1895. The inside of the house was elegant, especially the formal drawing rooms. The wood panelling was made in Nantes and shipped over for the 1967 Expo and later bought by the Museum. Montréal, and Québec for that matter, isn't very old, but has packed a very eventful of history onto its 375 years.

We had to skip morning coffee (quelle horreur!). Instead we went to The Village (gay village) for lunch. Our French guide book recommended a local bistro there. Being a guide book for French readership, we trust its restaurant recommendations implicitly. The bistro was kitsch to say the least, but it served tasty, albeit no frills, food. Not that food in a gay restaurant has to have frills of course.... Hamish ordered an omelette and Alan, being the adventurous sort, tried the Poutine with chicken and peas. Poutine, the 'national' dish of Québec is basically chips with cheese curd and gravy poured over. Extra toppings can be added. The one Alan ate in Vancouver last year was the haute cuisine version with pork cheek and truffle oil, this was the more down to earth rendition. Once you are used to the idea that the chips will get soggy, it is rather nice.

The Basilique Notre-Dame was out next port of call. It is an enormous Gothic Revival style church designed by an Irishman, James O'Donnell. It dates from 1829 with the towers were added in 1843. The exterior looks a bit grey and dull but the interior is the polar opposite. Inspired by Sainte-Chappell in Paris, the nave is ornately carved. The initial impact when we entered was fabulous, especially when lit with coloured lights, though closer inspection reveals that it is irredeemably kitsch. Interesting fact for Eurovision fans Céline Dion (Ne partez pas sans moi) got married here.

Sorry to disappoint our readers, we didn't go any where special for dinner. In fact we got a Thai takeaway and had it in the apartment. It was a delicious Pad Thai and the one portion was sufficient for then two of us. We had to get ready for dancing in the evening.

Before leaving London, Alan had found the Montréal branch of RSCDS and looked up when and where they meet. Luckily, they have a class on Tuesdays in a church hall a 25-minute walk away from where we are staying. They were a delightful group of people - about 20 dancers in all. The evening was divided into two parts. The first 90 minutes was for beginners and the last half-an-hour was for more experienced dancers. They were very friendly and welcoming - a Chinese man in a kilt is something of a novelty.... All in all it was a good evening of social dancing. After two and a half hours' dancing we didn't even notice the cold as we skipped our way home!

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Photos

Château de Ramesay
As it looked when it was first built.

Château de Ramesay
The elegant drawing room.

Automobile
First car registered in Québec

Poutine
With chicken, peas and gravy.

The Village
Mural about aids. Still around to this day.

Notre-Dame
The nave all lit up.

Basilique
Arches

More maple lollies
Yummy!

Comments

[Lynda]

Fabulous, thank you, makes me feel like I'm there with you. Keep it up.