Une visite a Montreal
You've heard or imagined the best and worst about Quebec, how it fits into Canada, what the differences are, what its future is... but for me, Montreal was simply the next biggest city on the tourist trail so, armed with guide book, back pack and train ticket, off I went.
First impressions of Montreal? Well the city has been both the focal points for many things Canadian in the last 40 years (expo and Olympics among others) but remains the window through which the world can view Quebec, the potentially seperatist state. But, to be fair, there is no feeling that you have arrived in the 'republic of Quebec' when you arrive. There are the same number of Canadian flags as Quebec ones in the station concourse, and the words of the national anthem adorn the walls both in French and English.
You are quickly aware of some of the differences though. For a start, the French dont do queues, so expect to get shoved about while waiting for your coffee; and in the washrooms, if one letter is broken on the sinks and the other says 'c', dont make the mistake I did of assuming its cold. Its chaud. F*cking chaud.
I wasnt sure of what exactly I should look to see in my 2 days, so I allowed Marco Polo to guide me, courtesy of the 'je suis touriste' top 10. Some observations..
1) Overview
The buildings in this city are beautiful. This is a very old city compared with Toronto, more than 350 years old. The ratio of old to new is much more akin to Europe. It looks like Europe too, at least compared with Toronto, which is very much a North American sky scraper city in the best sense.
On the other hand, to call it a 'Canadianised Europe' misses the uniqueness of the history here. The old Montreal of the 17th century is very French, and you could easily be in any French or Belgian town as you wander the narrow cobbled streets. Architecture fits too. But the 19th century buildings would fit perfectly in Bham or London. British monuments everywhere reflect the fashion of their time, with various statues to monarchs gone past.
Perhaps Montreal's uniqueness comes from the fact that it may be the only city in the world to combine such obviously different fashions as the French and British architecture in its mixed history, together with modern icons like the Expo 67 site and the Olympic park from 76. These really have not dated in the way 60s and 70s British buildings have!
2) Places not to miss?
St Josephs Oratory. The inside of the church is nothing special (compared with, say, the notre dame basilica in the centre of Montreal) but, at one of the highest points of the city, the view overlooking the place is excellent. Also worth a visit is the parc Jean Drapeau, on an outlying island. This was the site of the 1967 Expo, and it gets you out across the water, where you can then turn back and admire the city skyline, with the old town and port on the water, modern skyscrapers behind them, and in the background the Mount Royal, a huge hill overlooking the whole area. The city is in fact an island, and Mount Royal, as the central and highest point of this island, is what gives the place its modern name. Mont Real. I knew that classical education would come in handy one day!
3) Negatives
The language mainly. Although this shouldn't be viewed in entirely a negative manner, you do really need to know that the station is called 'la gare centrale', as there is no attempt to translate it (since 1977, in an attempt to protect the rights of the francophones here, French is the only official language in Quebec). But most of us can get by, and, to be honest, most people speak enough English that you need not worry. The real loss, though, is in some of the monuments, buildings, statues where the commentaries were only in French. I was a bit disappointed by that, if only because it diminished the educational and touristic experience.
On the other hand, there was also an 'ignorance is bliss' moment. While at the Berri-Uqam underground station on a train towards Mont Royal, we were removed from the station following various announcements, all in French. Then out came the emergency plastic saying 'danger', the sort of stuff the police wheel out when there has just been a murder or something.. I never did find out why we were chucked off that train... but on the other hand, never felt in any danger, mainly because i would never have known!
4) Only in Montreal moments?
Well there were a couple of oddities. But actually the nicest thing about the city in some ways is the fact that the rules of the city dictate that 1% of all construction costs of a building project have to be invested in art. This means there is a nice budget for all sorts of paintings and sculptures all over the city. There is also one tree in the city for every 2 people who live here.
I wasnt sure if i was part of a Montreal practical joke or not. Enjoyed a nice cooked breakfast on my 2nd morning of beans, sausage, bacon, eggs, toast with jam, melon and orange. All on the same plate. I wasnt sure whether i was being expected to mix eggs with melon, whether this was an artistic garnish, or whether the staff in the cafe were watching to see exactly what parts of the various items i would choose to mix together... oh well. In for a penny. I ate it all. Not at the same time, I might add..
So Montreal in conclusion? Well, i have long since learned that you can't appreciate everything about a city in 2 days, but the place really is worth a look. There's plenty to do for the longer staying visitor, everything from wildlife sanctuaries to olympic park tours to museums, and there's a history lesson round every corner... so well worth a visit. Having said that, it really was a relief to get back into English speaking Ontario!
First impressions of Montreal? Well the city has been both the focal points for many things Canadian in the last 40 years (expo and Olympics among others) but remains the window through which the world can view Quebec, the potentially seperatist state. But, to be fair, there is no feeling that you have arrived in the 'republic of Quebec' when you arrive. There are the same number of Canadian flags as Quebec ones in the station concourse, and the words of the national anthem adorn the walls both in French and English.
You are quickly aware of some of the differences though. For a start, the French dont do queues, so expect to get shoved about while waiting for your coffee; and in the washrooms, if one letter is broken on the sinks and the other says 'c', dont make the mistake I did of assuming its cold. Its chaud. F*cking chaud.
I wasnt sure of what exactly I should look to see in my 2 days, so I allowed Marco Polo to guide me, courtesy of the 'je suis touriste' top 10. Some observations..
1) Overview
The buildings in this city are beautiful. This is a very old city compared with Toronto, more than 350 years old. The ratio of old to new is much more akin to Europe. It looks like Europe too, at least compared with Toronto, which is very much a North American sky scraper city in the best sense.
On the other hand, to call it a 'Canadianised Europe' misses the uniqueness of the history here. The old Montreal of the 17th century is very French, and you could easily be in any French or Belgian town as you wander the narrow cobbled streets. Architecture fits too. But the 19th century buildings would fit perfectly in Bham or London. British monuments everywhere reflect the fashion of their time, with various statues to monarchs gone past.
Perhaps Montreal's uniqueness comes from the fact that it may be the only city in the world to combine such obviously different fashions as the French and British architecture in its mixed history, together with modern icons like the Expo 67 site and the Olympic park from 76. These really have not dated in the way 60s and 70s British buildings have!
2) Places not to miss?
St Josephs Oratory. The inside of the church is nothing special (compared with, say, the notre dame basilica in the centre of Montreal) but, at one of the highest points of the city, the view overlooking the place is excellent. Also worth a visit is the parc Jean Drapeau, on an outlying island. This was the site of the 1967 Expo, and it gets you out across the water, where you can then turn back and admire the city skyline, with the old town and port on the water, modern skyscrapers behind them, and in the background the Mount Royal, a huge hill overlooking the whole area. The city is in fact an island, and Mount Royal, as the central and highest point of this island, is what gives the place its modern name. Mont Real. I knew that classical education would come in handy one day!
3) Negatives
The language mainly. Although this shouldn't be viewed in entirely a negative manner, you do really need to know that the station is called 'la gare centrale', as there is no attempt to translate it (since 1977, in an attempt to protect the rights of the francophones here, French is the only official language in Quebec). But most of us can get by, and, to be honest, most people speak enough English that you need not worry. The real loss, though, is in some of the monuments, buildings, statues where the commentaries were only in French. I was a bit disappointed by that, if only because it diminished the educational and touristic experience.
On the other hand, there was also an 'ignorance is bliss' moment. While at the Berri-Uqam underground station on a train towards Mont Royal, we were removed from the station following various announcements, all in French. Then out came the emergency plastic saying 'danger', the sort of stuff the police wheel out when there has just been a murder or something.. I never did find out why we were chucked off that train... but on the other hand, never felt in any danger, mainly because i would never have known!
4) Only in Montreal moments?
Well there were a couple of oddities. But actually the nicest thing about the city in some ways is the fact that the rules of the city dictate that 1% of all construction costs of a building project have to be invested in art. This means there is a nice budget for all sorts of paintings and sculptures all over the city. There is also one tree in the city for every 2 people who live here.
I wasnt sure if i was part of a Montreal practical joke or not. Enjoyed a nice cooked breakfast on my 2nd morning of beans, sausage, bacon, eggs, toast with jam, melon and orange. All on the same plate. I wasnt sure whether i was being expected to mix eggs with melon, whether this was an artistic garnish, or whether the staff in the cafe were watching to see exactly what parts of the various items i would choose to mix together... oh well. In for a penny. I ate it all. Not at the same time, I might add..
So Montreal in conclusion? Well, i have long since learned that you can't appreciate everything about a city in 2 days, but the place really is worth a look. There's plenty to do for the longer staying visitor, everything from wildlife sanctuaries to olympic park tours to museums, and there's a history lesson round every corner... so well worth a visit. Having said that, it really was a relief to get back into English speaking Ontario!
posted by CBC at 12:12 pm
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