La Basilique de Notre Dame
This was the last thing we saw before we left Montreal. It is an amazing church. The difference between a basilica (from the Greek
basileus meaning "king") and a cathedral, is that a cathedral is in the shape of a cross, whereas a basilica, being patterned on the law courts of the Greco-Roman world, is merely in a rectangular shape.
Here is a picture I took...
Basilique 
...and here is a picture a nice lady took of us.
Mathieu et Jeanne
Lake Michigan
We've arrived at Betty Jo's cottage on Lake Michigan and we are enjoying the sun. I didn't quite apply the sunscreen as fully as I should have to my legs yesterday, but I did not repeat the mistake today. What a beautiful place to just relax. I'm reading
The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich (recommended by JessBob). What a fun story. I had already read all of the books I had brought with me--being that they were kids' books about Ancient Egypt, it didn't take that long. Anyways, we're at the Holland Public Library, and we're about to go check out an exhibit connected with the
exhibit at Calvin.
More reflections
Well, I have more time on my internet card, and Janna is still out getting coffee, so I guess I'll write some more.
I love the people here in Montreal. First of all, it is the most diverse city I have ever been in--Anglo, Latin, Middle Eastern, African, Indian, Asian, "First Nations," etc... Although there are somewhat ethnic neighborhoods, nothing like in Chicago, Toronto, or New York. Everyone lives together, an Iranian restaurant comes right next to an Italian restaurant, next to a Mexican Restaurant, next to a Vietnamese restaurant, etc... What a beautiful people, from all corners of the globe.
Also, they combine both the best traits of French people and Canadians. They are both laid back in dress, speech, and attitude, but they have a sense of history, place, and culture. They are beautifully colored, friendly, warm and knowledgeable. It is a warm and welcoming city and I hope to come back some day.
au revoir, Montreal
Well, actually, half of this trip will be in Michigan, with Janna's mom, so there will be a little more forthcoming. Janna and I had a great trip since I talked to you last on Sunday I saw...
- The Pointe a Calliere Archeology Museum
This was an excellent museum which had a special exhibit on Roman Gaul with tremendous artifacts including a household lararium and a massive table carved with a decree from Emperor Claudius. The regular exhibit was also exquisite, taking one on an underground tour of Vieux Montreal
- The Centre Canadien d'Architecture
This was a fun museum, but Janna enjoyed it more than I. An interesting exhibit featuring (I can't remember his name) the author of Microserfs and Generation X and an interesting exhibit on city planning in Montreal in the 60s
- The Sir George Etienne Cartier Museum
This was a hidden gem. It's interpreters were top notch and enthusiastic. It had a great explanation of the transition of Canada and Quebec from colonial to national status. It picked up right were the Ramezay Museum left off. It was also only two blocks from the hotel. So after a very brief nap, some freshening up, and dinner at a lovely Italian Pizza Restaurant in centre-ville(downtown) we started the climb to...
- Mont Royal
which we reached by walking through the lovely McGill University Campus full of wonderful Romantic Victorian neo-gothic architecture. The mountain is falling apart (erosion problems) so we had some difficulty located our path, but we made it up to the belvedere (overlook) and it was a lovely evening.
Mont Royal That night we crashed after watching an episode of the Simpsons.
Today, we had some serious difficulties with the Metro (i.e. it was evacuated so it could not be used) So we decided to drive. Janna was a great navigateuse. We saw...
- The Lachine Fur Trade Museum
another hidden gem with the same stuffed mannequins as the Cartier Museum. The stuffed beavers were precious. Our guide was exuberantly enthusiastic. We got to pet the animal hides--so soft, I can see why they dragged them halfway across the globe. Poor little animals though. But, hey everybody's got to make a living.
Fur Trade Museum
- The Biosphere
This is a giant Bucky (Buckminster Fuller) Ball located on an island in the Middle of Montreal. It was covered with transparent acrylic for the World's Fair (Expo '67, and to save money was welded together so that it could not be taken apart (as the original plan called for. The U.S. (that was our pavillion) sold it to the City of Montreal for a dollar. It stood with the original exhibit until 1976 when the acrylic caught fire and it all burned off. However, the infrastructure stood strong. It lay vacant until 1995, when they put in a wonderful exhibit on water and conservation.
- The Insectarium
We had to drive across town, however, we were both presently suprised at the intelligent traffic flow we had learned at at the CCA yesterday. It was a museum full of insects. At least I could be in the same building with them and not be freaked out, I've gotten that far.
- The Jardin Botanique
The Insectarium was part of the Jardin Botanique, so we wandered the grounds and saw the Japanese, Chinese, and First Nations gardens, all of which were beautifully maintained. Then we took the overstuffed, but free, train around the rest of the grounds. Lovely.
We had dinner this evening at a lovely Quebecois restaurant on Rue St. Pierre. I had a capaille (meat pie) and Janna had crepes. The wait staff was not busy and eminently friendly. What a wonderful visit.
regarder le Parc Sur quand sous la influence d'alcohol
So, we had our first day in Montreal yesterday. Our room in our hotel is tiny, but it is right in Vieux (Old) Montreal. We visited the crypte of the Basilica de Notre Dame, but there was a wedding, so we could not get into the sanctuary, which, hopefully we will visit today. Then we visited the delightful Chateau de Ramezay Musee which filled us in on l'histoire de Quebec. It is amazing that, depsite the whole smallpox and venereal disease, les Amerindiens et les Quebecois got on quite handsomely. Not as well as the British Americans did.
That evening we went to le quartier Chinois and had dinner at a Chinese restaurant, both for $14 (Canadian). I remember being shocked by other menu prices, but I need to remember that they are listed in Canadian funny money. Thence, we walked along the Vieux Port and saw several bilingual buskers. It is amazing that these folks can swallow fire, do magic tricks, and juggle knives all while giving a running commentary in both French and English. Tres interesante!
So, then after returning to our hotel briefly, we went back out to le Champs du Mars. Janna wanted to go to a bar with live music. Well, we heard some, so we went in, but there was virtually no one there. However, I paid a cover of $5 (Canadian) to get in, so we stayed awhile, and eventually the place was hopping. After a lot of cheap Labatt Bleue ($1 Canadian a cup) and hearing the first set, we decided to take off.
When we left, there was a line around the block to get in, so apparently, we went to the coolest bar in the Vieux Port, and just by virtue of our lame Dutchness, got in before all the hip young Montrealaises. Well, we went home and after some freshening up, we watched South Park dubbed in French, which was hilarious. The voices actually (more or less) sounded like the American ones.
This morning we enjoyed our "American" style breakfast (apparently crepes Americains are pancakes). Now, I'm attempting to go the Pointe de Cartiere Archeology museum while Janna is going to the Biodome (at which I'm assuming Pauly Shore works in the gift shop).
Paix.
Post scriptum--I saw a store that sold leather this morning called "California Cuir." Tee-hee.
à Montréal
Janna and I have been planning to go to visit Montreal for a long time. Now we are finally going to follow through on that plan this June. This blog will be the catalog of our planning and journey. I have borrowed an instructional video in French from Vickie, and we are going to watch it together and practice. Janna actually took four years of French in high school. I had Saturday French class in 7th and 8th grade taught by a real Parisienne. However, all I really remember from that class is un, deux, trois, etc...
Janna
