Long Weekend in Montreal and Ottawa: Part 4 Bonsecours and the Old Port

The first long weekend of the summer is finally here! This is the time when people head to the cottage, start planting in their gardens and hopefully the warm weather is here to stay. I don’t really want to see a repeat of the hail, flurries, cold and windy Sunday we had last weekend. So let’s wrap up our tour of Old Montreal with a look at Bonsecours and the Old Port.

Bonsecours

When in Old Montreal, make sure you stop by Marché Bonsecours. It is a stunning building, circa mid-19th century, designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. Inside, you will find boutiques that specialize in Made in Quebec items, galleries and restaurants. The market has an interesting history; other than serving as a public market for over a century, it served as Montreal City Hall for more than 25 years during the mid-19th century, and it hosted Théâtre Royal where Charles Dickens staged a production. For more details, click here.

I think they call this Neo-Classical style with Doric columns. I learned the different types of architectural columns from my brother – Doric for the plain ones, Ionic for the ones with scrolls and Corinthian for the super fancy ones.

But, unlike the exterior of the building, this facility is very modern. Just check out the photo below.  And if you need to use the washroom, it’s located in the middle the building just behind the stairs shown in the photo below.

Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel

Bonsecours Market actually got its name from the church located right beside it – the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel  or chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours or Our Lady of Good Help. It is one of the oldest churches in Montreal dating back to 1771.

See the statue of the Virgin atop the back of the church? It was placed there specifically to overlook the harbour because it was the church visited by sailors after their long voyages.

Today, it houses the Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum. It pays homage to Margeurite Bourgeoys, the first teacher and founder of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame, and the early history of Montreal. You can climb the tower of the chapel for a view of the Old Port and the St. Lawrence River.

Interior of the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours (via Wikimedia Commons)

The Old Port

Let’s wrap up our tour of Old Montreal with a walk along the boardwalk of the Old Port which meanders along the St. Lawrence River. See that clock tower in the photo below? That is the Montreal Clock Tower with Jacques Cartier bridge to its left. The Montreal Clock Tower is dedicated as a memorial to Canadian soldiers who died in World War I. It was constructed between October 31, 1919 and 1922. If you visit in the summer, there is an urban beach near the clock tower.

Here’s a view Bonsecours Market from the Old Port.

Some of the old buildings along the Old Port. Not sure if they’re being used anymore.

I never did figure out which building this is. There is a bridge that leads to it. It was too cold to explore when we were there.

As you can see from the photo below, there was still ice in the water when we were there at the end of March.

This is what it looks like there in the summer courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The Pavilion Jacques Cartier at the Old Port.

You’ll also find the Montreal Science Centre at the Old Port. It is located on the King-Edward Quay.

If you’re too tired to walk, you can always take a ride on a horse-drawn carriage.

Old Montreal is a great place to hang out and soak up the atmosphere. Next stop everyone is Canada’s capital – Ottawa.

Long Weekend in Montreal and Ottawa: Part 3 Notre-Dame Basilica

Our next stop in our exploration of Old Montreal is Notre-Dame Basilica or otherwise known as Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal in French. It is one of the major tourist attractions in Montreal. Although it is a small basilica (I think is referred to as a minor basilica) compared to others Cousin Mel and I have visited (it’s pretty hard to beat St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome), it remains one of my favourite churches. Maybe it’s because of the memories it holds for me – I remember visiting it with my family and friends on many occasions. I remember when they never charged for admission. This particular church is unique in that the stained glass which were imported from Limoges, France depict the history of Montreal. It is a beautiful church, especially inside. It is intricately decorated with many carvings. The altar alone is spectacular. You can find the basilica at 110 Notre-Dame Street West facing Place d’Armes. If you plan to do the tour on your own, make sure you grab one of the pamphlets provided. I’ll pass on some of the info from that pamphlet here.

The basilica was constructed between 1824 and 1829 in the Gothic Revival style by James O’Donnell. The two towers were not completed until 1843. Perseverance is the name of the western tower which holds the great bell weighing 10,900 kg. Temperance is the name of eastern tower which holds a carillon with ten bells. I think Perseverance is the one on the right and Temperance the one on the left from the photo below.

I could never have taken photos with my camera phone that could have done this place justice. Besides, the first thing you’ll notice when you enter is how dark it is. You’ll need a steady hand or a tripod. Although I would like to point out that I did see sign that said no photos allowed but no one stopped those of us who were taking photos. Make sure you visit the main site to see some great photos of the details of the interior of the basilica here - I would like to quote from the site because it’s so true “With its dazzling combination of blue and gold, the Basilica is a place like no other in Montreal – once seen, never forgotten.”

Henri Bouriché was commissioned to create the altarpiece sculptures. He was inspired by the theme of the Eucharist. Christ’s sacrifice is featured in the middle, surrounded by – Melchisedech offering bread and wine (bottom left); Moses places an urn in the Ark of the Covenant (top left); Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isacc (bottom right); Aaron sacrifices a lamb (top right); and Mary crowned by Jesus (above). The six statues are of the saints – Peter, Paul, Matthew, Luke, Mark and John.

The next three of photos are from the Notre-Dame Basilica site just to give you an idea of the details of the interior.

The pulpit was constructed between 1883 and 1885; originally designed by Henri Bouriché and modified by Victor Bourgeau and the sculptures created by Louis-Philippe Hébert.

The Casavant Frères pipe organ dates back to 1891. The company that made it is still around today. It has been modified over the years and now has four keyboards, 99 stops and about 7,000 pipes. It was a special treat for us to have heard a choir practicing while we visited. After their practice, they were given a short history on the basilica which we listened to for a few minutes.

Here’s a nicer photo of the organs from the Notre-Dame Basilica site.

We were in a bit of a rush when we went and seem to have missed the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur. Don’t make the same mistake we did. Check that pamphlet for its location.

Some general info on the the church:

• Masses: Monday through Friday 7:30 am and 12:15 pm; Saturday 5:00 pm; Sunday 8:00 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am and 5:00 pm. Weekend masses are accompanied by the origan and the choir is present at the 11:00 am mass on Sunday. If you plan to attend mass, then entrance to the church is free of charge.
• Address: 110 Notre-Dame Street West, Montreal, QC H2Y 1T1
• Telephone: 514 842-2925 or 1 866 842-2925
• Email: info@basiliquenddm.org
• Web: http://www.notredamebasilica.ca

Place d’Armes

The weather wasn’t great for photos on our first day there and when the sun finally came out the next day, it was all back-lighting at the time we were at Place d’Armes. I didn’t have the luxury to wait for the lighting conditions to improve so this photo is going to have to be good enough until I go back for another visit.

In the middle of the square, facing Notre-Dame Basilica, stands the Maisonneuve monument, erected in 1895 in honour of the founder of Montreal, Paul Chomeday de Maisonneuve.

Here’s an interesting photo from 1909 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The building with the Ionic columns is the head office of the Bank of Montreal (circa 1859).  

Here’s another photo (below) courtesy of Wikimedia Commons which shows the other buildings surrounding Place d’Armes that include the New York Life Building, also known as the Quebec Bank Building (as the name carved on the entrance), constructed in 1887-1889. It is the one with the clock. The Aldred Building stands beside it to the right of the photo. It is the one in the Art Deco style, completed in 1931. It reminds me of the Empire State Building in New York City.

Not quite finished with Old Montreal… stay tuned for the next installment on Bonsecours and the Old Port.

Long Weekend in Montreal and Ottawa: Part 2 Old Montreal

This next installment is long overdue. After a week in rainy Florida, I am back in sunny Toronto. Yes, you read that correctly, I called it “rainy” Florida because it rained the entire week we were there. It wasn’t light rain either, it was a downpour; just our luck. So, let’s get back to our long weekend in Montreal and Ottawa – this time, we’re in Old Montreal.

Old Quebec City would have been a nice complement to Old Montreal, but for a 3-day long weekend trip, it was too far of a drive. In the meantime, here’s a panoramic view of Old Quebec City from Wikimedia Commons to entice Cousin Mel to visit us again (preferably when the weather is warmer), so we could take her there.

Old Montreal dates back to the 17th century when Samuel de Champlain landed on its shores to set up a fur trading post. It wasn’t until the mid-17th century when it was colonized by the French and was known as New France. New France became a British colony in the mid-18th century. Not only did the French and the British put their stamp on the architecture on the buildings in Old Montreal, but fires also shaped the look of Old Montreal in those early days by changing the way buildings were constructed from using wood to stones. I’ve provided a link above dedicated to Old Montreal. Make sure you take the tour provided. On this post and the next few, I will give you a sample of some of the sites you will see there.

Place Jacques Cartier

One of the places you will end up in when visiting Old Montreal is Place Jacques Cartier and right at the bottom is the entrance to the Old Port which we’ll discuss on another post. Place Jacques Cartier dates back to the mid-19th century and named after the explorer who claimed Canada for France in the mid-16th century. Restaurants line the side of the square and it is a popular gathering place.

Nelson’s column stands in the middle of the square towards to the top. It was erected in 1809 and “dedicated to the honour of Admiral Horatio Nelson following his death at the Battle of Trafalgar. Since the destruction of Dublin’s Nelson’s Pillar (1808-1966), Montreal’s stands as the oldest “Nelson’s Column” in the world, and is also the city’s oldest surviving monument.” I didn’t know much about this column until I did a bit a research. That little bit of info is thanks to Wikipedia.

Let’s look around the square. It was a cold, windy and cloudy day on our first day in Montreal. Just check out the people huddled on the benches in their parkas.

And this is what it looks like when the sky cleared the next day. This was taken early the next morning.

Check out the Cabane à sucre (or sugar house) where you can get a soft maple toffee on a stick (or tire d’érable). It is boiled maple sap, poured on to snow or crushed ice so it solidifies and then twirled around a popsicle stick. Yummy!

Here’s a close up photo of Nelson’s Column on the left and Montreal City Hall (Hôtel de Ville de Montréal) on the right. There’s a clearer picture of the City Hall below.

In the summer, this square is filled with people sitting at the outdoor patios.

Look towards the left on the photo below. See the banner that reads Rue des Artistes? In the summer, this short, narrow street is lined with artists selling their works. Make sure you stop by, browse and maybe buy a souvenir or two.

This is the view towards the Old Port.

Montreal City Hall

Montreal City Hall is a beautiful structure built in the late 19th century. It is located on Notre-Dame Street in front of Place Jacques Cartier. It is also a designated National Historic Site of Canada.

The photo below shows Montreal City Hall gutted by fire on March 3, 1922 (via Wikimedia Commons). When it was reconstructed, it was modeled after Tour’s city hall in France. 

Montreal Courthouses

This is one of three courthouses in Old Montreal. The one in the photo shown below is the oldest and dates back to the mid-19th century. It is now known as Édifice Lucien-Saulnier.

The next two photos are from Wikimedia Commons. The first is home to the Quebec Court of Appeal known as Édifice Ernest Cormier (circa 1922) and the second is the current Palais de justice de Montréal (circa 1971).

The Streets

Let’s take a walk around the streets of Old Montreal and explore. Enjoy the old buildings, browse the shops, lots of restaurants around for when you get hungry.

You might even run into these ladies – The Whisperers.

We’re not quite finished with Old Montreal so stay tuned.

Long Weekend in Montreal and Ottawa: Part 1 Olympic Park

The one request Cousin Mel asked of us was to visit Quebec. Now, Quebec is huge so the closest city to Toronto is Montreal and that’s where we headed on the Easter long weekend on March 29th – 31st, 2013. We would have loved to have taken her all the way to Quebec City, and we had considered it at one point, but it was just too far of a drive. I’ve always thought Montreal is a city to be experienced. So, we tried to give cousin Mel a little taste of Montreal. Our first stop was the Olympic Park, the site where the 1976 Summer Olympics were held. There are a number of buildings and facilities in the area which include – the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Village, Biodome, Saputo Stadium, Botanical Garden. So lots to see and do if you decide to visit the area.

Olympic Stadium

The uniqueness of the Olympic Stadium is the inclined tower which stands at 175 metres or 574 feet. It was designed by French architect Roger Taillibert. The stadium wasn’t completed in time for the Olympics due to a labour strike. It was finally completed in 1987. It is now used to hold special events, including Grey cup games hosted by Montreal Alouettes.

There’s a funicular that goes to the top of the tower which you can see below.

It was still cold when we went. As you can see, some of the ice around the base of the tower hasn’t melted.

Here’s an aerial view of the Big O and the surrounding Botanical Garden courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Can you see why it’s nicknamed the Big O? Because it’s shaped like a doughnut, with a retractable roof in the middle. It’s also been called “The Big Owe”.

I couldn’t resist including this night photo of the tower viewed from the back via Wikimedia Commons. It reminds me of a space ship or a frog. What do you see?

Olympic Village

Biodôme de Montréal

The Montreal Biodome is situated right at the base of the stadium. It was part of the original structures built for the 1976 Olympic Games – a combined velodrome and judo facility. In 1992, it re-opened as the Montreal Biodome featuring an indoor nature exhibit. You’ll find four different ecosystems of the Americas inside – a South American rain forest, a North American Laurentian Forest, the St. Lawrence marine ecosystem and the Arctic and Antarctic environments.

View of the Biodome from the Olympic Stadium Tower (via Wikimedia Commons)

Saputo Stadium

The Saputo Stadium opened in 2008 and is the home of the Montreal Impact. It is a soccer stadium. It was built on the former track and field site of the 1976 Olympic Games.

And there you have it. I didn’t even cover all the other things you could do in this area alone (like the Insectarium which I would gladly skip). Might be worth a visit if you have kids.

On our first night, we had to take Cousin Mel to Schwartz’s Deli. You can’t visit Montreal, especially your first time there and not go to Schwartz’s Deli?! So, we braved the cold evening, waited in line to be seated in this tiny little deli on on St. Laurent Blvd. Believe me, it was worth it. Mouth watering and smack your lips delicious! Oh man, I just made myself hungry for a Schwartz’s sandwich!

(Photo courtesy of Schwartz’s Deli site. Yes, that line-up is for real!)

Weekend Getaway to Niagara Region: Part 2 The Falls

Where do we take relatives who come to visit Toronto? Well, Niagara Falls of course! And that’s exactly what we did for cousin Mel – again! If you live in this part of the world, we often take Niagara Falls for granted. But millions of tourists visit every year and with good reason! The falls are pretty incredible and lots of other activities to do as well. So, although cousin Mel has seen Niagara Falls, it is quite different in the winter. It’s truly a winter wonderland with the railings all covered in ice. But, at the time we went, most of the ice had already melted. There was a little portion closer to the water where you could see ice formation. Cousin Mel was fascinated with this - something new for someone who lives in a tropical country.

The largest of the falls is Horsehoe Falls which is the first photo below - it is 2,600 feet (790 m) wide with a 173 feet (53 m) drop. When you come to see the falls, be prepared to get wet. The closer you get to the falls, the spray from the falls reaches the boardwalk. It’s a nice way to cool off from the heat of summer. If you want to get even closer to the falls, you could go down to the observation rooms below or take the Maid of the Mist boat.

Here’s cousin Mel with a view of Horsehoe Falls in the background. It was still fairly dry on this part. Can you see the ice formation at the bottom of the falls on the lower left?

Here’s the ice formation I was referring to earlier. Now imagine the railings (from the photo above) covered in ice. I’ve only been to Niagara Falls once in the winter, again touring a visiting relative who wanted to experience winter in Canada. When you’re this close to the falls, expect to get wet.

This is American Falls – it is 1,060 feet (320 m) wide with a drop that varies from 70-100 feet (21-30 m) depending on the boulders located at the base. That city in the background is Niagara Falls, New York.

You should definitely try to see the falls at night. It’s nicely lit up in the evening until midnight. Photo below courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Skylon Tower in the background on the photo below. You can go up and have a bite to eat up there. You can park at the base of Skylon Tower and walk down towards the falls. We found their parking rates a bit more reasonable. It is not a far walk.

It was grey and overcast on the day we were at Niagara Falls. But we walked along the boardwalk all the way to Clifton Hill for something a little different. There are rides, a wax museum, haunted house, Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum and lots of other interesting places to explore.

This guy looks a little scary…

I couldn’t get the whole Ripley’s museum in my own photo (or I would have had to go on the street and risk my life!) so here’s one from the clifftonhill.com site.

A ride on the Skywheel or bowling or food? Take your pick! 

This concludes our weekend getaway to the Niagara Region. There’s lots to see and do in the area – from visiting wineries, catching a show at the Shaw Festival and taking in a little bit of history in the loveliest town in Canada, Niagara-on-the-Lake, to sightseeing at Niagara Falls, maybe try your luck at the casinos, catch a show and have a little fun at Clifton Hills.

The next long weekend getaway takes us to Montreal and Ottawa – stay tuned.

Weekend Getaway to Niagara Region: Part 1 Wine Tasting

This post was inspired by cousin Mel’s visit to Toronto from March 19th through April 5th, 2013. She just left yesterday to go back home to Manila and we already miss her tremendously. She has this infectious positive attitude and humour that has helped lift our spirits. She is exactly what the doctor ordered for the family.

This was not her first time to visit Toronto but her first to visit in the colder months. It was amusing to see her experience winter – she gushed at the beauty of a snowfall (we had a few snow squalls when she arrived) and could not comprehend how cold it felt (we had windchill factors in the minus double digits). It was her first time to wear parka and winter boots. After a few days when the sun was shining, she would try to be brave enough to go outside without a jacket but always got too cold. She always mentioned how she longed to see her feet in sandals. Let’s just say, I don’t think cousin Mel will be visiting us again during this time of the year. But, we are going to put aside the boots I lent her just in case she changes her mind.

For our first quick weekend getaway, we drove south to the Niagara Region. It’s less than a 2 hour drive from Toronto. Our first stop was the wine region of Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is a lovely town dating back to the 18th century and unfortunately for cousin Mel, we missed showing her the town itself! Tsk! Tsk! But to redeem ourselves, we did do one of the activities on her list which this town is known for – wine tasting! Travel after all is about experiences. Besides, we have to leave something she can look forward to on her next visit, right?

There are many wineries in this region but for this post, I will mention two. The first is Colaneri Estate Wineries. It is a small winery; their wines are not carried at the LCBO so it was a special treat for us to visit and be able to purchase some of their wines. We ended up buying three bottles – a Pinot Grigio, their Red Blend (which exploded with flavours in my mouth) and ice wine (with flavours of mango and apricot). The staff were terrific and knowledgeable. We’ll definitely be going back.

Here is cousin Mel standing in front of the winery. She thought it was warm enough to walk outside without a jacket. She ended up borrowing hubby’s jacket instead.

The next stop was Peller Estates Winery which is a larger winery and their wines are sold at the LCBO but not all. There are some wines that you can only pick up at the winery. When we got there, we had just missed the tour so we ended up walking around the winery, took a few pictures, browsed the gift shop and then decided that if time permitted, we would return the following day on our way back to Toronto.

Since we didn’t get to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake itself, which by the way is nicknamed “the loveliest town in Canada”, the following are some photos I pilfered from the Wikipedia site.

As mentioned, Niagara-on-the-Lake dates back to the 18th century and played a significant role in the War of 1812. There are many historic sites in this town. Another reason to visit Niagara-on-the-Lake is to go to the Shaw Festival, a series of theatre productions, that run from April through November. I think we’ll be returning there a few times this summer.

Cenotaph and Clock Tower

The Court House, a Shaw Festival Theatre, 1847.

Stay tuned to the next portion of this weekend getaway. Next stop – Niagara Falls.

Castel Gandolfo

With Castel Gandolfo being in the news lately, it got me reminiscing about that small town on the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Albano. As you know, Castel Gandolfo is better known as the summer residence of the Pope, a tradition dating back to the 17th century. It is located about 30 kilometres southeast of Rome. There are some terrific photos courtesy of NBC News Photo Blog of inside the papal summer residence here, and a few more of the surroundings on Rome Art Lover’s blog here. Here are a few photos from our trip there a year and a half ago.

Main Square with Papal Palace in background

The small balcony used for papal blessings.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed this church dedicated to San Tommaso di Villanova.

Interior photos of the church of San Tommaso di Villanova.

Typical Streets Scenes

Lake Albano