It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to throw routine to the wind, if only for a few hours, and indulge in the luxury of experiencing the moment. Walking aimlessly around Montreal, map in hand but still without sense of direction, I turned corners on whim, backtracked to explore laneways and lingered too long in stores 
Getting lost is part of being a tourist (well, if I’m involved it seems to be! Oh, and a word of caution, don’t ever sign me up as Guide as not only will we have no clue where we end up but I am very good at making up tales that have completely no relevance to the actual icon in question. Ellis Island a Sanitarium??? Mmm, not likely even if thinking those old scary TCM movies ) Sooo … long winded explanation to established fact: navigation is not my strong point!
Anyhoo, I am fascinated by all the stone in parts of Montreal. I’m told that most of it is granite but of course, throughout the years, (and fires) much has been replaced with other product.
And the sidewalks in places … especially Old Town … sooo narrow! I found that with the high volume of folks tramping the footpaths in this charming burb one was on a constant collision course if not concentrating. Enough said!
Tinerate, one of the most fascinating snippets of my visit (for moi) was the telling fable of the two statues that stand in the Place D’Arme …
The English Pug and the French Poodle:
A dashing looking English man, holding his pug, is giving a superior stare at Norte-Dame Basilica, symbol of the religious influence on French Canadians. 210 feet away at the northern corner of the edifice, a woman in a Chanel style suit, poodle against her, shoots an offended look to the Bank of Montreal’s head office, symbol of English power. With their masters oblivious to each other, the two dogs on the alert have already sniffed out the opportunity to unite. Inspired by the Commedia dell’arte and Two Solitudes from novelist Hugh MacLennan, these two snobs set up an ironically touching scene of the cultural distance between English and French Canadians.
A picture tells a thousand stories right
Anyhoo, ‘Montreal is the largest city in the Quebec province, with neighbourhoods ranging from cobblestoned, French colonial Vieux-Montreal – with the Gothic Revival Nortre-Dame Basil at its centre – to Bohemian Plateau.’ This charming french speaking city is set on an island in the Saint Lawrence River and once you have found your way in, you might just never want to leave.
Till next time.
Tipsy Pipsy xo