A TRAIN, A PLANE, A BITCH AND A CUSTOMS DUDE…

WEATHER: Travel most of the day but it was sunny

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Reunited with my United Hostees

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Train stress and airport stress

WORD OF THE DAY:  Are you serious?

DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 1275km

A travel day today. This is nothing new.  What made me a little nervous was that I wasn’t in the city that I was actually flying out of.  I was 2 hours away, but with the timings that I had left myself I was quite content that even if something went to the wind, I have enough ‘snaffu’ time to cover any unforeseen circumstances.  I also re-assured myself if I missed my flight for any reason I would be able to either change my ticket, it was a round world, or purchase another ticket to get me to Chicago.  It wasn’t like it was a flight to Australia or Africa. 

My alarm was set for 5am and I set my phone as well as my IPod for a backup and I got up without any issues.  I thought my train was at 7am, so I wanted to be out of the hotel and in a cab by 6am.  So not knowing how long a taxi would take and to also check out I was downstairs at 5.45am.  I gave in my room card and was pulling out my credit card to pay for my additional 2 nights when the receptionist said that I was all squared up and that the authorization they were holding on my card would be reversed in a few days’ time.  Hmmmmm, the first 3 nights were booked and paid for on Amy’s credit card through Hotwire, so I know that I hadn’t signed anything for the additional nights charges with my credit card.  I checked with the gentleman that the original card wouldn’t be charged and he said that was booked through Hotwire and they didn’t have those details on file.  I have a funny feeling that there has been a mix up when the receptionist from a few days ago swapped my booking over that the voucher was for the 5 days when in reality it was only for the 3 nights.  I will keep an eye on my credit cards, but I have a feeling that I may have got my last 2 nights for free!!!  Now that would be nice.  That also reminds me that I have to follow up with the hotel in Barbados, as they did take a deposit from my card and it hasn’t been refunded to my account of 200AUD.  I must remember to send them an email……

The taxi was called and was there within minutes, so from the time of checking out and actually arriving at the train station it was 6.05am.  I checked myself in with my reservation number from my IPod and then realized my train wasn’t until 7.25am.  I had an hour and a half to kill at the train station.  MAN that could have been some extra time in bed.  Oh well I would prefer to have too much time than not enough for a travel day like today.  So I found some seats and off loaded my bags and sat on Via Rail’s free Wi-Fi for the next hour.  I did use my time wisely and I got out some emails that were long overdue and I also sent one to the Bougainvillea Resort to ask about that charge on my card.  200 bucks is 200 bucks right.

The train was called at 7am and we made our way down the escalators.  The train operating the service didn’t have the big bag storage at the end of each carriage, so as I came off the escalator there was a guy there taking the big bags from people, not that there were many, and we were given a tag and would be able pick them up when we arrived into Ottawa.  I am totally fine with this as it means less fussing around on the train as I hate to hold people up when I am organizing my crap.  I did remember to reserve a window seat for this journey and the seating configuration on the train was 2 x 1 seats.  I had the single seat, and there really wasn’t enough room to store my rolly bag and my red backpack.  I walked to both ends of the train looking for a smaller baggage hold and there wasn’t any and what the train staff had done was packed us all into the one carriage, so we were told that we could sit anywhere in carriage 4.  This wasn’t such a big deal as there weren’t a lot of people anyway so I stored both my bags at my feet and had no room to actually put my feet till I looked over and there was a recess underneath your seat that your rolly bag could slide down.  So I did this which freed up a lot of room when the guy sitting across the aisle said that I could use the spare seat next to him to put my backpack.  Thanks buddy, so with that sitting in a seat next to me I was now comfortably in for the 2 hour journey.  Imagine if I did have another bag!!!  I did the right thing. 

Pulling out of Montreal I have to say I had a great time here this week.  Between this amazing city and my day trip to Quebec City it really was like stepping into Europe / France and I did sometimes forget that I was actually still in Canada.  It really is like chalk and cheeses the west coast and east coast of this marvelous country.  I have always been a Canada fan and know that I will be back.  There is so much to see and do here that it will be one of those destinations that will be re-visited again for sure.  At 8.45am we came to a stop, not at a station, just in the green fields and then 10 minutes later an announcement came over the speakers that there was a signal problem and that we would be stuck here for 20-30 minutes.  Ummm this was okay; as I had a 4 hour window, but this is what I was hoping would not happen.  I wasn’t stressed at this point and at 9.15am we were on our way again.  We got a second announcement that due to the signal problem we would not be able to travel faster than 15km per hour till we hit the outskirts of Ottawa and that we would now be arriving in at 10.30am, an hour later than planned.  This is still okay, as I had the window; it just meant that now I couldn’t fluff around too much to get my butt to the airport and checked in as I was still on an international flight, even though it was only a 2 hour flight.  I have said it before and I’ll say it again I LOVE train travel and it was a great way to start the day, even with the time delay and a 2 hour trip turning into a 3 hour trip.  We were offered as compensation 50% off our next rail ticket for the inconvenience.  Yeah like I will be able to use that!  It’s just a shame the delay wasn’t on the way up then I could have used it for my return ticket.  Never mind that is the way the travel cookie crumbles. 

My bag was waiting on the platform when I got off the train and after hefting it onto my back I walked from the platform, through the tunnel that goes under the tracks, up the stairs and through the terminal straight to a waiting taxi that was out the front of the station.  It was all pretty straight forward and I was out of the train and in the taxi within 15 minutes.  This was all okay.  The taxi was a 20 minute ride from the front door of the train station to the front doors of the airport and cost me 35CAD.  The airport check-in is divided into 2 sections.  To the left is the international and to the right are the domestic and the US flights.  I found the American Airlines counter and know they are anal about self-check-in.  This is where you have to scan your passport, enter some details, pay for any extra luggage and then you’re boarding pass is issued.  Most American carriers give you one piece of checked luggage for free and then additional pieces there are a charge.  American charge 35USD for an extra piece.  I only had the one, so after I had my boarding pass walked up to the counter where I had to weigh my bag and get it tagged to Chicago.  You complete USA immigration here in Canada, so after your bag is weighed and tagged you need to take it back and then take it with you to the TSA screen, where you drop off your bag after it has been scanned and then you complete the rest of the security procedures.  I popped my bag onto the scale and my bag was 58 pounds, working that out quickly in my head it was around 24kg.  I was actually quite proud of that and was mentally patting myself on the back when Yin Lang told me I was overweight.  Ah ha and we looked at each other.  So I asked her nicely what she wanted me to do and she said I had to take out 8 pounds.  My hand luggage was at capacity and at this point I still had my handbag out so I could see Yin Lang looking at the rest of my bags with raised eyebrows.  I asked her how much would it cost to pay the excess and she told me 105CAD.  Right, so I pulled my bag off the scales and told her I would be back as I was going to buy another bag.  On my round world ticket I am entitled to 2 pieces of checked luggage for free and this would solve all my problems.  There was a bag shop the other end of the terminal so I walked in there and asked the sales person for their cheapest bag that was wearable as I was going to check it in.  I ended up buying the 2^nd most expensive bag at 35CAD and found some seats where I could open my bag and off load some clothes to the newly purchased bag.   I wasn’t sure how many clothes entailed 8 pounds, so I just put in enough things to fill the new bag and while I was there I also added in my red backpack while I was there.  I wasn’t going to give Yin Lang any further cause to pull me up on my luggage, so I was now down to the 2 pieces for cabin luggage.  So with an extra bag on the trolley, I really looked like I had a lot of stuff.  I haven’t had this many bags on the whole Odyssey!  But I am on my way home now, I don’t have to justify myself to anyone but I am a little cranky as I now could have bought some more clothes in Montreal now as I had the second bag.  Never mind. 

By this time there was now a lineup at the bag drop and an additional staff member also checking in people.  So I patiently waited for 20 minutes till my turn came and I was ‘lucky’ enough to get Yin Lang again.  So I popped on my big backpack and it now weighed 48 pounds to which she and myself had a sigh of relief until I showed her my second bag and her smile turned into a frown and proceeded to tell me I had to pay for the second bag.  I disagreed quite nicely and told her I was entitled to 2 pieces for free and showed her my ticket that clearly stated 2 pieces.  I was secretly high fiving myself when she again told me I would have to pay.  I said that I wasn’t, with a smile on my face and she then asked the check-in chick next to her and between the 2 of them they had to manually override the system to let my second bah on for free.  By the time she had fluffed and over rode the system, for all the hassle it was she may as well have just let my nag through with the extra 4kg.  I didn’t care and I thought the more work for her the better, that my friends is called Karma.  It also did me 2 favors.  One, I got a new bag now so I won’t have to get one further in the trip and 2 I now only had 2 pieces of hand luggage.  Thanks Yin Lang for being anal retentive today.

So with my filled in customs formed and a check into the security area, TSA were there where they scan your big bags, you are required to wait, and then waved through once there are no issues.  I went through the security screen no problems, even though the scanning lady was eyeing off my Ethiopia bangles, they didn’t go off and then I proceeded though to USA passport control.  This is where we clear US immigration in Canada, so when we arrive into Chicago we don’t have to do this process and we are immediately good to go without all the security fuss.  There was no-one in the queue and I was called to an officer called Sedrick.  He looked at my paperwork, asked me the usual questions, where do you live what do you do for a job and then he asked for my boarding pass leaving the US in 3 week’s time.  I said do you mean my ticket?  And he was quite adamant that it was to be a boarding pass and as part of my visa waiver acceptance I had to have this ‘boarding pass’.  I told him that I had never been asked for this before and that I didn’t think any airline would issue one so far out in advance.  He said I’m going to find the working on the computer and print it out for you.  The exchange was all pleasant but I was a little worried at this stage but then as the time wore on I knew I was RIGHT and Sedrick was WRONG and I just had to wait it out and not make him look like an idiot.  Well I was there for 15 minutes while he looked on the computer and then I cracked a joke that he had found it and that it was a ticket and not a boarding pass and that I was okay to go through.  He smiled, but said he wanted to check with someone so he left with my passport and e-ticket and returned 2 seconds later saying that they could now accept e-tickets.  This was 25 minutes later and I had a feeling that maybe Sedrick was new.  Either way I was allowed to pass with a ‘have a nice flight’ and I was finally at the gates.  Man what kind of travel day is that?  I guess they all can’t go plain sailing, but that was all just stupid stuff, but I was thankful I made it, thankful I did have such a buffer between train and plane and I had an hour to get something to eat and spend the last of my 15CAD.  There was actually a lot of stuff I could get for 15 bucks so I decided on some maple syrup cookies for Cheryl and an Ottawa stick pin, I even had enough money for a packet of tic tacs.  I literally was left with a purse of change and pennies.  I used the remaining time on the free Wi-Fi and received a message from Teegs for my next stop after Chicago.  I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing being back in the land of Wi-Fi.  I had free Wi-Fi at the hotel this morning, free Wi-Fi at the train station, free Wi-Fi on the train and now free Wi-Fi at the airport.  We really are living in an electronic world aren’t we!!!

The same plane was taking me back to Chicago an EMB, so our bags were collected from us at the bridge of the aircraft and then would be returned to us when we arrived into Chicago.  The seating configuration was 1 x 2 and again I was smart enough to change my seating at check-in to a single window.  I was allocated a seat next to someone up the front. The flight was 1 hour and 55 minutes and we landed into Chicago 10 minutes earlier than expected.  The beauty of doing the US immigration in Canada was we were able to head straight to the baggage carousel from the gate.  After being given the wrong baggage carousel number, I literally had my bags in my hands and ready to go when I was actually supposed to be landing.  So Cheryl and Joe were 5 minutes away and we kept in touch via text messaging and I was picked up without any problems.  Man it is so good to see you!!!!!!!  Cheryl, David and I met on a Costa Cruise of the United Arab Emirates 3 years ago and have caught up a few times and kept in contact over the years and I was finally in their home state.  This was going to be a great week and I was happy to be here.  It was the first time I had met Joe, Cheryl’s boyfriend and then we were on the freeway heading home.

It is a long weekend here in the USA, Memorial Day weekend with Monday the actual public holiday.  Memorial Day is an American federal holiday observed annually on the last Monday of May.  It is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.  Funny that I was in Canada for a public holiday and now I was in the US on a public holiday.  So needless to say the week-end traffic was a nightmare, apparently, but we made it back safe and sound to Cheryl and Joes just after 3.30pm.  The afternoon was spent just catching up and waiting for David to arrive to complete my Reunited with United Hostees.  He arrived just after5pm with a bunch of flowers and a great big hug and it felt really good to be here.

On our way to dinner I was given a driving tour of some of the neighborhoods in downtown.  This was my first taste of what everyone was talking about in regards to the architecture of the city.  They weren’t kidding and some of the buildings are just awe-inspiring!  It really is an architectural heaven here.  I was also show where David lives, the beach area and some point so of downtown that we would go back to tomorrow for a proper visit.  After talking to everyone, Chicago really is a foodie’s paradise and between the 3 of them they pretty much have all the good restaurants all pinned down and seemed to be foodie connoisseurs themselves.  The restaurant was something straight out of Masterchef.  The food was amazing, the service was exceptional and even after a few attempts at ordering certain items, where they didn’t have any left, we were given a free desert wine each after dinner as a sorry which was a nice touch. 

So I am now in the USA, in Chicago and I think I am really going to like this city very much.      

A HANGOVER AND SHOPPING-MY LAST DAY IN CANADA

WEATHER: Hot and 31C

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Getting out of bed

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Not getting to the Olympic Stadium-oh well I will just have to come back

WORD OF THE DAY:  SHOPPING

I woke at 9am and I was feeling a little hung over.  Not sick hung-over, just like some-one had run me over hung over.  I felt so bad for Nancy who had to be at work at 8am (but she didn’t drink) and Catherine didn’t have to be at work till 1pm.  My last BIG night was in Paraty in February (but that was just messy) and I had a night out in Addis with Zeme and Minalu.  So it has been a long time between drinks, literally.  I told the gals I would text them when I woke to rub it in that I was still in bed, which I did to which I got some laughy replies.  I smile about the night as it really was a great one and it was so good to get out and socialize again.  This is what I miss about home, so this is another reason that I am looking forward to getting home and going some stuff like this. 

Because I could, I didn’t start to move till 11am.  I really had no plans today.  If I had the energy I would have made the effort to go to the Olympic Stadium to go up the life to the top of the stadium, but I wasn’t in that frame of mind.  So I decided to hot Catherine’s Street for the last time for lunch and I had seen a dress shop last night in our parking search that was for 14+ clothes.  I really don’t have room in my backpack for anymore clothes, but I wanted to go a long just for a look and see what they had.  I also needed to get some more mascara and eyeliner as the ones in my makeup case are now a little dried up and crusty and when I think about it, they are the same ones that I bought from home.  I know that sounds bad, that they could last for 13 months, but after my first 3 months in Europe I can count on one hand the amount of times that they came back out of the case.  I also needed to get some Montreal souvenirs so I still had a ‘busy; afternoon as such.

I walked the 4 blocks to the clothing shop and when I entered the store it was like entering Nirvana!!!  It was a 2 story store with clothing in my size from one end to the other!  I was in HEAVEN.  They had a lot of nice stuff and some granny crappy stuff as well, but I tried on clothes 3 different times and after spending 1.5 hours in there I left with 2 dresses, a top and 5 new pairs of underwear.  I probably could have bought more and I would have if I was flying out tomorrow from Montreal, as I would have bought a second bag to check in, but as it was I was catching the train first to Ottawa and I was struggling as it was with the bags that I currently had, let alone adding another bag to the fray and bumbling my way from the hotel to the train to the cab to the airport.  I’ll buy a bag in Chicago; I know I will need to as I am near bursting point as it is.  What I don’t get is that there were slim people in MY shop.  What are doing in there I have no idea.  There was no way that they were a size 14, go and shop at your own shops skinny people.  I officially welcome back my inner ‘flashpacker’; it has been a long time. 

I was starting to feel half human again at this point, nothing like a little shopping for a perk up and ready for some lunch.  I stopped into a microbrewery and ordered a triple pork meal with salad (pork sausage, shank and ham), yes I told you I was feeling better but I just couldn’t stomach to look at the alcoholic section of the menu, I was still a little raw on that front, okay so I was feeling 87% better.  But it was nice to people watch the foot traffic on St Catherine’s street, with my coke in my hand, some food in my belly and some shopping sitting at my feet.  On my way back to the hotel I also got my mascara, eyeliner, souvenirs and some dinner for tonight and then it was time to head back and tackle my packing.  I was also complemented on my Ethiopian bangles by a complete stranger on my way back.  She initially said something to me in French pointing to my wrist, so O though she was asking for the time, so when I told her it was 4.30pm she replied back in English that she like my bangles that I had on.  I love my Ethiopian bangles and they have not come off since Zeme bent them on my wrist in October last year. 

I knew this was going to be a mammoth task and that it would be way up there with my pack that I did in Athens last year.  That was just incredible that I even got to zip my bag up at all there and knew I would be on the same mission here.  Well I was right.  Looking at all my stuff spread out on the spare bed, you really wonder how I get it all to fit in.  Most things have a home and they get packed in the same spot each time but with so many new purchases over the last week I have had to rethink where everything fits in.  It took me nearly 2 hours, but when I finished I was left with my big backpack, my red backpack (half full), my rolly bag and my handbag.  My main concern was my handbag, as with American Eagle you are only permitted 2 pieces of hand luggage, so I had to make sure that my handbag would fit into my red backpack once I got to the airport.  But otherwise I was train packed and also airline approved for my flight tomorrow.  I did have to get rid of 2 original shirts (bought from home 13 months ago).  One had just too many holes in it to be socially passable and the other one I hadn’t worn since October last year.  It was time to let them go.  I also went through my ‘drug kit’ and got rid of all the medicines, rubs, panadols, malaria tablets, itching creams etc….. that I had also bought from home and not used since being on the road.  I figure I will be in the USA for my last 4 weeks and if I need anything it will now be readily available if required (touchwood). 

I was feeling okay with where I was with my blog.  I was only 3 days behind, but the last 2 days were massive and contained a lot of information and it takes all my will power to pump out these biggest blogs.  I was up to writing about the Cirque do Soleil show and even 3 days later it still amazed me what we saw and the actual show itself.  It really was an amazing experience.  It also hit me that this is my last night in Canada and I am now heading onto the last country of my whole Odyssey tomorrow.  My 52^nd country and my last 4 weeks, my last 28 days of what will be a 453 day journey by the time I get home.  I just know being with friends and being ‘western’ for the remaining time that it will go by so fast and I am really excited about that and getting one and two steps closer to my future and what it holds with Zeme arriving into Brisbane in 61 days makes me smile and still brings butterflies to my tummy.    

So this is so-long to Canada.  A shout out and thank-you to all the people who took time out from jobs and opened their homes to me while I was here.  You guys rock and I hope to see you all again in the near future.  Ethiopia maybe?  You just never know what this world has in store for us and I am a perfect example of that……                   

MONTREAL IN ALL HER GLORY

WEATHER: Hot again and 32C

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Girls night out-it’s been sooooooooo long…..

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Can’t think of a single thing

WORD OF THE DAY:  Snickers shot

I knew after the big travel day yesterday that I would be a little tired today.  I have a 3 hour city tour booked and I had a choice of times between 9, 10, 12 and 1pm.  With the weather being as nice as it had been over the previous days and to get a small lay in I decided on the 1pm tour, which the pickup time was 12 noon.  I woke early at 7am and read and internetted for a few hours and then reset my alarm for 11am to get ready for my pickup.  Well I am on holidays after all and a LLD (little lie down) can be taken at any time right!?  I have arranged with Nancy to have dinner tonight, so she is going to contact me this afternoon to arrange a time, so it will be nice to see a friendly face again and have some laughs.

I had to apparently check-out of my room today and recheck in as Amy had originally made the booking for 3 nights and I added on an extra 2 nights and as it was the a Thursday and a Friday, they call that the week-end and the rate changed to an extra 30CAD a night more.  Well I went downstairs 10 minutes before my pick-up time and both receptionists were busy, so I was happy to wait my turn.  Well at 12.05pm, 15 minutes later and they were still busy my transfer arrived.  He was really nice and said we could wait, and finally one of the reception guys excused himself from the time consuming clients and took my room number and said he will do the checkout-checkin for me while I was out.  Perfect.  I could see why the transfer guy wasn’t in a rush as I was the only pickup and we were at the Gray Line office within 5 minutes.  So I went in and paid for the tour (plus pesky taxes), got my ticket and had 40 minutes to kill till the coach arrived for the tour.  I was right in the middle of downtown, so there were shops, people and food outlets all around me.  I went into one of the shopping malls that had an eatery and purchased a chicken wrap and a drink and headed to a park that was just out the front of the Gray Line office.  So I sat and ate lunch people watching for the 25 minutes before the coach pulled up and we were allowed to board.  Well Ivan, out guide and driver for the day, was nowhere near as nice as Larry yesterday and I was on a bi-lingual tour.  No matter what you think of the driver or any guide that has to do a bi-lingual tour, it is a tough gig and especially on a tour like this one when everything is close by and a city that has a lot of points of interest, he has to talk quite fast to get both explanations in English and French before we have passed the actual point.  Keeping in mind he is also driving at the same time, a man that is pretty much doing 3 things at once is a miracle.  Ivan was very monotone, but he would crack a funny every now and then, so I will be happy to tip the grumpy bugger at the end of the tour.   

Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the fifteenth largest in North America. Originally called Ville-Marie, or "City of Mary", the city takes its present name from Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the city is located.  French is the city's official language and is also the language spoken at home by 60.5% of the population in the city of Montréal proper, followed by English at 21.2% and 23.4% other languages.  Montreal is the third largest French-speaking city in the world, after Kinshasa and Paris.  Montreal is consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities, was called "Canada's Cultural Capital" by Monocle Magazine and recently was named a UNESCO City of Design.  Though historically the commercial capital of Canada, it was surpassed in population, as well as economic strength, by Toronto after 1976.

In 1611 Champlain established a fur trading post on the Island of Montreal, on a site initially named La Place Royale. At the confluence of Petite Rivière and St. Lawrence River, it is where present-day Pointe-à-Callière stands.  In 1639. The Canadian territory remained a French colony until 1760, when it was surrendered to Great Britain after their victory in the Seven Years War.  Montreal was incorporated as a city in 1832. The opening of the Lachine Canal permitted ships to bypass the unnavigable Lachine Rapids, while the construction of the Victoria Bridge established Montreal as a major railway hub. By 1860, it was the largest city in British North America and the undisputed economic and cultural center of Canada.

After World War I, the Prohibition movement in the United States led to Montreal becoming a destination for Americans looking for alcohol. Unemployment remained high in the city, and was exacerbated by the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.  During World War II, Mayor Camillien Houde protested against conscription and urged Montrealers to disobey the federal government's registry of all men and women. The government at Ottawa was furious over Houde's stand and held him at a prison camp until 1944. That year the government decided to institute conscription to be able to expand the armed forces.  By 1951, Montreal's population had surpassed one million people.  The Saint Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, allowing vessels to bypass Montreal. In time this development led to the end of the city's economic dominance as businesses moved to other areas.  During the 1960s there was continued growth, including the World's Fair known as Expo 67, and the construction of Canada's tallest skyscrapers, new expressways and the Montreal Metro system.  The 1970s ushered in a period of wide-ranging social and political changes, stemming in large part from the concerns of the French-speaking majority about the conservation of their culture and language, given the traditional predominance of the English-Canadian minority in the business arena. The October Crisis and the 1976 election of the Parti Québécois, supporting sovereign status for Quebec, resulted in the departure of many businesses and people from the city. In 1976, Montreal was the host of the Olympics. 

For over a century and a half, Montreal was the industrial and financial center of Canada.  The variety of buildings included factories, elevators, warehouses, mills, and refineries which today provide a legacy of historic and architectural interest, especially in the downtown area and the Old Port area. There are 50 National Historic Sites of Canada in Montreal, more than any other city in Canada.  Today there are also many historic buildings in Old Montreal still in their original form: Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica, Bonsecours Market, and the impressive 19th century headquarters of all major Canadian banks on St. James Street, Saint Joseph's Oratory, completed in 1967, Ernest Cormier's Art Deco Université de Montréal main building, the landmark Place Ville Marie office tower, the controversial Olympic Stadium and surrounding structures, are but a few notable examples of 20th century architecture.  Pavilions designed for the 1967 International and Universal Exposition, popularly known as Expo 67, featured a wide range of architectural designs. Though most pavilions were temporary structures, several remaining structures have become Montreal landmarks, including the geodesic dome US Pavilion, now the Montreal Biosphere, as well as Moshe Safdie's striking Habitat 67 apartment complex.  The Montreal Metro is filled with a profusion of public artwork by some of the biggest names in Quebec culture. The design and ornamentation of each station in the Metro system is unique.  In 2006 Montreal was named a UNESCO City of Design, only one of three design capitals of the world (with the others being Berlin and Buenos Aires).  

Our first stop was the Place d'Armes.  It is a square in Old Montreal quarter.  Place d'Armes is the second oldest public site in Montreal; it was called Place de la Fabrique when it was first developed in 1693, at the request of the Sulpicians, then later renamed Place d'Armes in 1721 when it became the stage of various military events. From 1781 to 1813, it was used as a hay and wood market, and then developed as a Victorian garden after it was acquired by the city in 1836.  The current dimensions of Place d’Armes correspond roughly to a plan begun in 1845 and completed in 1850, when Notre-Dame Street was completed. It was not until the demolition of the Notre-Dame Church in 1830, and its bell tower in 1843, that the square would assume its current size.  By the 1970s, the Place d’Armes vespasienne had become run-down and dirty and was closed in 1980 for "moral and cleanliness reasons." The City of Montreal began renovating Place d'Armes again in the second half of 2009 and work was completed in 2011 at a cost of $15.5 million. The work unearthed the former public washroom, along with the walls of the previous Notre-Dame Church and a water well called the "Puits Gadbois."

We were given 30 minutes to walk the square and to also visit the Notre Dame Cathedral if you wanted to have a quick visit.  It was 8CAD for entry, but I decided I could come back to see the insides of the cathedral tomorrow.  Notre-Dame Basilica is a basilica in the historic district of Old Montreal facing Place d'Armes Square.  The church's Gothic Revival architecture is among the most dramatic in the world; its interior is grand and colorful, its ceiling is colored deep blue and decorated with golden stars, and the rest of the sanctuary is a polychrome of blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold. It is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and several religious statues. Unusual for a church, the stained glass windows along the walls of the sanctuary do not depict biblical scenes, but rather scenes from the religious history of Montreal.   I decided to come back to visit the church so instead just walked around the massive square and take photos and just soak up the busy square.  There was a Chinese harpist playing, workers on their lunch break, tourists and a few small drink sellers.  Other buildings and monuments found in the square include the George III Monument which was erected in 1773 in Place d'Armes, the first known public monument in the city. On 1 May 1775, the bust of George III was found defaced in an act to denounce the Quebec Act which guarantees the use of French language. A reward of 500 guineas did not lead to apprehension of the culprit. It disappeared soon after, during the American invasion of Montreal and was only found several years later at the bottom of a well in the square.  The Maisonneuve Monument Is a monument in memory of Paul de Chomedey (1895) commemorating Chomedey's defense of the young French settlement against the Iroquois.  The buildings that surround the square represent major periods of Montreal's development. Fronting the square is Notre-Dame Basilica and the Saint-Sulpice Seminary. Other structures include the New York Life Building (1887), Montreal's first high-rise; the Bank of Montreal head office (1859), Canada's first bank; the Art Deco Aldred Building (1931) and the International style 500 Place D'Armes (1968). 

From here we got back on the coach for our next stop, photo only at the Olympic Stadium.  It is a multi-purpose stadium built as the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics. The stadium is nicknamed "The Big O", a reference to both its name and to the doughnut-shape of the permanent component of the stadium's roof; "The Big Owe" has been used to reference the astronomical cost of the stadium and the 1976 Olympics as a whole.  The stadium is the largest by seating capacity in Canada. After the Olympics, it became the home of Montreal's professional baseball and Canadian football teams. Since 2004, when the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C., the stadium has no main tenant, and with a history of financial and structural problems, is largely seen as a white elephant. It currently serves as a 56,040-seat multipurpose facility for special events (e.g. concerts, trade shows), and continues to serve as a 66,308-seat venue for playoff and Grey Cup games hosted by the Montreal Alouettes. The Tower of Montreal the tower incorporated into the base of the stadium is the tallest inclined tower in the world at 175m.  I was hoping we could get a chance to go up the tower, but it could be something I come back and do tomorrow and also visit the Biodome which is right next door. 

Our next stop, also a photo stop only was Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal.  It is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine on the west slope of Mount Royal.  In 1904, Saint André Bessette, C.S.C., began the construction of St. Joseph, a small chapel on the slopes of Mont Royal near Notre Dame College.  Soon the growing number of visitors made it too small. Even though it was enlarged, a larger church was needed and in 1917 one was completed and has a seating capacity of 1,000. In 1924, the construction of the basilica of Saint Joseph's Oratory was inaugurated; it was finally completed in 1967. Father Paul Bellot, an architect, completed the dome of Saint Joseph's Oratory (1937-39). The Oratory's dome is the third-largest of its kind in the world after the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro in the Ivory Coast and Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, and the church is the largest in Canada. On display in the basilica is a wall covered with thousands of crutches from those who came to the basilica and were allegedly healed. Pope John Paul II deemed the miracles to be authentic and beatified Brother André in 1982. In October 2010 Pope Benedict XVI canonized the saint.  More than 2 million visitors and pilgrims visit the Oratory every year.

Our last stop was at Mount Royal.  It is a mountain which is one of Montreal's largest green spaces. The park, most of which is wooded, was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park, and was inaugurated in 1876.  The park hosts athletic, tourist and cultural activities.  The mountain is home to two major cemeteries, Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (founded in 1854) and Mount Royal (1852). Mount Royal Cemetery is a 165 acres terraced cemetery on the north slope of Mount Royal in the borough of Outremont. Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery is much larger, predominantly French-Canadian and officially Catholic. More than 900,000 people are buried there.  Mount Royal Cemetery contains more than 162,000 graves and is the final resting place for a number of notable Canadians. It includes a veterans section with several soldiers who were awarded the British Empire's highest military honor, the Victoria Cross. In 1901 the Mount Royal Cemetery Company established the first crematorium in Canada.  The first cross on the mountain was placed there in 1643 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of the city, in fulfillment of a vow he made to the Virgin Mary when praying to her to stop a disastrous flood.  Today, the mountain is crowned by a 31.4 m-high illuminated cross, installed in 1924 by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste and now owned by the city.  It was converted to fibre-optic light in 1992.  The new system can turn the lights red, blue, or purple, the last of which is used as a sign of mourning between the death of the Pope and the election of the next.  We stopped at the lookout that looked over all of Montreal where we could see the Olympic Stadium and to the left downtown Montreal with its bridges and buildings.  It was a little hazy as it was a hot day, but my photos seemed to have turned out okay anyway. 

On our drive back to the hotel drop-off all the green parks were full of people making the most of the sunny day.  There were people sun baking, play with the Frisbees, balls, picnickers, people with their shirts off, dogs fetching balls-it was pretty cool to see and reminded me of London’s Hyde Park when the sun comes out there people are doing the same thing.  I guess in Australia we take our sunshine for granted.  We are a lucky country. 

Nancy and I had arranged to meet for dinner tonight and when I finally got back to the hotel just after5pm we had arranged on a time of 7.45pm.  It is really nice to have someone to catch up with here and break-up my own company for the week.  I was met on time and Nancy had bought a friend Catherine with a ‘C’ and we just hit it off straight away.  There are just some people you get along with from the second you meet them and I am happy to say Cat was one of them.  Like any large city, parking is always a major challenge and after the girls ‘showing me around’ (unable to find a park) we found one not far from where we had started near my hotel.  There are parking meters and then you pay for the amount of time that you need with coins.  If you need longer majority of the parking meters will accept payment for your car spot so it saves you having to walk back to your park to re-top up your meter.  Pretty cool huh!  We headed to the main ‘restaurant’ area of town-Crescent Street and this place was pumping.  There were people out and about, the bars were filled and the restaurants were busy.  With the sun just starting to set the neon lights were all switched on and the place had a vibe.  We decided on a smaller restaurant and the weather was perfect for ‘patio’ dining and we sat outside.  You could still feel the heat of the day and if anything it was still quite warm.  We had a great meal and we talked like we were old friends over a bottle of red wine that Cat had bought with her.  Nancy wasn’t drinking, so after we had finished dinner and had half a bottle of red each we drove to a Salsa Club 5 minutes away.  We were lucky we found a park with no problems and headed into Salsatheque.  Cat had put our names on the door, so when we arrived we didn’t have to pay an entrance fee.  It was just after 10pm and there were only a handful of people in there, but the salsa music was beating and the drinks were cheap with 3CAD for a vodka and coke till midnight.  The staff knew Nancy and Cat well with hugs and hellos all round and we found ourselves sitting at one of the reserved booths to the side of the bar.  The beauty here is that there are waiters that will go and get your drinks for you and we were able to put them all on a tab to settle at the end of the night!  There are pros and cons to that.  The pros is that you don’t have to leave your seat for a drink and later on to fight people at the bar and the downside was you really had no idea on what the bill was.  We stayed for 3 drinks and then the gals wanted to show me another bar.  So we walked back to the car and drove to the Jello Martini Lounge only to find that it was closed in support of the student marches that have been happening in the city all week.  So we decided to head back to the Salsa Club where we stayed till the place closed at 3am.  I remember being slightly disappointed, but really it was a blessing in disguise and I think I had drunk enough after I picked up the bill for our second return at 80CAD plus a 20CAD tip for our waiter.  Considering that Nancy was only drinking soft drink that was a pretty big bill.  It may not have helped that we had some ‘snickers’ shots (maybe 3 or was it 4) so I guess that would hike up the bill I suppose.  But I have to say it was a great night.  It is the first ‘girly’ night I have had for a LONG time and I had a bunch of fun.  So thanks to Nancy and Catherine (with a C) for taking me out. I did say I would mention in the blog a few personal jokes, which I will not go into any details but key words include motorboat, flossing (big and small) and plans were talked about with a trip to the Dominican Republic for a holiday in the future some time.  Sometimes the best laid plans are hatched from drinking nights.  I am just glad I had no commitment’s tomorrow so I could get out of my hangover at my own time!!!

AMALUNA-THE NEW CIRQUE DO SOLEIL SHOW WAS AMAZING

WEATHER: Rainy and 25C

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Cirque Do Soleil…..

BUMMER OF THE DAY: Good weather comes to an end

WORD OF THE DAY: Africa reunion

I woke this morning at 8am with a message from Nancy that she would pick me up from the hotel at 7pm tonight for the Cirque Do Soleil show.  I was really looking forward to seeing the show as I haven’t seen any of them.  This was going to be Nancy’s 4^th show.  She also mentioned that she hoped I would have a good day even though it was raining.  News to me as I wasn’t even out of bed yet, but opening the curtains it was pouring down rain.  I guess the run of extremely good weather had to come to an end at one point.  I was planning to walk into the old town today and spend some time down there today, but after checking the weather for the rest of the day, it was going to get worse before it got better, so I decided to have a hotel day, blog day and head out for some lunch.  I didn’t feel too bad with this as I had now decided to stay the extra 2 night here now, so it gives me plenty of time now to see what I want to see. 

Breakfast wasn’t included in the room rate so there was no need to rush and I spent the morning catching up on y blog.  I seem to be 3 days behind again, so I need to get my butt into gear.  I was watching the marathon of Criminal Minds and was totally stoked when Zeme came online so we had a chat for a while before he had to go.  Considering they are 7 hours in front of us, it is always a nice surprise when we are online at the same time.  Man I miss him so much and just need to keep an eye on the prize of seeing him in July.  He got the last piece of paperwork from his boss today, so back to the consulate again next week.  Dang I hate this bit but it’s something I guess I am going to have to get used to.  I also used this time to double check all the train times, flight times and tours and on my way out to lunch I stopped by reception to book in everything.  So I added on an additional 2 nights here at the hotel, booked the Quebec tour for tomorrow, the 3 hour city tour on Thursday and I was still a little undecided about Friday and was going to play that one by ear.  What a great 3 days ahead! 

   

I headed out for lunch at a café on Saint Catherine Street and watched the people and crowds pass me by.  I take my book along with me as well so over lunch I read and people watched the afternoon.  It is a tough job but someone has to do it right?  I have started to have big lunches and something small for dinner while I have the use of the microwave, so it was a beautiful piece of steak for lunch with veggies, which also came with a soup for starter and chips and dip.  I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and bought some more 2 minute noodles, some banana cake slices that will suffice for breakfast, a carton of juice and some cans of coke.  I also forgot to tell you that in that little pouch that was lost at Barbados airport were my Katmandu knife, fork and spoon set.  So I had to keep this in mind when I was buying food as there is no cutlery in the hotel room.  So with my provisions I headed back to the hotel in the afternoon.  I got a message from Cheryl, whom I am staying with in Chicago, and she asked if I had seen Jersey Boys the Musical.  To which the answer is no, so I’m hoping that that will now be added to our ‘stay-cation’ packed holiday. 

I started getting ready for Cirque at 5.30pm.  I even washed my hair; blow dried it and applied makeup for the first time in a long time.  Man welcome back to western society and actually caring about what you look like.  It has been a long time that is for sure and to top it all off I donned the new dress I bought with the girls on the week-end.  Oh yes, I felt and looked (I hope) like a lady.  The only thing that did bother me was the only jacket I have is red and the dress I had on was purple.  Not a colour combination I would normally wear together, but I just didn’t have any choice, so I will just make a very colour statement.  But I felt nice.  It was nice to feel nice. 

I went to reception at 7pm and there was Nancy.  It was great to see her and she was also dressed in a very bright orange shirt, so we certainly made a very colorful couple for the evening!  We drove in Nance’s car down to the Old Port where the Cirque tent was erected especially for this show.  Like any major city, parking was a nightmare, but after driving around for about 10 minutes we found a park in a small side street not far from the venue. 

Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier.  Initially named Les Échassiers, they toured Quebec in 1980 as a performing troupe and encountered financial hardship that was relieved by a government grant in 1983 as part of the 450th anniversary celebrations of Jacques Cartier's discovery of Canada.  Le Grand Tour du Cirque du Soleil was a success in 1984, and after securing a second year of funding, Laliberté hired Guy Caron from the National Circus School to re-create it as a "proper circus". Its theatrical, character-driven approach and the absence of performing animals helped define Cirque du Soleil as the contemporary circus that it remains today.

Each show is a synthesis of circus styles from around the world, with its own central theme and storyline. They draw the audience into the performance through continuous live music, with performers rather than stagehands changing the props.  Cirque expanded rapidly through the 1990s and 2000s, going from one show to 19 shows in over 271 cities on every continent except Antarctica. The shows employ approximately 4,000 people from over 40 countries and generate an estimated annual revenue exceeding US$810 million. The multiple permanent Las Vegas shows alone play to more than 9,000 people a night, 5% of the city's visitors, adding to the 90 million people who have experienced Cirque worldwide.  In 2000, Laliberté bought out Gauthier, and with 95% ownership, has continued to expand the brand.  Several more shows are in development around the world, along with a television deal, women's clothing line and the possible venture into other mediums such as spas, restaurants and nightclubs.  Cirque also produces a small number of private and corporate events each year (past clients have been the royal family of Dubai and the 2007 Super Bowl).

Once we got to the entrance of the tent, we were scanned through with the tickets that Amy had printed.  We had a quick walk around the outer tent that had food and drink stands and paraphernalia of the show from the good old fashioned programs, to really cool looking face masks (they were 300CAD) keying’s, magnets, hats, shirts etc…..  Nancy and I tried on a few of the ‘cheapo’ masks and we were surprised we didn’t get into trouble when we decided to take our own photos with them on.  We then made our way into the tent to find our seats.  As the ticket man directed us where to go, he saw my camera in my hand and told me that no photos were permitted in the tent at all.  Not even then as people were still getting seated.  Well that’s a bugger, but after we sat down we saw a lot is people using their phones to snap off photos, so I took a chance and with a look over my shoulder I took one photo of the center stage as it was pretty impressive.  There were some character walking around the tent as people took their seats playing and teasing them and as it got close to show time the music began and the wonderful world of Cirque was to consume us for the next 2.5 hours.  I had seen a documentary a few years ago on the process of finding new and exciting acts for upcoming shows, so I had seen a little on what they look for but nothing prepares you for what the body can do, what gifts some people have been given and make it all look so effortless.  I can’t even give you a number of the WOW’s, shrieks and OMG’s I did during the show.  It was like we were transported to the island where the story takes place with all its magic and super human inhabitants. 

The show tonight was called Amaluna which premiered in Montréal, Canada, on April 19, 2012.  The story takes place on an island governed by goddesses. During a storm, a group of men are washed up on shore. The queen's daughter falls for one of the young men and the trials of their love are the elements composing this production. The title, Amaluna, is the combination of two separate words. "Ama" which refers to mother in many languages, and "luna" which means moon. The moon is a symbol of femininity, which is part of the reason it was chosen for this production.

Some show facts include the center stage in Amaluna has a mechanism allowing it to revolve. Similarly, the carousel suspended above the stage has this capability as well. The set design has very few moving parts, other than those previously stated, and has no visual effects. This decision allows for greater attention to the performers.  The stage comprises of 174 branches in 534 sections (90 in the canopy and 84 upstage) making a total of 1.7 kilometers.  There are three models of branches in the canopy and 35 in the upstage.  The 7.6m diameter carousel weighs 2,700kg.  The grid weighs 3,900 kg and includes three acrobatic winches, each able to lift loads up to 180kg at 3m per second.  The acrobatic winch in the center of the carousel can lift up to 450kg at 3m per second.  The water bowl is 1.65m tall, 2.21m in diameter, and weighs 2,500kg when filled with water.  The overall sound of the music in Amaluna is contemporary, which can be seen with the use of guitars. Bass, drums, cello, vocals, keyboards, and percussion support the guitars in delivering a direct music without embellishment. Amaluna is the first Cirque du Soleil show with an all-female group of musicians. 

Some of the main highlights for me included the Half-lizard, half-human man.  He had a tail that moved and it actually looked real as he walked and sashayed his way around the stage.  There were the crowd pleasers who kept the show running as the stages were set up over the course of the evening.  The Man Servant and the Nurse, and they were hilarious.  It was all spoken in French, but done so that you still had an idea on what was being said.  As the lights dimmed, there was a massive red scarf that seemed to just be floating and whipping up and dancing around in the air all on its own.  It looked magical and really set the tone for the rest of the show.  It was like magic !!!  There were two artists that entered on unicycles wearing hoop skirts of gold, weaving in and out of each other’s paths like the wind as they joyfully pirouette and danced.  The moves that they did on the unicycles were amazing.  There were the Chinese acrobats that sat on the feet of their male counterparts all the while spinning 1m length bits of rope the whole act and throwing them up in the air and catching them.  The strength, precision timing and sheer acrobatic skill was incredible.  I was on the edge of my seat just hoping that they would be dropped it drop one of the ropes.  And all this was done in unison. The water bowl performance was pretty amazing as the female performer dipped and dived into this 3m deep bowl and performed a challenging hand-balancing routine before diving and snaking through the water. The way and angle that her body bended looked painful as her head touched her bottom!!!!  The uneven bars were cool and the speed at which they get the sets changed over is so quick.  The men on these bars presented a fast-paced theatrical version of the classic gymnastic routine.  The young men launch themselves high into the air, twisting and turning over the bars.  The Balance Goddess was INCREDIBLE.  She started out with one palm leaf rib (looks like a stick) and then created a world in equilibrium with a mobile made of thirteen palm leaf ribs in total. An ode to balance, her movements were slow, deliberate and almost meditative as she concentrates all her attention on this literally breathtaking structure. And then she removes the smallest piece, the original stick and the whole thing fell to the floor.  There were four artists that performed a complex and innovative tight wire act. Working simultaneously on four wires they encounter each other headed in opposite directions, dance a tango in the same direction, bounce into the air like trampolinists and even walk the wire in high heels and en pointe in ballet shoes.  One guy even did 2 back flips landing back on the wire!!!  And last but not least the aerial straps.  They flew out over the audience on straps suspended from the Carousel, a rotating set element high above them. This is flight in four dimensions, calling for precision timing in addition to the skills and physical strength it takes to move at high velocity through 360 degrees.

When the show had finished all the performers came out on the stage to take their bows and I had to say I had a tear in my eye as they waved and said their thank you’s to us.  They even got a standing ovation and it really was a magical and amazing show.  In total the show went for just over 2 hours with a half hour intermission half way through the programme.  IT WAS AMAZING and if you get a chance to see any of the Cirque shows then I can highly recommend one.  Nancy took me for a quick walk around the Old Montreal all light up at night time, and it was just beautiful and a lovely way to finish a great night. 

I was dropped back to my hotel just after 11.30pm and we have arranged to meet up again on Thursday for dinner, which is really nice and I am looking forward to it.  It makes a difference to have some-one to chat to and to catch up on things that have happened to us over the last 12 months.  Thanks for a great night Nancy and thank-you to Amy for organizing it all and a shame that you weren’t able to make the show this time.