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Montreal Trip Report
Topic Started: Jun 14 2017, 08:18 AM (146 Views)
jon-nyc
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Cheers
So we made a short visit to Montreal the weekend of 5/19-22. I hadn't been there since the mid 70s, Rachel was there for a quick visit in her early 20s but hadn't seen much of the place.

Part of our inspiration for going was to visit some friends that lived in our town until last year, when they moved (back) to Montreal. They have a kid my son's age, which is how we met them.


It's a very short flight from NY - billed as 1hr 25m but you're probably in the air less than an hour. The airport at Montreal was remarkably dead. This was a bit surprising since we (accidentally) picked a holiday weekend for our trip - most of Canada celebrated Victoria day on that Monday, in Quebec they call it National Patriots' Day.

Another happy accident - we picked the weekend where they were celebrating Montreal's 375th birthday. The actual date was the Wednesday before we arrived, but over the weekend there was a lot going on, the principal attraction being these huge marionettes traipsing through the city over three days - more on those later.


So after arriving Friday we headed into Old Montreal to explore. It's a very beautiful part of the city, with old buildings and cobblestone streets. Unfortunately it has turned into quite the tourist trap, with the same kitsch being sold in every shop, and pretty homogenous restaurant choices (though no chains, at least). I don't mean to be too critical, it's still worth seeing and we had a good time. In the middle of it is the Notre Dame cathedral, a gothic-revival structure which is gorgeous inside and out.

I didn't get any good pictures of this area, so I'll post one from the web:

Vieux Montreal:



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Also that day we went to the old port, which has all sorts of attractions for families. Here's the boy outside of their Science Museum. That's Rachel mostly hidden behind him:


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You can't really tell with that jacket on, but he's totally ripped now:



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Just next to the city center is the big mountain from which the city gets its name (Mount Royal, in English). In the image below it's the green park on the left part of the map. You could think of it as the Central Park of Montreal, there are people galore there on a nice day, and lots of things to do including paddle boats in nice weather and skating (of course) in the cold.



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We spent most of the day there with our friends. On one side of it is an overlook where you can see the whole city. You really need a panoramic view to do the scene justice, but this gives you an idea.



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And here's the three of us. Not the best picture, but here it is:



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On Sunday we walked around an enjoyed the city. Mostly the more bohemian neighborhoods. We had fun but didn't take a lot of pictures, Here are a couple of graffiti shots with the boy:



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Finally, here's a blurry selfie showing the boy and me in the car on the way home from LaGuardia.


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I'm going to post a follow-up with some pictures and video of the giant marionettes. They are really impressive.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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George K
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Finally
Thanks, Jon. I've been thinking of visiting there as well.

I was there in 1971, and again in '74, but I don't remember much other than the cool lights on the rails of the expressways, and the rubber-tired subways.
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brenda
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..............
Looks like a fun family trip, Jon! You look healthy and happy, as does your whole family. Thanks for the trip notes and pics.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Thanks for the report and the photos!
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taiwan_girl
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Fulla-Carp
Great looking family. I love to see these travelogues. Looking forward to more.
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
taiwan_girl
Jun 14 2017, 11:57 AM
Great looking family. I love to see these travelogues. Looking forward to more.
I'm just getting my mojo back - I used to be the king of trip reports!

Now that I can breathe again I'll try to resume...
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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brenda
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..............
jon-nyc
Jun 14 2017, 12:13 PM
taiwan_girl
Jun 14 2017, 11:57 AM
Great looking family. I love to see these travelogues. Looking forward to more.
I'm just getting my mojo back - I used to be the king of trip reports!

Now that I can breathe again I'll try to resume...
Good! :)
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Rainman
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Fulla-Carp
Thanks Jon!
Yes, more pics!!
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Jolly
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Geaux Tigers!
I've only been through the airport there twice, and both times it was chock-a-block. Glad to hear it wasn't an ordeal for your family.

Also glad to hear a good time was had, especially by the lad.

Memories. You're making good memories.
The main obstacle to a stable and just world order is the United States.- George Soros
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
Thanks everyone.


Now for the marionettes.

To celebrate the 375th anniversary of the founding of the city, there was a public performance by a French street theatre company using giant marionettes. The performance spanned three days and covered large swathes of the city. Though I never worked out the plot, it had something to do with a little girl and a deep sea diver meeting (those are the two marionettes).

Here's a picture (not mine) of the girl's and diver's faces.

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The marionettes were truly huge - the diver was 5 stories tall. There's a crane that keeps it aloft but all the motion is controlled by people using ropes and pulleys. It takes a couple dozen people to control it. Walking is done by having two men grab a rope and literally jump from a platform together, their combined weight enough to lift one leg at the knee. For continuous walking teams of many men are involved.

Watch the below video. At the end of the video he sits down, and I pan close so you can see his face moving, even his eyes blinking. Pretty cool stuff.



If anyone's interested, here's the outfit that does this stuff:

https://www.royal-de-luxe.com/en/pictures-wall/

They've performed in Europe and South America. This was the first time in North America. I'd love to see them come to NYC someday.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Caught this one a few days after jon-nyc's visit ...

Montreal Marionette (5 minutes):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVZUa4j-WqA


Montreal Marionette (1 minute):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXNm6nt4p7M
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