News from the Reproductive System

( if you care about the boring details )

5 Canada Day hours in Montreal

in answer to pixel12's question, here's my suggestion for a 5-hour layover in Montreal.

The question was:

> I'm a bit of a speed tourist, and R is as well. I was thinking of
> exploring one district (probably not the main drag) and having a meal.
> R speaks reasonable French, so we'd be fine on that account, but I'd
> like to stay near-ish the public transit lines to get back out to the
> airport.
>
> So, my favourite ex-Montrealer, without being offensive, how can I
> show this city someone who's never stepped foot in Canada, ideally in
> 5 hours?

I'm up for a challenge. So, while this might not be everybody's answer, here's mine:

If you'll be overlapping with the Jazz Fest, you might want to check it out for an hour or so -- they have a ton of free outdoor shows: http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/fijm2005/accueil_en.asp

The Plateau, specifically Mont-Royal street, is awesome for wandering in and getting a feel for Montreal. If it's a Sunday, you could go to the park (Parc & Mont-Royal, roughly) for the tam-tam (drumming and dancing). If you're feeling energetic, you could also climb the mountain.

I have a great fondness for Boul. St-Laurent, as I worked on it for so long. If you start at Metro St-Laurent and walk up, there's a skeezy area, followed by the bit with all the swanky bars and shops, pause at the Prince-Arthur walking area, starts to get grottier again (but with more character) as you go further up. Ripple's has great home-made ice cream. Be sure to go into Schwartz's for a smoked meat sandwich (assuming it's not too hot that day) -- they are a Montreal institution and it is essential that all (non-vegetarian) tourists go there. (The smoked meat platter is a good deal for two.) Other excellent food options: Slovenia (dead cheap sausage inna bun, it's AMAZING), any of the shish taouk places, or a sandwich and/or pastry at Au Pain Dore (it's a chain but really nice).

St-Denis is a few blocks east of St-Laurent. It has a ton of open-air cafes and terrasses (it's very important to spend at least some time on a terrasse when visiting Montreal). It's swankier but equally fun.

A bit further east, Parc Lafontaine is a lovely big park. popular in the summer.

All of the above are more or less in the same area. You could start at the Jazz Fest, walk up St. Laurent, along Mont Royal and down St. Denis (or go further in one direction or another).

Sherbrooke and (especially) Ste-Catherine are pretty dull in comparison -- they would be the main drags I'd suggest avoiding.

I find Old Montreal kind of touristy, and wouldn't personally recommend it if you only have a short time in town. OTOH, it does have quite a bit of charm, and if you do find yourself at a loose end with another hour or so to go, you could trot down there and check it out -- it's pretty popular and if there are some events on (like Canada Day fireworks) it could be a lot of fun.

Transit information and maps: http://www.stcum.qc.ca/English/a-somm.htm

The montreal community has a bunch of archived suggestions: http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=montreal&keyword=Places+to+do/things+to+do&filter=all

I hope that helps! I think that's my suggestions. If anything isn't clear, or you need more specifics, or it doesn't sound appealing, or anything, let me know and I'll do my best to help out.

---

Anyone have any counter-suggestions?

(no subject)

So believe it or not, I have actually been doing other things besides fret about my internal organs. To wit:

Friday night: Went to Bakka. Bought The Hallowed Hunt. (I decided, given the rate at which the library, bless it, gets new science fiction and fantasy into circulation I could be dead by the time it actually got to me, and then I'd be annoyed. Besides, you know I was going to buy it anyway.) Stopped by Lush on the way and got a couple of trifles. Fiscal responsibility? What's that? Then got to J's place to find her surrounded by boxes. Wrapped up her china as we watched What Not to Wear and Clean Sweep. The latter is awesome to watch while you're packing because it reminds you that actually your house is not so bad and things could always be worse, like, you could have a kitchen that is all but invisible under the piles and piles of superfluous appliances, pots and pans, and spare containers. I don't think I got all that much done, but she was very grateful.

Saturday: Read The Hallowed Hunt. It's awesome. Exercised enough self-control to put it down at the end of chapter 6, bag all my laundry, walk to the laundromat, and start the laundry going before I picked it up again. Um, I think that was basically it. Saturday was not very productive. But hey, laundry! And The Hallowed Hunt!

Sunday: Helped J move boxes and furniture out of her apartment and into our new basement. pariah_ink slipped on the death-trap steps and dropped a desk on his head, so was out of commission with stitches and orders not to nap for three hours or work for the rest of the day (he is fine as far as I know). monkeycommando subbed in and gave me good advice about where to put my desk, which I think I will take. Fortunately, when doing things for J's family you are always well fed. Went home, collapsed in a heap for a bit, cooked 2 kinds of curry with the chicken I'd defrosted on the principle that it would have to be done pretty soon, watched the Beatrice and Benedick bits of Much Ado About Nothing.

Monday: Went to monkeycommando and S's for dinner (last possible one before the baby comes). Baby is now beyond even the last vote in the pool, which was mine (I think that means I win, but I'm not sure). Baby seems quite comfortable where it is. S has other views. The baby's room is BEAUTIFUL. I am quite jealous.

See? My life is a whirlwind of excitement, I tell you! And tomorrow I get to go to my mum's concert.

Must send good vibes to J for her involvement in the Town Hall of Doom this evening. Eee.

Also! How could I forget?

BEST NEWS EVER! The TTC is finally finishing the track work! We get a bus on Queen St. starting Monday, and streetcar service as of June 19th!

I am SO happy. And actually they've been doing really good work and going really fast. But I'm SO tired of having no streetcar service and listening to heavy equipment and rail-welding and goodness knows what else outside my apartment at all hours of the day and night.

Sadly, it doesn't look like they'll be keeping the Neville Park 13 bus, which I thought was a good thing to have. Ah well. Small price to pay.