Being the Tour Guide

Photos: June 11, 2016

Catching up on my blog - it was a busy weekend!

What a day - learning that online friends are truly friends. My photo adventure began in 2009 when I joined a Flickr group of mainly educators in 2009 to do a 365 photos in a year. Who knew that what I embarked on was not just an adventure in photography but on a  road into friendships in many parts of the world. I have just returned from dropping off Di and Diane at the airport as they return to their respective homes in Ontario. Friday evening was our first face to face encounter, but after years of meeting with each other through our photos and writing there was an instant affinity - a feeling of being with old friends.



I was the tour guide, showing Montreal sights and finding photo opportunities, sharing my city and spots I love. We shared the photo ideas we noticed (we all love reflections). Old Montreal was the obvious place to start our Montreal exploration.

We pointed out the possibilities of leading lines and repetition, of symmetry and asymmetry, of depth of field and where to focus - our minds as well as our cameras.



Stop, focus, enjoy - an adventure in mindfulness, in seeing and for me, in being a tourist in my own city.



We stopped for lunch in a new cafe in what was at one time the main branch of the Royal Bank (photo above is just a small sample of the mind-boggling decor) - a truly remarkable space. I was last in there in 2009 for a concert as part of the Montreal Baroque Festival. Funny to think they may have seen a photo of this space and now we were sharing a meal together there.

Here is another small sample of the decor.

Next stop - the Mural Festival. There are many murals which stay from year to year - others are painted over and new ones created. These works are in progress; I'll have to go back to see the final products.

This was just day one of our photo jaunts together. Feeling tired we headed home. Much more to see and explore.

Walking in Old Montreal

One perk of going to concerts is they take place in different parts of the city. Last night's concert was in Old Montreal. We strolled through the streets (in this weird winter of ours, I was wearing shoes not boots - unheard of in February). As we walked up from the metro station we approached Notre-Dame church, one of the older churches in Montreal.



The cobblestone streets add atmosphere as does the way the buildings are lit. Despite warm for February temperatures, there are far fewer people on the streets than in the summer months. It is nice to walk without the constant jostling of tourists.



Place Jacques Cartier had fire pits set up. The logs crackled and the warmth was cheerful. Down in the old port there is an outdoor music festival (not my kind of music). I am sure the participants welcome the warmth of these stations after spending time outdoors.



After the concert, which was lovely, by Pallade Musica we walked past City Hall on our way back to the metro. It is lit up almost to excess. Tomorrow's concert takes me to another part of the city.

Who Thought of This Lighting

I love to walk through Old Montreal, with many buildings from the 19th century. Many are carefully lit at night to show off the architecture. This one feels like a horror house, with its red lighting. Instead of enhancing, it detracts.



I much prefer the the way this building is lit. One has a sense of its elegance.

Bank of Montreal

Bank of Montreal, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Solid - bank architecture of the past gave a sense of the weight of the institution. This is the headquarters of the Bank of Montreal. Finished in 1847 this building sits prominently at Place d'Armes in Old Montreal, opposite Notre Dame Church, another symbol of power.



Beside the church is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Montreal, The Saint-Sulpice Seminary, built in 1687 (the clock dates from the early 1700s). The Catholic Church played a decisive role in Quebec's history. The Sulpicians were among the first settlers in New France. They saw as part of their role to educate the native population, and, of course, convert them to Christianity. They held large properties throughout the island of Montreal.
You can learn more here.

Marché Bonsecours

Marché Bonsecours, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Despite the cold weather, all it takes is a good concert to lure me out at night. And last night's concert was well worth the effort. Adrian Butterfield played the Four Seasons by Vivaldi with Clavecin en Concert. It was a very expressive, well thought out performance - a bit of magic on a winter's evening.

The suite of four concertos ends with Winter - appropriately last night as we left the church into the gusty night.



The cold didn't stop me from enjoying the beautiful lighting of the buildings in Old Montreal. But even the warm lights didn't mitigate against the harsh wind that buffeted us.

I conquered

I conquered, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

History told from the point of view of the victors.

Molson Bank

Molson Bank, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

It's that time of year again! The Baroque Festival started in Old Montreal. I always take the time to enjoy the architecture of the area. This was once the Molson Bank (yes the same family as the brewery). It eventually merged with the Bank of Montreal. The building is no longer a bank.



This year's festival is being held at Théatre St-James, closer to the Square Victoria exit. Exiting the station you see the old metro signs which were sent from Paris. The square is a lovely oasis with fountains and many benches shaded by a variety of trees.



A young Queen Victoria presides over the square (actually a long rectangle). Lots of music for this weekend.

Rooftops

Rooftops, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

A side benefit of going to the baroque festival is that I get to stroll around Old Montreal. The variety of architecture is amazing with buildings dating from 1700 to the present. This is the top of the Hôtel de Ville.




This is the Ernest-Cormier building - now the Court of Appeals, once the Conservatory. One of the concerts took place in the lobby.

High Tech Low Tech

High Tech Low Tech, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

In a walk around Vieux-Montréal I passed a line of caleches waiting for passengers. This low tech transportation's driver is consulting a cell phone. I wonder if she is using GPS to get around the city...

On another note, the Horse Palace, the stables where these horses were housed was sold. The owners were in their 80s and could no longer afford to keep up the stables. Another condo project? Or will the stables be saved by the city. You can read more on The Gazette site.

City Hall at Night

City Hall at Night, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Walking in Old Montreal, I enjoyed the lighting on the buildings. I was astonished to find that virtually all the restaurants on Place Jacques-Cartier close in the winter. The square is still pretty in winter and though the buskers aren't there, I would have thought there would still be clientele for the restaurants.

We did manage to find food around the corner and at least were rewarded with a lovely concert in the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours by Les Boréades.

Centaur Theatre

Centaur Theatre, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Photo: December 11, 2011

I walked past Centaur Theatre on my way to dinner in a restaurant. I have photographed it in the day time. It has a very different feel from a night time shot. This year I have been going to the plays. Next up: In Absentia by Morris Panych. Although the acting has been good in the last two plays I saw, I did not find the plays very satisfying. But in Montreal, it is important to support English theatre.

Vestiges

Vestiges, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

History gets written on walls. Buildings that are no longer there leave vestiges. What is now an open space, in fact - a parking lot, was once the inside of this house. Was the archway once a doorway? If only the bricks and stones could tell the stories from the past.

Here is another example.



Times change - new buildings replace the old as needs change. It's nice to at least have these vestiges that remind us of the past.

Old House

Old House, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

The Montreal Baroque Festival always gives me the opportunity to be a tourist in my own city. With 5 concerts in one day in three different venues we walked through Old Montreal. I love the old stone buildings. The plaque on this one read... "built around 1800 on land granted in 1658 to Lambert Closse by Paul de Chomedey Sieur de Maisonneuve ..."



Along Notre-Dame, we passed the Court of Appeal, once the Court House. It is imposing, with stairs leading up, tall columns and these large doors. Here is a detail of one of the panels.

 Near Notre Dame Cathedral, we found a pedestrian area - a quiet oasis in the city, with benches and fountains and the songs of birds ricocheting off the stone facades of the buildings.



As to the festival - what a richness of concerts!

Fire Escape

Fire Escape, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Photo: May 19, 2011

Old buildings are being converted to new uses. To respect new fire codes, additions like this fire escape have to be added. At least here, the building has found a new purpose. In the 1970s many buildings were demolished to make way for new, bigger, modern structures. A city has to grow, but I am glad we have preserved some of our history.

Benches

Benches, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Photograph: April 10, 2010
Warmer weather has brought people out. Cafes have put their tables outside and the benches in parks have started to be occupied. I passed a person sitting and chatting on the phone, another reading a newspaper and another just enjoying the feeling of warmth from the sun. Here in Montreal, it's day by day - but on the sunny ones, people take advantage of every bit of warmth the sun can send.

Customs House

Customs House, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Photo: April 9, 2011
Sitting at Place Royale, and now part of Pointe-à-Callière Museum, an archaeology museum, this was once the Customs House for the Port of Montreal. From the museum site "This building, designed by architect John Ostell, dates back to 1836–1837 and originally housed Montréal’s first Custom House (its name means “the Old Custom House”). It was expanded in 1881."

I love the layers of history you see from here, the art deco building peeking up from behind, the outline of an old stone structure on the newer brick building. Thankfully we have preserved some of our heritage. Buildings have been lost to fire and to the wreckers ball to be replaced by the next generation of architecture. I think of what the people of the past must have lived and endured as I walk here on a sunny April day.

Skating

Skating, originally uploaded by susanvg.

These are hardy souls - it was cold (though they didn't have to take their gloves off to skate - photography was brutal). The lights around the rink were just coming on and the African music helped to heat up the atmosphere.

Silent Night

Silent Night, originally uploaded by susanvg.

After I wonderful dinner out, we strolled onto Place Jacques Cartier. In summer this is a popular tourist spot, with the bustle of people, the hustle of buskers and a lively atmosphere. This evening it was quiet, with barely a soul, walking briskly in the chilly evening temperatures. The square is full of holiday lights, some of which can be seen here, reflected in the windows. Music wafted up from the skating rink at Bonsecours Basin. I like the serenity on a winter's eve.

Cobblestones

Cobblestones, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I like the feeling of walking on history - to step where others from a different time have stepped. With our modern roads new asphalt covers over the old with history's footsteps obliterated. This cobblestone has been witness to a longer history, back in Montreal's past. As I waited to get in to a concert, I snapped this photograph. The car lights flooded the street, testimony to the layers of time in this place.

Yet even this street has only borne witness for a few hundred years. In travelling I have walked on roads much older and stepped where famous people of history have walked.

Here in Montreal, I walk in the footsteps of the people who settled here, leaving their homes an ocean away to live in what was sometimes a very hostile environment. I walk where the sailors have walked as they entered the church where the concert was held, offering prayers for safe journeys. I stroll where the merchants of Montreal walked on their way to Bonsecours Market. Each generation has left its imprint on the city and each generation has, at times, erased the past to make way for the future through demolition and new structures. It is nice to have a part of the city where we can still connect with the city's past.

Iron Gate

Iron Gate, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I passed this iron gate on my way to a concert. I love wrought iron. I once spent considerable time at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London just admiring the many uses and artifacts of wrought iron. Now so many fences are just utilitarian steel. They keep people out, but do not have visual appeal. This gate is in front of an art gallery which itself is in an old building in Old Montreal. This part of the city has cobblestone streets (much nicer to look at than to walk or drive on) and the oldest buildings in the city. Like many other cities, Montreal had its share of fires, so the buildings do date from a variety of eras. It is nice to see this gate enhance the building while providing security.