MONTREAL EXPEDITION!

Montreal means "royal mountain", and refers to the mountain overlooking downtown Montreal, Canada, that is called Mount Royal, and has an elevation of about 800 feet.  Mount Royal, and the cross on top of it, serve as my visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses from Psalm 24:3-4 that says,

"Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place?  The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god."

There is a 103 foot tall cross on top of Mount Royal, that serves as a landmark for the city, and intended to testify to answered prayers, from a time when floods from the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers, were having devastating effects on the Montreal area.  The military officer, Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, is credited with the first cross erected on top of Mount Royal in 1643.  He was the founder of Ville-Marie, a religious mission that means "City of Mary", in what is now Montreal, Canada (www.MTL.org)

Our group got to ascend this "royal mountain" and enjoy a view of the city from a scenic overlook, as well as a stroll through the park there, that Frederick Law Olmsted had a part in designing (the same landscape architect associated with Central Park in New York City).  The park is called Mount Royal Park, and was started in 1876.  The photo below shows Beaver Lake, which is a small artificial lake.  It also has numerous hiking and biking trails and cross-country skiing trails. 

St. Joseph's Oratory (www.saint-joseph.org) sits on the slopes of Mount Royal, and is a National Historic Site of Canada, and is Canada's largest church.  It has one of the largest church domes in the world, and you can see a photo I took of it on the blog I published, called "Canada Motor-Coach Expedition!", on October 24, 2024. 

 

Our guide told us that "oratory" basically means "prayer", which is what people do there, including me! It was the miracle-working prayers of Father Andre, in the early 1900's, that began to draw attention to this place of prayer and worship.  Religious pilgrims from all over the world come to this sight, and many of them climb up the wooden steps shown in the center of the stairwell, on their knees, as a sign of devotion.

Many people who went to Brother Andre, to ask  him to pray for their healing, were indeed healed of a variety of maladies.  There is a display of crutches and canes (ex-votos) left behind by those who had been healed, during the lifetime of Brother Andre's ministry, in the lower level of St. Joseph's Oratory.  Brother Andre died in 1937, and after his canonization, became known as Saint Andre of Montreal.  {Sometimes, lighting a votive candle can be used to signify fulfillment of a vow (Latin, votum)}

Brother Andre had a pious devotion to Saint Joseph, the husband of Jesus' mother Mary, and as such,  Joseph could be called the stepfather of Jesus.  There is a venerated statue of St. Joseph, in the Votive Chapel of St. Joseph Oratory.  The white letters of the glass votives, remind visitors that Saint Joseph is the patron saint of Canada. 

Our group used Dorchester Square as the  drop off/meetup location  for exploring downtown Montreal.  It is a lovely place to stroll around, reading the plaques below the numerous statues, to learn a few aspects of Canadian history.  There are also places to sit under a sun umbrella, ride a bicycle, or languish on a park bench. 

From Dorchester Square, our group walked towards one of the many entrances to The Montreal Underground City.  As we walked, we passed dozens of workers, who were busily engaged in putting down new bricks into the street.  I was fascinated with the precise measurements I saw a worker taking, as he had to cut bricks to fit around a circular manhole cover in the street!  It seemed everywhere we went in Canada, there was renovation, construction, and repairs taking place.  Our guide told us that the harsh winters in Montreal wreck havoc on their infrastructure, so there is a massive push during the warmer weather months, to get as much work as possible completed, before the snow season hits. 

Those harsh winters are one reason there has been so much development in what is known as "Montreal Underground City".  Our guide warned us that it is very easy to get lost in the sprawling complex of shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues.  Later, I noticed that sentiment expressed even in one of their advertisements that called the underground city mysterious and CONFUSING!  I was looking forward to working toward my 10,000 steps per day in such a haven for window-shopping!   However, I was very careful to not stray too far from where I entered the underground, so that I would not miss the designated meet-up time our guide had given us.  The photo below shows just a tiny part of the expansive space. The pink figure at the bottom, is a part of a unique art walk featuring fifteen temporary pink sculptures, collectively known as Monsieur Rose ("Mr. Pink") and are the emblems of Mignonisme, by Philippe Katerine.  Mignonisme (from "mignon" or "cute" in French) is a philosophy or way of seeing, that promotes bringing out the beauty in the ordinary.   (I also saw several Mr. Pink installations when I was walking around Quebec City.)

Fortunately, everyone in our group was able to exit the underground city, and meet our guide, as planned in Place d'Armes square, in front of Notre Dame Basilica (www.basiliquenotredame.ca).  One of the Basicilica towers was surrounded in scaffolding, undergoing repairs.  Notre Dame is a French phrase that means "Our Lady", which is a title for Mary, the mother of Jesus.  There are several places that bear the name "Notre Dame" besides the one in this photo--most notably, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and Notre Dame University in Indiana. 

The interior of the church has been described as one of the most dramatic in the world, and regarded as a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture  It is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings. 

The meticulous carving of the wooden circular stairway leading to the pulpit, also has sculptures at its base, as well as above it.  When the church was completed in the late 1800's, it was the largest church in North America.  The church is a Canadian National Historic Site, and was the setting of Celine Dion's wedding in 1994.  Just 22 years later, it was the site for her husband's funeral service. 

Another area where our group had free time for lunch and wandering was Place Jacques-Cartier.  I had a magnificent time strolling the streets, and snapping countless photos.  It seemed no matter which way I pointed my camera (aka, iphone), there was a picturesque scene to capture!  The fact that the weather was what we would call a "Chamber of Commerce Day", in the USA, multiplied my enjoyment!

I came across some of my travel buddies as I was exploring, and we exchanged cameras to get photos of our visit to this unforgettable location. 

Our wonderful Montreal guide (www.NORMANBOIVIN.COM) had told us there was every kind of restaurant imaginable within this district, and he specifically mentioned a creperie.  Since crepes are so famous in French cuisine, I was delighted to get to see their chefs in action, making the delicious-looking delicacies.

I thoroughly enjoyed the art gallery that featured sculptures from First Nations artists.  I had become familiar with the Inukshuk, because it was used on the flag for the Canadian Territory Nunavut (a place my son taught me about, when he went on a rock climbing expedition on Baffin Island).   Also, when I went to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, an inukshuk was the mascot emblem used.  (An inukshuk is a figure made of piled stones or boulders, constructed to communicate with humans throughout the Arctic.  My apologies to experts on the topic of inukshuks, because I learned when I was researching this topic, there are variations on their design, nomenclature, and spelling,  that are important to the Inuit people, but thoroughly confusing to a hillbilly like me!).  The lovely lady at this gallery was very patient with all my questions, and even let me take her photo with one of the inukshuk art pieces she had on display! 

In 1976, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Montreal, and the construction of the 541 ft. inclined tower aspect of the stadium, (shown in the photo below) forever changed the cityscape skyline of Montreal.  It is the world's tallest inclined tower, and was not completed until ten years after the 1976 Olympic games.  The original design concept was for the round stadium to have a retractable roof, which was to be opened and closed by cables suspended from the huge tower.  Sadly, the design was better in theory, than in actual practice.  It continues to be toublesome to maintain, but even more troublesome to demolish---hence, being called "The Big Owe" by insiders.  For more information on tours, visit their website at www.parcolympique.qc.ca

Our group had supper at a restaurant that was located between the Olympic Stadium, and the (former) Olympic Village that housed the athletes, shown in photo below.   (Seeing the Montreal Olympic Village, reminded me of the opportunity I had in 1988, when a professional dietetics associate arranged for the two of us, to tour the food service facilities of the Olympic Village in Calgary, Canada.  It was a fascinating experience, with the highlight getting to see Prince Albert II of Monaco, who was there for Olympic bobsleigh event.)  These buildings below in Montreal that once housed athletes, are now apartments and office spaces.

Yet another feature of the Montreal skyline is the Biosphere (www.espacepourlavie.ca), shown in photo below.  Originally, this was the United States pavilion constructed for Expo 67.  The sphere's geodesic dome was designed by Buckminster Fuller.  The dome was the inspiration for the design of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World, in Florida.  While the one in Montreal is a three-quarters sphere, the one in Florida was expanded to create a full sphere appearing to be balanced on legs. 

If you have any nautical knowledge, you probably recognize that this sign at the Port of Montreal uses the "nautical flag alphabet" to spell out "Grand Quai" (quai is the French word for "dock").  This is the location where our group connected with the vessel that would take us on a cruise up and down the Saint Lawrence River. 

The announcer that told the group what we were seeing (in both English and French), told us this structure, which looked like dozens of brown boxes stacked on top of one another, was built for the World Exposition of 1967.  It is called Habitat 67, and was designed by Israeli architect Moshe Safdie.  This is the same architect that designed Crystal Bridges Museum (www.crystalbridges.org) in Bentonville, Arkansas.  Folks can tour the facility, and if I ever go back to Montreal, it is on my "must see" list!  More information is available at www.habitat67.com

The photo below shows me with uplifted arms, in gratitude to God, for the wonderful experiences I had  on this St. Lawrence River cruise, and for the glorious weather!  In the past I have been on trips where a boat ride was planned, but had to be cancelled due to inclement weather.  So the beautiful blue skies on this day, and my entire time in Montreal, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

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CANADA MOTOR-COACH EXPEDITION!

I noticed this year that my passport was nearing its expiration date, and being the frugal person I am, I wanted to get one more "out-of-the-USA-trip" with it, so I would get my "money's worth".   My trips to Canada have always been enjoyable, and since I had never been to Canada's capital (Ottawa), I thought that would be a good destination.  Remembering that Diamond Tours operated tours to that area, I went to their website (www.DiamondTours.com), typed in Ottawa in their search engine, as well as the dates I had available to travel.  The results showed that a group out of Conway, Arkansas, was offering a tour that met my specifications, so I contacted the group leader (Dr. Stan Young, with Stay Young Tours) to get more information.  I learned that he was a retired pastor, and that several people were already signed up from the church where he attended, but there was still room for one more.  So I paid the deposit, and started looking forward to the departure day of September 27, 2024, in Conway, at 7:30 am.  It was reassuring when I saw the motorcoach pull up to the meeting place, with a big USA flag on it, with other folks with luggage, waiting to check in.

The meeting place was Central Baptist Church, in Conway, Arkansas.  Since I did not know what early morning traffic would be like on departure day, I arrived very early, and used the time to start working towards my goal of getting in 10,000 steps per day, (in spite of being on a ten day motorcoach trip.)

After Stan's wife had checked in all of us, and we got settled into our seats, Stan took the microphone to introduce himself and our driver (Mike).  He then sang a melody, put to Psalm 118:24, that says, "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."  He then prayed for our safety, and especially for the well-being of our driver, Mike.  Each morning, thereafter, he led us in that song, gave a brief devotional, then prayed for all to go well on our travels that day.  It was a wonderful way to literally, "start the day on a positive note"!  The singing also serves as both a visual, and auditory, reminder of one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses, also from Psalms, that says, Come, let us sing to the Lord!  Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come to him with thanksgiving.  Let us sing psalms of praise to Him. (Psalms 96:1-3)   By the way, praying before driving my car is a regular habit for me, which I call "The Steering Wheel Prayer".  I grasp the steering wheel with both hands, and pray that God will steer me in HIS path, and put a "hedge of protection" around me, so that I do not harm myself or others.  The older I get, the more I need that prayer!

There was a variety of participants within our group.  Several couples were members of Central Baptist Church.  The wife of one of the couples from the church, had invited her sister that lives in Florida, and another sister that lives in California, to meet up in Conway, so they could have a "sister reunion" during the trip.  They even had matching tee shirts!

Diamond Tours requires a minimum number of participants to make the trip a "go", so our group of about 20, went north to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to meet up with a group of about 10, so that we had the required numbers.  We drove from Michigan into Canada, and stopped at a chain of rest stops along the Canada Interstate highway, called "En route".  They have clean restrooms, souvenir shops, and a variety of fast food choices, as well as this friendly moose mascot, dressed in the familiar black/red "Buffalo plaid" of northern woods attire.  (Originally, this was the official tartan plaid of the Scotland MacGregor clan)

A step-on guide got on the motor-coach in Ottawa, to give us a tour, and tell us about some of the iconic sights in the nation's capitol (www.visitottawa.com).  Our first stop was across from the National Gallery of Canada, and its architecturally-stunning, three-tiered cupola.   The guide then talked about the giant spider art piece (entitled Maman) in front of the museum, and that some Canadians thought its 3.2-million dollar price tag was excessive.  The guide mentioned that there are other Maman sculptures, around the world.   I was happy to share with him, that there is also a Maman sculpture at Crystal Bridges Art Museum (www.crystalbridges.org), in Bentonville, Arkansas!  (A museum started by Walmart heiress, Alice Walton,  where admission is still free, thanks to the support of the Walton Foundation.)  Architect Moshe Safdie designed both Crystal Bridges, and the National Gallery of Canada.  Our group was visiting Canada on a national holiday, called "Day of Truth", and that  is the reason the Canadian flag in the photo, is at half mast.  I will elaborate more on the "Day of Truth" events, in an upcoming blog that gives more details about Ottawa.

After a stroll through the Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica at this location, our group walked through the gardens, in front of the Rideau Hall, where the Governor General of Canada resides.  The Governor General is the official representative of King Charles III, to the nation of Canada.  Part of the reason I chose this time and location to travel, was in hopes of seeing some autumn leaf color, and I was not disappointed!  A mapleleaf sculpture (in recognition of their national flag)  at the royal gardens, provided a nice backdrop for some real maple leaves.

Before I left for my trip, I had googled "#ottowa" to get an idea of what I would be seeing, and possibly give me inspiration for photos I wanted to capture.  That hashtag is where I found a photo of the giant letters that spell Ottawa.  I accidentally stumbled upon them, when I was wondering the streets during some free time downtown.   Since my initials are "T.T.", it seemed appropriate to pose for a photo between the two T's! 

 

Another place that was important to me was Parliament Hill, so I made the trek up from the Byway market (www.byway-market.com) where the bus let out our group, to check it out.  It was a Canadian national holiday, called "Day of Truth", so there were some special activities going on, that I will elaborate on, in a future blog. 

 

On my way back down from Parliament Hill, to the motor-coach meet up location, I (thankfully!) went across the Plaza Bridge, that overlooks the Ottawa Locks, of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Rideau Canal.

After getting thoroughly tired out from walking all over Ottawa, I boarded the bus again, to make the drive to a "Sugar Shack", or as it is known to Francophiles--"Sucrerie de la Montagne" , where we would have supper, and get a "class" on how maple syrup is made.  The proprietor was there, (who has his photo on all the products they sell), and so I got a photo of him with our leader, Dr. Stan Young. 

The following morning, we proceeded eastward to tour the city of Montreal, Canada.  (www.mtl,org). We went to the top of the mountain that is the namesake for the city, where there is a scenic overlook, and the former Olympic stadium (with its iconic leaning tower) is visible. 

The next day we took the two hour bus ride to Quebec City, with its story-book-looking cobblestone streets, and historic old town.   I had spent several days in Quebec City on a previous visit, and you can read about that, along with lots of photos, in a blog in the archives, dated November 15, 2010.

Quebec City, is the capitol of the Canadian province of Quebec, and the photo below shows the building that houses its government.  Being a graduate of the University of Arkansas, where the towers of "Old Main" serve as its logo, the first thing I noticed about the building was the similarity of its end towers, to the towers of Old Main in Fayetteville, Arkansas.  Considering that mansard towers are a French architecture staple, and Fayetteville was named after French soldier Lafayette, the design of Old Main makes more sense to me now!

After returning to our Holiday Inn hotel in Longueuil, Quebec, (which is positioned along the St. Lawrence River) from Quebec City, we started the following day, with more touring in Montreal.  No visit to Montreal is complete without seeing the famous St. Joseph's Oratory.  This photo was taken from the bottom of the hill on which it sits. 

Still in Montreal, the bus let out its passengers at Jacques-Cartier Place, where there were a variety of restaurants and shops. Folks could have lunch on their own, and/or walk about the quaint shops along the pedestrian-only streets.

The shopping area is adjacent to where we would board our boat, for a cruise on the St. Lawrence River.  Many in our group were getting a photo on the steps of the boat, including this couple from South Arkansas, who won the prize for tallest man and tallest woman in the group!

After finishing up in the Montreal area, we started our westward drive, back towards Michigan. (I plan to write a more complete story about Montreal sights in a future blog, as this is just a tiny taste of all we saw!)  Along the way, we stopped to take in the views at the Thousand Islands Observation Tower , in Lansdowne, Ontario, for some 360 degree views, of this magnificent area of the St. Lawrence River. (In May, 2010 archives of this blog, you can read three blogs I published about the USA side of the Thousand Islands area).

After we had gone through customs, and shown our passport at the USA reentry location, we had time to make an unplanned stop at Indiana Dunes State Park (wwwindianastateparks.com).  I was thankful for the unseasonably warm weather, so I could stroll around the shores of Lake Michigan, to continue my quest to take photos, while simultaneously getting in my 10,000 steps per day!

On a previous trip, I went to Sand Dunes National Seashore , shortly after it was made a national park.  On the day I visited, it was raining, and there were no easily accessible views of the lake that I found.  However, the state park was a MUCH BETTER experience!

I usually end my blogs with the saying "MILES OF SMILES", so I was delighted to see that phrase painted on the back of one of the tour buses we saw.  Some might think that ten days on a motor-coach (aka, "bus") is not for them.  However, it worked out perfect for me, and I am very thankful I was able to spend that much time on a bus, and STILL get in my 10,000 steps per day, on each of the ten days!  This trip gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Trici

OTTAWA, CANADA EXPEDITION!

I first heard about the Rideau Canal when I attended a tourism meeting in 2015, called BeinvenueQuebec (www.bienvenueqc.com).  On a more recent visit to Ottawa, Canada,  I was very thankful to "accidentally" come across the lower section of the Rideau Canal,  that leads into the Ottawa River, as I was coming off of Parliament Hill, and walking on the sidewalk of the Plaza Bridge.  The locks were right below me!

After scanning the landscape to see how to walk down beside it, I saw the sign near some  steps that led downwards, to a pedestrian area beside the canal.  After observing a person actually walk across the canal on top of one of the locks, my curious nature inspired me to do the same.  After a quick camera exchange with some other ladies venturing across, we snapped photos to prove we had been on the "cat walk" above the water.  Such a moment deserves to be remembered with arms uplifted to heaven, in gratitude!

We also took photos where we pretended to be working the hand crank, that operates the gates of the locks. 

The canal was an engineering "miracle" when it was completed over one hundred years ago, and as such, qualified to be named a World Heritage Site. 

The end of these canal locks empty into the Ottawa River

When one is at the bottom looking upward, you can see the famous Fairmont hotel, called Chateau Laurier on the left, and the Rideau Canal Museum, on the right.

The Chateau Laurier Hotel (shown below) is one of several built over a century ago, by railroad companies, with the goal of increasing use of their railway cars by tourists, taking the train to visit previously "hard to reach" scenic areas.  I have had the wonderful blessing of getting to visit several of these hotels across Canada.  My first was the Banff Springs Hotel, which my son and I visited when we attended the 1988 winter Olympics in the Calgary area.  A decade later, my husband and I enjoyed a Mother's Day Tea at Banff Springs Hotel.  The other historic, transportation-connected properties seen by me in person include: The Empress in Victoria, British Columbia; Chateau Lake Louise; Prince of Wales Hotel near Glacier National Park; Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City; Le Manor Richelier overlooking the St.

Lawrence River, and The Algonquin in New Brunswick,Canada.  I can imagine a future where transportation companies that want to encourage travel in outer space, will build magnificent, interstellar resorts to encourage space travel to "a galaxy far, far away" (as the famous Star Wars quote references)!!??  

For those interested boat rides on waterways of Ottawa, several are available, as evidenced by the Captain's Wheel billboard beside the steps leading down to the water.   Imagine you were transported by a time machine, back one hundred years, and way this same billboard.  You know both the English and French languages, but the white squares with black scribbles in them would be very puzzling!  You can read the part of the sign that says "Scan", so you scan the entire sign with your eyes and full concentration, but still know very little about what the billboard is trying to communicate!

 

Fortunately, a walk beside the canal revealed the docking location of the two types of boats available, making it easier for a "time traveler" (or anyone else without a smart phone) to discern the ticket purchasing procedures/costs.

If a visitor is more inclined to include burning calories with their sightseeing, both kayaks and two-person foot-pedal boats are readily available for rental.  

 

Another way to navigate the Ottawa waters (as well as the city streets!) is the Amphibus (www.ladydive,com).   In 2015, at the BienvenueQuebec tourism conference, I visited at length with the lady involved in developing the Amphibus tours in Ottawa.  There were many "hoops to jump through" for approval, but any tourist in Ottawa will probably see their bright red vehicles around the city.

Earlier in the day, our group had started their Ottawa tour in a most appropriate way---inside a beautiful house of worship, called Notre-Dame Cathedral/Ottawa (www.notredameottawa.com).  It has a convenient location across from the National Gallery.  While there, it was a time to pray and reflect and give thanks, for the safe travel and magnificent weather, our group had experienced in Canada. 

From the Cathedral,  we continued a short distance to the beautiful grounds of Rideau Hall, where this familiar-looking "rock sculpture" was located. 

The photo above does not indicate its size, so photo below shows an actual human being, standing beside the structure. 

I had become familiar with design, because it was also the logo for the 2010 Olympics I attended in Vancouver, Canada.  The placard below describes in several (languages), that the Inuckshuk, represent the "Silent messengers of the Arctic."

A red maple leaf is the prominent feature of the Canadian national flag, so it is not surprising that the gardens of Rideau Hall had numerous maple trees (some even planted by U.S. government officials).  One of the maple leaves even "posed" for its photograph!

From our motorcoach I snapped this photo of the War Memorial Museum in Ottawa.  The windows on the side of the building represent the dots and dashes of the Morse Code, with a phrase to remember those soldiers who fought for their country.

Originally, Ottawa was named after Colonel John By, and the Byward Cafe is a reference to his name.

 

 

I happened to be in Ottawa on Orange Shirt Day, also called Day of Remembrance, which is a national holiday in Canada.                                                               

In 2024, there was a special emphasis on remembering the children of First Nations people who had been sent away to boarding schools, but never returned home.

I was able to meet one of the First Nations government representatives, and have my photo made with her.

The event where I met her had several gourmet foods available, all with the goal of being a nod or tribute to the indigenous foods of the First Nations peoples.  

The squash cake was delicious.  The card beside it tells about its history.

The building below is on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.  I read its design is called "civic gothic architecture".

The sacred fire is a custom among indigenous people of Canada.

Often when I am out doing photography, I am looking for images that will help me remember one of the memory verses for a healthy living program I participate in called First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com).  In Ottawa, I saw a bronze war memorial sculpture that included both old and new army weapons, and at the time I saw it, was framed by a metal fence, with a spear-point design.  That is the photo I am using for my memory verse from I Samuel 17:45, that says, David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." 

War memorials can be seen, not just in the city of Ottawa, but in locations across the globe, and usually express a hope, for peace in the time going forward.  The source of true, inner peace can be found on the pages of the Holy Bible.  Knowing how "HIS"story ends gives me a "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia