| Well, after a more than filling dinner at La Iguana and a | | | | down right onto the sidewalk. |
| brief excursion to Montreal's Jazz Festival last night it | | | | From the side streets we went into a back alley, a |
| was time to burn some calories and an official biking | | | | "ruelle verte" or "green alley". The name comes from |
| tour through the city would help me keep the certain | | | | the fact that people have started to dedicate their time |
| weight gain from the delicious Montreal food at least | | | | and attention to greening these little roadways. The |
| somewhat under control. My biking tour was scheduled | | | | city of Montreal has provided plants and vines to make |
| to start around 8:30 am, but on this gorgeous day, | | | | them more attractive while the local residents upkeep |
| Canada Day no less, our national holiday, I got going | | | | the plant life and the flowers. Montreal has 12 of these |
| early. | | | | "ruelles vertes" now and has started to turn previously |
| Bright and bushy tailed I walked out of the hotel by 7 | | | | ugly back alleys into little sanctuaries of urban |
| am and strolled over into Old Montreal. Jacques Cartier | | | | greenery. |
| Square at 7 am was pretty much deserted with just a | | | | At the end of this alley Bruno showed us some |
| few people opening up cafés and street | | | | examples of officially permitted graffiti, a recent city |
| vendors starting to open their stalls. Further south the | | | | initiative that commissions local graffiti artists to show |
| sun was reflecting off the silver dome of the | | | | off their work legally, rather than defacing buildings with |
| Marché Bonsecours I noticed that runners | | | | unwanted graffiti. Bruno mentioned he also does graffiti |
| dressed up in red t-shirts with the slogans "Run for | | | | walking tours through the city, and I made a note of |
| Canada" and "Great Things For Canada" were | | | | that for my next visit. |
| congregating in the port area at Quai Jacques Cartier. | | | | World Cup soccer passion was in full swing when we |
| Upon further investigation I found out that all these | | | | reached the intersection of Rachel and St. Laurent |
| athletes were raising funds for Canada's Olympic | | | | Streets. This residential area has been settled by a lot |
| teams for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics as part of a | | | | of Portuguese immigrants and one of the local bars |
| charity event organized by HBC. I asked some of the | | | | was featuring a live broadcast of the England-Portugal |
| participants and found out that the race was officially | | | | World Cup Soccer match on a big screen. The bar |
| going to start at 8 am. Since I had about a half an hour, | | | | and its patio were absolutely packed and people were |
| I decided to explore the area around Quai Jacques | | | | chanting, screaming and making noise, and there was |
| Cartier and I walked eastwards out to Quai de | | | | no doubt which side they were on. At the north-east |
| l'Horloge (literally translated "Clock Pier"). I strolled out on | | | | corner of this intersection is the Parc des Ameriques |
| this stretch of land until I reached a clock tower, the | | | | which features an arch with design elements from |
| "Tour de l'Horloge", which is an offwhite structure that | | | | different Latin cultures. A colourful Portugese church is |
| was built in 1992 to commemorate merchant marine | | | | right nearby and Bruno pointed out a variety of houses |
| sailors who had lost their lives during the First World | | | | in the neighbourhood that show off brightly painted |
| War. The Jacques Cartier Bridge can be clearly seen | | | | colour schemes, indicating a preference on the part of |
| in the background. | | | | the Portuguese residents to liven things up a bit. |
| After my initial investigation it was getting closer to | | | | We also found out that rue St-Laurent, also called |
| race time. Now there was a whole animation team | | | | "The Main", was indeed the main street that immigrants |
| that was exhorting the runners to do calistenics to | | | | took to settle in the city after arriving in the port area. |
| warm up for the big race. Several fitness experts on a | | | | For this reason rue St-Laurent is very ethnically mixed |
| podium were doing countdowns to the music ("a-one, | | | | and Bruno explained that many new immigrants |
| a-two, a-three" - all of that in French, of course) while | | | | opened up shop here since they would be able to |
| the members of the crowd were enthusiastically | | | | attract the Anglo crowd west of the "The Main" as |
| raising their arms and legs, pumping fists and doing all | | | | well as francophone customers who tended to live |
| sorts of other warm-up exercises to get prepared for | | | | east of rue St-Laurent. It is also the street that officially |
| the start. Then, just a few minutes before 8 am, all the | | | | divides the city into east and west, so when you look |
| runners lined up in an area fenced in by a white picket | | | | at a Montreal address, pay attention to whether it has |
| fence and just a few moments after the official | | | | "east" or "west" after the street name. That will decide |
| countdown began. Punctually at 8 am the gate was | | | | which way you will have to turn from rue St-Laurent. |
| opened and the runners started running for Canada, to | | | | Through the Plateau neighbourhood we cycled |
| raise funds for Canada's Olympic teams. | | | | westwards until we reached Jeanne Mance Park at |
| Well, watching all this exercise made me look forward | | | | the foot of Mont Royal, another sizeable green space |
| to my own activity-rich schedule, starting off with a | | | | and a favourite spot for picnics, sunbathing, playing |
| bicycle tour in the morning. I walked about 10 minutes | | | | soccer, tennis or frisbee. We rested a little and then |
| eastwards to Ça Roule, a bicycle rental | | | | continued on towards Prince Arthur Street, a |
| and repair shop at 27 rue de la Commune that is a | | | | pedestrian street that today features a large selection |
| prime access point for travelers who want to discover | | | | of family style restaurants with outdoor patios. Antique |
| Montreal by bicycle. You can rent bikes by the hour or | | | | lamp posts and cobble-stoned streets further add to |
| by the day, and Ça Roule (also known as | | | | the ambience in this area. |
| "Montreal on Wheels") even offers guided tours. And | | | | From Prince Arthur we cycled west and south into the |
| that's what I was going to take today: a guided tour | | | | "McGill Ghetto" area, a residential neighbourhood that |
| accompanied by a licensed tour guide from Guidatour. | | | | hustles and bustles with students and features many |
| First I went in the store to get outfitted, I got my bike (a | | | | frat houses and inexpensive eateries. Bruno took us |
| very comfortable touring bike, I might add), a helmet, a | | | | into the McGill University campus, Montreal's oldest |
| detailed bicycle map of Montreal and a free bottle of | | | | university, founded in 1921 by Scottish fur-trader James |
| water. Our tour group was congregating outside, we | | | | McGill. McGill University is the centre of the "Golden |
| had a couple from Vermont, a young man from New | | | | Mile", once the headquarters of the mostly Scottish |
| York City, and a local gentleman who lives on the | | | | bourgeoisie. It is said that in the late 19th and early 20th |
| South Shore across the St. Lawrence River from | | | | century about 70% of Canada's wealth was |
| Montreal who were going to take the tour with our | | | | concentrated in the hands of the residents of the |
| licensed guide, Bruno. | | | | Golden Square Mile and some of this power and |
| First Bruno took is into the port area to Quai | | | | opulence can still be seen in the few remaining |
| King-Edward where we cycled out all the way to the | | | | luxurious Victorian mansions. |
| tip from where we had a great view of the skyline of | | | | From the university we were just a stone throw away |
| Old Montreal. From there we went eastwards to | | | | from Montreal's downtown, the conglomeration of |
| Place Jacques Cartier and pushed our bikes up the | | | | skyscrapers built over the last 40 or so years that |
| gently sloping square. Once at the top, right in front of | | | | represents the centre of Montreal's business world. |
| Montreal City Hall, we got back on our bikes and went | | | | We stopped at Place Ville Marie, a commercial highrise |
| east to rue Berri where we were impressed by the | | | | tower complex built in 1959 that gave rise to Montreal's |
| Gare Viger, a former railway station built in the typical | | | | network of underground paths. Looking north on |
| Chateau style that was so popular during Canada's | | | | Avenue McGill College I had a view of of McGill |
| early railway era. Bruno indicated that this building will | | | | University against the backdrop of the mountain, |
| probably be renovated in the next two years and | | | | topped by the metal cross on Mount Royal. |
| turned into an upscale hotel. | | | | A few streets east Bruno took us into a small side |
| Rue Berri is a major north-south thoroughfare in | | | | street where we got a peak at the dome of the Mary |
| Montreal and what's great about it is that it has | | | | Queen Queen of the World Cathedral which is rather |
| designated bicycling lanes that are completely | | | | dwarfed by the skyscrapers right around it. Bruno said |
| separated from the road traffic. We cycled past | | | | that this is a favourite location for movie makers. From |
| UQAM (Université de Quebec à | | | | there it was not far to Victoria Square, originally a |
| Montréal), Bruno's alma mater, and puffed | | | | Victorian Garden in the midst of Second Empire and |
| up a couple of gently sloping yet longish hills. We had | | | | Renaissance Revival Stories most of which have |
| officially reached the Plateau Mont-Royal area. At the | | | | since gone. The square was redesigned recently to |
| top, just north of Sherbrooke Street, we cycled into | | | | reflect its original layout and the area around it has |
| the Parc Lafontaine, the main green space in the | | | | been renamed Montreal's International Quarter. One of |
| Plateau area. The park was laid out in 1908, features | | | | the key attractions of Victoria Square is an authentic |
| two man-made lakes, tennis courts and bowling | | | | Parisian Art Nouveau subway gate, the "Entourage |
| greens. Bruno mentioned to us that in the winter the | | | | Grimard", named after architect Hector Grimard who |
| waterways turn into a beautifully illuminated skating | | | | designed the entrances to the Paris Metro. The |
| area. We stopped for a few minutes in the serene | | | | Régie autonome des transport parisiens |
| surroundings of the park. At the north end there was a | | | | (RATP) offered this installation to Motnreal as a gift in |
| map of Montreal's extensive cycling network, right | | | | 1966. |
| across from the "Maison des Cyclistes" which caters | | | | Victoria Square is an example of a very successful |
| to bicycling enthusiasts. | | | | recent urban renewal project that now has wider |
| Bruno is an avid biker himself and said he has sold his | | | | sidewalks that accommodate up to 40% more |
| car a while ago and uses his bicycle as his main mode | | | | pedestrians. Outdoor parking spaces were eliminated |
| of transportation. As passionate bikers we traded | | | | and more than 1300 new underground parking spaces |
| tidbits about the bicycling networks and our respective | | | | were created in the surrounding areas. Trees, street |
| cities' efforts to expand them and he made me aware | | | | furniture and decorative lighting further enhance the |
| that apparently Bay Street in downtown Toronto now | | | | appeal of this square. Montreal's World Trade Centre, |
| has an official bicycling lane, something I wasn't aware | | | | a complex integrating the Nordheimer Building dating |
| of. He also said that from Park La Fontaine you can | | | | back to 1888, is located on the east side of Victoria |
| cycle 252 km eastwards into the Eastern Townships | | | | Square. At the south end is rue St-Jacques (or St. |
| region to the city of Sherbrooke. We both agreed that | | | | James Street), until about the 1960s Montreal's main |
| Quebec's Eastern Townships are another area that is | | | | business street, and the boundary of Old Montreal. |
| just predestined for bicyclists. | | | | With the downtown portion of our tour complete we |
| Then we rode into the neighbourhood north of Parc La | | | | cycled back into Old Montreal and enjoyed looking at |
| Fontaine and Bruno took us into some of the side | | | | the old warehouses and the cobble-stoned streets. |
| streets that feature the typical Montreal external | | | | Our tour came to an end at Pointe-Ã |
| staircases. Our guide enlightened us that these | | | | -Callière, Montreal's Museum of History and |
| staircases were built outside the buildings since families | | | | Archeology, where Bruno and the other cycling group |
| used to be very large, sometimes with 17 or 18 children. | | | | members said goodbye. The great thing was that as |
| So people needed all the living space they could get | | | | part of the guided tour I would be able to keep the |
| and didn't want to waste space on interior staircases. | | | | bicycle until 8 pm, a chance to continue my |
| Furthermore, European travelers often ask why the | | | | explorations on my own. I had asked Bruno for some |
| houses have flat roofs. Bruno explained that the snow | | | | advice on where to go and he recommended that I |
| on the flat roofs would act as insulation in the winter | | | | check out the Lachine Canal bicycle path that snakes |
| and keep heating costs down. Secondly, pitched roofs | | | | along Montreal's historic waterway, inaugurated in 1825. |
| would be dangerous since snow could slide and fall | | | | My explorations by bike would continue... |