By
now I had become confident that I could cover 500 km in about 6 hours with a
couple of short stops in between for fuel and bio requirement. However, this
morning I was a bit nervous. The lady at the Departure Bay Motel in Nanaimo had
told me how she had a bad experience with the French speaking Quebec province
citizens who looked down upon those who couldn’t speak their language.
Apparently, she and her family were told to get a map when she asked for
directions after having lost her way while driving in the city. I am one who
can lose my way even on a straight road. And, if that happens inside a busy
city the aftereffects can be disastrous. I was also told about how fast the
drivers are even within city limits. I had all these chewing at my entrails when
I set off a quarter before the seventh hour in the morning after returning the pan,
spoon and the room key to the lady at the reception.
Within
about 170 km after North Bay, at Deep River I made an unscheduled halt at the Ultramar
fuel station, having noticed the lower fuel rates. After I had filled fuel to
the brim I went in to make the payment and met Kuldeep Singh who is the owner
of the outlet. He immediately welcomed me as ‘brother from India’. Hailing from
Chandigarh he told me that he longed for the place of his birth. When I
reminded him that he had a better lifestyle in Canada than he could hope for in
India he said, with that faraway look in his eyes and a lump in his throat,
“But, brother home is home, na?” Kuldeep visits his relatives and friends back
home every year and never lets go of an opportunity that presents in the form
of weddings and important functions. The global citizens of today will never
understand the emotions of a person like Kuldeep Singh, whose heart is still
deep in India despite leaving her shores since 1994.
A
Facebook friend, who lives in Grandfalls, Newfoundland suggested that that
would be a better place to halt instead of Corner Brook where I had made my
prior booking, because Grandfalls is equidistant between the landing ferry
terminal and St. John’s. I mulled in my mind another option of eliminating
halts at North Sydney and St. Andrews by taking the overnight ferry between
Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. I decided that the necessary changes would be
made in the itinerary and bookings as I was within the free cancellation time
for the hotel booking. The Marine Atlantic ferry site would have to be accessed
for the rather expensive crossing between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
With
all these thoughts in my mind I entered the Ottawa bypass and suddenly hit a
divided four lane highway that permitted maximum speed of 100 kph. After a
while speed boards appeared on the Autoroute of maximum speed of 100 and a
minimum of 60 kph. Vehicles started buzzing past as if they had to reach their
destinations the previous day. I thought that they would be better off in an
aircraft. I was a bit nervous as I had to ensure that the lane driving was
perfect. Most important was the fact that Google Maps direction had to be
followed while at the top speed of 100 kph. It was indeed a bit stressful, but
I did not get overawed by the situation. In a while I hit the Ontario-Quebec
border. I had so far travelled through Ontario for more than four days, the
most I have through any of the Canadian Provinces thus far.
While
driving into Montreal I had to switch from route to route at short distances
and at top speed. I did manage very well and landed in front of Hotel Elegant,
where I had booked my accommodation for two nights. I was happy to note that
the hotel seemed to be in central location. At the time to check in the lady,
whose family hailed from Navsari in Gujarat, collected C$30 for parking in a
facility almost adjacent to the hotel. As is the experience in most facilities
maintained by Indians this one too was short on cleanliness and facilities.
I
originally intended to see the sights of the city using a hop on hop off bus
tour. The lady in the hotel said that I would be able to cover all the sights
in the old city that evening by foot and gave me directions for the same. She
said that the farther off sights could be visited using a Metro day pass. That
was welcome information which would also reduce my expenses. After a short rest
I ventured out of the hotel to explore Vieux Montreal, the most happening place
in the city. This is where the modern history of the city was born on 17 May
1642 when the city was officially founded. Prior to European settlements of the
French, British, Scottish and the Irish Amerindians had inhabited the crucial
trading post on the St Lawrence River area for over 4000 years.
On
the walk to the Vieux Montreal and the waterfront I came across the St
Catherine Church where prayers were going on. I went in for a few moments of
quiet prayer and the rest of the evening was spent exploring the most
fascinating old city. The following sights kept me on my toes with peeled eyes
and open jaws.
The
Notre-Dame-de Bon-Secours chapel, the oldest in the city, was founded in 1684
by Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys. It is known as the sailor’s church as prayers to
Our Lady of Good Help provided succour to distressed sailors. The many
offerings of replicas of sea faring vessels hanging in the chapel is indication
of its popularity. Of particular significance is a silver boat. The saintly
founder of the church was deeply involved in the development of women of her
times, taking particular care to teach them to read and write. She is interred
within the chapel. Archeologically the site is said to be more than 2500 years
old.
The
Marche Bonsecours is a classic building testifying to the architectural style
of the time. The imposing building served as the City Hall from 1846 to 1878.
Thereafter it was the city’s main agricultural marketplace for over a century.
The now renovated building houses trendy designer boutiques, cafes and the
like.
Chateau
Ramezay is a vestige of the French days and is now a place to relive the 500
odd years of history of the city. Through interactive displays visitors are
taken back into the days that even preceded European settlements.
Hotel
de Ville was the next stop. The imposing five storey building is the present
City Hall, the seat of Montreal government. The building that was completed in
1878 is a historic site in that it was the first in the country to have been
built exclusively for municipal governance.
The
Nelson’s Column in Place Jacques Cartier was built in 1809 as a tribute to
Horatio Nelson who died in the Battle of Trafalgar, where the combined French
and Spanish navies were defeated by the Admiral through a strategic departure
from previously known manoeuvres. This is considered to the country’s first war
memorial and is currently the second oldest Nelson column in the world after
the one in Glasgow. The gentle slope from the monument offers wonderful views
of the old port.
The
Place d’Armes is at the heart of the historical tour which offers many
attractions. At the centre of the square is a statue that pays tribute to Paul
de Chomedy, one of the founders of the city. The square offers a glimpse of the
different periods of the development of the city. It has the city’s oldest
building, the Sulpician Seminary, dates back to 1684. Sulpician seminarians
habited the building in the 17th and 18th centuries. The
city’s first parish is the Notre Dame Basilica showcasing Gothic Revival
architecture. The magnificent interiors in wood and the main chapel captivate
visitors like never before. Built and rebuilt over centuries due to destruction
by fire, the light and sound show inside the church is so awesome that one will
not forget it in years. The square also has the headquarters of the first bank
of Canada, the Bank of Montreal. The New York Life building is the country’s
first skyscraper built in 1888. It reportedly had elevators going up all the eight
floors, a real achievement at the time.
I
walked on the famed cobbled stone pavement of Saint-Paul street admiring the
more than 300 year old street with its buildings with magnificent facades that
house art galleries, boutiques and cafes. It is truly an arresting walkway.
Into
the old port area one gets lovely views of the St Lawrence River. To enjoy the
views better I took a gondola ride on the La Grande roue de Montreal. The 60
meter observation wheel is said to be the tallest in Canada. Its 42 gondolas
are climate controlled and I enjoyed the most brilliant views of the Jacques
Cartier bridge, the marina, the clock tower, river, old port and the entire
neighbourhood including the Marche Bonsecours. Tents have been set up in the
old port area that has been having shows by the famous Cirque de soleil since
1984. The clock tower at the end of the marina is a memorial to brave soldiers.
It
had been too much to take in in a day, but it was a most awesome discovery of
times past; a tour of the city founded by two intrepid men and a woman and some
French settlers, on 17 May 1642, 377 years before my visit.
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