This was a long couple of days visiting Montréal with a side trip to Québec City & Montmorency Falls (Chute-Montmorency) & back to Montréal. I didn’t want to break up this adventure so here it is, albeit long. Sit back & enjoy it. Spoiler alert, the train worked from Moncton to Montréal.
I became really adept at photography through the window of a moving train, bus & car.
ON TIME!! & waiting for us in Moncton, New Brunswick, the VIA sleeper train to Montreal.
“Welcome on board train #15 the Ocean!” VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
Fun things to do.
A friend who went to the wine tasting told us they only had one wine & it was one they had already experienced. We took a pass on the trivia.
Cannabis is legal in Canada. CANNABIS XPRESS, Rogersville, New Brunswick.
Photo from our sleeper compartment on the VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.’s dining car had 2 tops & four tops. The dining cars in our next train, from Toronto to Winnipeg, had only four tops in the dining car.
Nepisiguit River Estuary, Big River, New Brunswick?
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
“ LIQUIDATION”
Seen from my sleeping berth on the VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
I got better photos as I pressed the sunshade edge of my FujiFilm X30 against the window on the VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal. VIA sleeper train to Montréal. I'm pretty sure this is Rivière Nicólet, Quebec, Canada.
“CEREAL”
Cute. I guess this is how the kitchen staff keeps track of breakfast meals served. Turn it upside down.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
Garrison Brewing Co. Small batch brewing since 2017, Halifax, Nova Scotia. We had dinner there.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal from Moncton.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
Rivière Saint-François, Drummondville, Quebec.
Like Norway, Canada derives a lot of hydroelectric power from the abundant water that’s available.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
Store window to the right; MODÉLE B.T. Depuis 2009, Trains, Miniatures dé les Réduits, Drummondville, Canada.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
E.LAROCQUE & FILS INC - FRUITS ET LEGUMES EN GROS, (WHOLESALE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES), Drummondville, Canada.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
Agiska - “A co-operative force rooted in the heart of the Yamaska watershed, Quebec’s attic, we contribute to the sustainable performance of our farming families’ businesses and the vitality of their community. This long-term goal is part of this coherence to come together in a single cooperative in order to be able to offer more advanced services adapted to the needs of our members.”
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
Approaching Montréal on the Victoria Bridge looking at the Samual Champlain Bridge in the distance. “…a cable stayed bridge with 8 lanes for traffic, plus a multi-use pathway for cyclists & pedestrians) over the St. Lawrence River.”
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
Montreal from The Victoria Bridge.
VIA sleeper train to Montréal.
Approaching Union Station, Montréal on the VIA sleeper train from Moncton. Commuter train with neat graphics.
Approaching Union Station Montréal on the VIA sleeper train from Moncton.
A commuter train seen as we approached Union Station Montréal on the VIA sleeper train from Moncton.
Ca. 1913 Edifice LA SAUEGARDE D'Assurance Vie - life insurance. Still in business. Seen as we approached Union Station Montréal on the VIA sleeper train from Moncton.
CONDUITS - MONTRÉAL.
“A CHOICE MUST BE MADE”
Politics in Montréal.
Curving iron stairways outside the residences are common. Heating an inside stairwell in the cold winters is very expensive. Montréal.
Montréal’s “…Quartier Latin is a vibrant, historic neighborhood in Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough, known for its cultural, educational, and artistic atmosphere.”
Quartier Latin, Montreal.
Four way stop sign in French.
Quartier Latin, Montreal.
Beyond the Market walking tour with Jesse -Restaurant Chez Tousignant - Burger et Hot-Dog "The embodiment of the idea of a hand full of chefs who toasted, late at night: what if we created a place to transform fast food? The salt in the butter. Predubly Quebec cheese curds. A beautiful burger. And a real hot dog..."
Perfect little cannoli to be had here.
“Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie has one of Canada's most prominent Italian communities, with Little Italy concentrated along the convivial bends of Saint-Lawrence Boulevard. Known for its fantastic bars and authentic Italian fare…”
Beyond the Market walking tour with Jesse.
Across the street, Our Lady of La Difesa. “This church in Little Italy is decorated with controversial Fascist art and serves as one of the neighborhood's chief landmarks.”
Beyond the Market walking tour with Jesse
The Renaissance style Our Lady of La Difesa in the Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie neighborhood of Montréal. “The interior frescos reveal some surprises; among other things, a painting showing Mussolini on horseback.”
Beyond the Market walking tour with Jesse.
A stop at a locally owned & operated Syrian restaurant for some tasty tidbits.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Jean-Talon Market, Montréal, the largest public market in North America is open year-round.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse. Jean-Talon Market.
Havre-au-Glaces et Sorbets.
Jean-Talon Market.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Jean-Talon Market.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Jean-Talon Market.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Jesse said that glass bottled maple syrup is for tourists. The tins are for the Québécois people use maple syrup in everything. Jesse didn’t know what a church key was.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Jean-Talon Market.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Foraged foods. Jean-Talon Market.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
We stopped here for coffee. “The Caron brothers made the gift of becoming their own boss by opening the Café Caron & Frères in Little Italy.”
Note on the utility pole the speed bump caution "SUR 100 m"
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Jesse took us down an alley so we could see this staircase.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
Jesse pointed out this Minion statue. They are all over Montréal.
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
State of Chocolate (État de choc) tour. “The État de choc chocolate shop, founded in 2018 by Maud Gaudreau, …The boutique with its refined and warm design is completely dedicated to cocoa! It offers the best chocolates and chocolate creations on the planet, ranging from classics to unique and original recipes.”
Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
The État de choc chocolate shop was the last stop on the Beyond the Market Montréal walking tour with Jesse.
“A massive new mural in Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood is turning heads—and telling a story. The beautiful new piece is painted across a 10-storey building on Mont-Royal Avenue. The artwork shows Israel – Premier Tech’s Hugo Houle pointing skyward as he celebrates his breakthrough Tour de France stage win in 2022. The moment was also a touching tribute to his late brother.”
“The mural, covering roughly 650 square metres, was created by Montreal-based artists Fred Fuse, Zek One and Dodo Ose as part of the Project Tyxna collective. The trio worked from scaffolds and lifts for more than a month to bring the scene to life.”
Yes, this turned my head.
Old Port neigborhood of Old Montréal.
EGOUT=SEWER.
Old Port neigborhood of Old Montréal.
Restaurant Solmar - Portuguese- there were six...
Restaurant Solmar - Portuguese.
Morue a la 'Braz' $38
Shredded cod sautéed with (onion, pin potato, egg) glazed with olive oil. Like nothing I’ve ever had & so good.
Café Olimpus A tin ceiling & lots of Olympic paraphernalia. Old Montréal.
Breakfast (petit-déjeuner) at Café Olimpus next to our hotel in Old Montréal. We had a 7:30 AM pickup for our bus tour to Québec City.
“Lucia, the ballerina who enchants public spaces“ around Montréal. Leaving Montréal en route to Québec City.
“Bonjour Chien (literaly Hello Dog) is a set of six comic-style sculptures created by illustrator Chien Champion, featuring the character Chien, a curious, sensitive being in constant transformation, through the different stages of his arrival in a new city.” Leaving Montréal en route to Québec City.
3.5 hour bus drive to Québec City for a tour. Rest stop at LE RESTO DU 4 SAISONS. This was too much for a day trip. We would have preferred to spend a night in Québec City. Or, we could have stopped in Québec City for the night on the train to Montréal.
Our driver Mo suggested that we NOT get coffee here.
Instead we got…for the drive to Québec City for a tour.
Rest stop at LE RESTO DU 4 SAISONS.
Drive to Québec City for a tour; LE 4 Saisons rest stop.
Neither I nor Mo had seen an auto like this previously & I had to do some research.
“The Suzuki X-90 is a rear- or four-wheel drive, two-door, two-seater offroad automobile incorporating sports car elements, manufactured and marketed by Suzuki between 1995 and 1997.”
Suzuki X-90 at LE 4 Saisons rest stop.
That’s our bus peeking out next to the building.
Moose on the loose?
A little more than half way to go on the drive to Quêbec City.
And another Moose on the loose?
Drive to Quêbec City.
VIA Rail train like we had been on two days prior, on the same line, going into Montréal.
Drive to Quêbec City.
A Canadian told us "POUTINE - It's not what kind you eat but when you eat it."
Drive to Québec City for a tour.
Entering Québec City. The ca. 1070 Pierre Laporte Bridge ".. is the longest main span suspension bridge in Canada. It crosses the Saint Lawrence River…Named in ...honour of Quebec Vice-Premier Pierre Laporte, who was kidnapped and murdered during the October Crisis of 1970."
Bridges over the St. Lawrence River to Québec City, Pont de Quebec (ca. 1919 & designated Historical Site 1995) & Pont Pierre-Laporte.
St. Lawrence River Path. “a seamless biking/pedestrian path along the St. Lawrence River, alongside busy Boulevard Champlain.”
St. Lawrence River Path. “a seamless biking/pedestrian path along the St. Lawrence River, alongside busy Boulevard Champlain.”
St. Lawrence River Path. “a seamless biking/pedestrian path along the St. Lawrence River, alongside busy Boulevard Champlain.”
Spire of the ca. 1854 Église Saint-Michel de Sillery Church seen from Boulevard Champlain, Québec City.
Maison Chevalier & above it, the ca. 1893 Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, commonly referred to as the Château Frontenac. Ville de Québec.
DROLET? Name of a company??
Ville de Québec.
“The Royal Battery is a battery erected in 1691 on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, near Place Royale, Québec…”
…Its construction is part of a vast construction site of fortification of the city ordered immediately after the lifting of the siege of 1690.” Québec City.
So much to see here. Look carefully!
Fresque des Québécois, 1999
Artists: CitéCréation with the participation of Hélène Fleury, Marie-Chantal Lachance and Pierre Laforest
Ville de Québec.
“The Boutique Feejos gift shop is a great place to find unique and interesting items.”
And.
Since 1948, the official provincial flag of Québec.
Ville de Québec.
“Montmorency Falls, or Chute-Montmorency in French, is a scenic waterfall found on the outskirts of Quebec City, Quebec. At 272 feet (83 m), it is 30 meters higher than the iconic Niagara Falls but has less volume than Niagara. The falls and river are part of the Parc de la Chute-Montmorency.”
This was really an unnecessary side trip for the time we had to spend in Québec CIty.
Montmorency Falls outside Québec City with our bus in the foreground.
The bus driver Mo, was great but our tour guide for the falls & Québec City was most unenjoyable.
On the bus returning to Québec City from the side trip to the Montmorency Falls. This gives you an idea of the geography of Québec City.
The ca. 1886 Second Empire style “…Parliament Building of Québec… is home to the National Assembly of Québec.”
We ducked into Dorsay Pub Britannique for lunch during a downpour. “Since 1973, Dorsay Pub Britannique has been bringing Old Quebec to life.” And to us, shelter from a storm, some good eating, drinking, comraderie & FIFA Football.
In Old Québec, PUB BRITANNIQUE dorsay.
Old Québec City.
Old Québec City.
Old Québec City looking down at the granary.
Old Québec City.
Old Québec City.
The Livernos. A family of photographers. Move in close to read. Old Québec City.
In front of Monsieur Jean Hotel Particulier, Québec City.
Again a moose alert. Moose sign in distance on the drive back to Montréal.
The Pont de Quebec & the Pont Pierre-Laporte over the St. Lawrence River over our heads into Québec City from Parc-Chaudière, in the distance.
The ca. 1913 "...Saint-Laurent Railway Bridge…crossing the St. Lawrence River
and the Saint Lawrence Seaway”
Veillet or Charest River?
Highway approaching Montréal.
Some good advice for the drowsy driver:
"STOP
AND REST."
Highway approaching Montréal.
"WARNING!
I AM UNPREDICTABLE!”
Highway approaching Montréal.
Outskirts of Montréal.
Bridge into Montréal - The Pont Jacques-Cartier c. 1938 renamed "Jacques Cartier Bridge" in 1934 named to, "...honour the French-Breton explorer who described and mapped the St. Lawrence River valley in 1534."
Jacques Cartier Bridge - Pont Jacques-Cartier. From downtown Montréal.
Zoom in on the finials atop the bridge. They're shaped like the Eiffel Tower.
Gateway into Chinatown, Montréal.
Fonderie Laroche Pont-Rouge, Québec, since 1925.
Old Montréal (Vieux-Montréal).
View of Montréal from the Jaqcues-Cartier Quay Old Port.
Straight ahead is the city hall, with the spire & the clock. Our hotel, the William Grey, was down that block to the left.
VILLE DE MONTRÉAL, “SEWER.”
Fitz Montréal
