When my airline threw a curve ball at me by landing me in Montreal as opposed to Quebec city, I couldn’t have been more mad at them. I was furious, anxious and annoyed by the fact that my plans got messed up. Yes, even as a seasoned traveler such things still annoy me. Having managed to arrange accommodation at the last minute, thanks to the friends circle in Montreal, I settled in.
- Museums that are located on the Sherbrooke road
- Chocolate Crepe, croissants and coffee at random cafes
- Walking around with a small camera and rain jacket with no specific spot in mind. Getting lost for a couple of hours helps with learning the city quickly.
- Comfort vegetarian meal
Montreal weather can’t seem to make up it’s mind. It rains, and it shines, giving me a fake hope and rains again. Well, I have come to accept that the day was not going to be all shiny. But, why would that have to stop me. A waterproof jacket, camera, cellphone, some Canadian dollars, and comfortable shoes, I walked randomly and found myself in the middle of high-rise buildings. Not pleased with modern buildings, I searched the map I had picked from Tourist info center near Dorchester Square. Not too far from the Dorchester square was the church Basilique-Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde, which is a replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Yes, the area suddenly gave a feeling that I could be in Rome after all.
I walked in to the church to attend a few of minutes of service in French, kneeled myself in front of the Gods, let my legs to rest and quietly walked out of the church.
The beautify of the church is such that even on this rainy day, a couple was getting a photo shoot done.
When I walked past Square Victoria and Square Dorchester, I couldn’t resist wondering how lively these spots can get on a sunny day and made a mental note to stop by again when the weather gets better. Right around the corner was Rue St. Catherine. Luck or coincidence rain picked up again. I needed a place to hide and there was another beautiful church on St. Catherine. This time it’s Christ Church. Not very crowded and no service going on. So, I decided to chill and chit-chat with the employees till the rain subsided a bit.
When the time was right to walk again, I took a left on Union street, next to the church and headed in the direction of McHill college (apparently, I had no idea that’s where I was headed as it was a random decision). A beautiful Queen Victoria statue welcomes McHill students into the campus. Right across from the college, I got a cup of coffee at Java U and watched students enter and exit the college building. There is something about universities, I love visiting them. Is that a calling perhaps ?!
By now, I am in Sherbrooke street again. This street is home to a few museums including the Arts museum that I visited earlier in the day. Having walked for a good 4-hours in the rain, I was ready to call it an evening at a vegetarian restaurant in Saint Denis.
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What do you usually do on a rainy day on your travels?
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