Montreal Sept 21 2008

Montreal is beautiful this week. Perfect weather; perfect! Skies are clear. This is the view looking out towards the left from my hotel window. So many interesting spires and domes!

This is the view looking towards the right from my hotel window. So much to explore, so little time.

These chimneys and little things that look like maybe skylights intrigued me.

This interesting structure is visible from my hotel room. I meant to go find it at ground level and figure out what it is, but haven't yet.

Trees are just starting to show a hint of fall color. I'm just a week or maybe 2 too early for perfect color! Drat! But at least I get some of it.

There seem to me to be very few ugly buildings here. Even in symmetry, there's asymmetry with the way windows or balconies are treated, making it intriguing to one's eyes.

IMG_0726ApartmentBuilding_skcn

We're not the only ones with major elections coming up. Come on, surely you knew that Canada is in the process of electing their next head of state?! OK, me neither. I just liked the looks of this sign. (Its message is "Green Party of Canada. Politics, differently." )

A cool building across the street from the hotel. Apparently it's nothing special around here.

Nifty details of the tower and roof.

In a nearby park--Square Saint-Louis-- this huge lump of rock was carefully placed on a platform. No sign of any kind. Is it a nifty piece of lava rock? Is it a sculpture? Slag from a steel mill? Your guess is as good as mine.

Same park, different display. Someone dying for his country's flag. "Gremazie, 1827-1879, Pour mon drapeau je viens ici mourir" (for my flag, I cam here to die). OK, there must be a story there-- Oh, sure, OK, he's a poet. Always glorifying dying! (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octave_Cr%C3%A9mazie)

The little park had a huge pool with a fountain in the middle. Very relaxing; all the walls and benches around the fountain held people relaxing.

I just enjoyed the colors and patterns in the water.

OK, sure, we have squirrels back home, but--with dogs--how often do I get to get this kind of shot?

Or this? (Instants before he dove head-first into the trash can after some tasty morsel.)

Ooh, cool--spider webby bits on spooky kind of wrought iron railings.

The large leaves on the one plant were black, black, black! I wonder whether they'd grow in California?

Rue (street) Prince Albert, just a quarter mile of cafes and bistros, all with tables out on the sidewalks.

People and their dogs were everywhere.

Rue Prince Albert had picturesque lamp posts, flower baskets, colored buildings-- It reminded me of nothing so much as--sorry--Disneyland.

This gentleman kindly held his dog so she (Lilou) would pay attention to the pesky photographer. Then he invited me to sit a bit, and I did, and we chatted a while.

Dogs dogs dogs. Everywhere I went on Sunday, I saw dogs.

And lots of artwork. Maybe I'm in the arty part of the city, but there was almost as much artwork as there were dogs. Or maybe more.

Another study in contrasts.

Statuary at the Centre Hospitalier do L'université de Montréal. A famous nurse caring for an ill man, I presume. (That's 2 statues with dying men sprawled across the ground in one afternoon...)

The hospital's roof peak.

A very very long stone wall extended down one very long street. This is, or was, the Religieuses Hospitalieres de Saint-Joseph.

My first view of Mont Royal, the mountain in the middle of the city, which itself sits on an island. A crowd was streaming into the lower part of the park. Discovered it was for some athletic event.

Broad swathes of grass and paths everywhere.

At the very top of Mont Royal is their famous landmark giant cross. My camera ran out of batteries before I got to it up close, so no photos. Sigh.

Dogs everywhere! A little spaniel checks out the lampposts.

Entering the park below Mont Royal, more paths through more grass. So inviting, and people and their dogs lounged all across it.

I turned around and realized that I was now already somewhat above downtown. Someone was apparently late for kickoff time at the arena.

Many of those coming in towards the arena wore red, white, and blue sports paraphernalia. These folks looked like they were ready to have a great time at the game.

This lovely nine-month old mixed breed dog, Lihu (Leehou?) had not a shy bone in her body. After some really excellent snuggling and ear nibbling, she started gnawing on my hand, at which point our relationship ended with recriminations from her owners.

An old decayed bandstand stood between me and another huge gathering of people with megaphones at the far end of the sward; them singing "all we are saying...is give peace a chance!"

I didn't go over to look for a sign under this monument because of the peace-singing crowd.

BUt the wreath of olive leaves looked like an appropriate symbol for this crowd.

Clouds appeared briefly during midday, adding drama to the city's skyline.

This boxer couldn't wait to get a real frisbee game going.

I love this shot. Too bad there's a person right behind the dog and the dog's foot is cut off. And there's that focus thing. But look at how funny the photo ALMOST was.

The park had maps everywhere of the main roads, but no "you are here" markers and no labels on any of hte side paths, of which there were many. So I took one that headed in the general direction of "up".

Mont Royal is formed from a magma intrusion into surrounding sedimentary rock remaining in place while the surrounding material wore away. The rocks were lovely in the few places where you could see them through the undergrowth.