Montreal roundup

Saturday afternoon I walked into a Presse Café on Rue Saint-Denis and paid for a half hour of internet so I could update my journal. The connection timed out after 25 minutes and I lost all my work. I quarrelled with the proprietor. When he refused to refund three dollars, I called him cheap. He called me stupid, but threw my money on the counter. It was one of the few perturbances in an excellent, memorable trip.



The Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo-Wellington, after our technical rehearsal on Wednesday, in front of Place-des-arts, Montreal.
Back row, from left: Dave, Ray, Ron, Amanda, Rick, Mark, Greg, Michael, Terrilyn, Jon, Deb, Bonnie, Marg, Brenda, Jan, Crystal, Jan, Van, Judy.
Middle row: Accompanist Allison, Les, Katherine, Lynn, Jen, Laura, Jen, Linda, Alicia, Jennifer, Board chair Colleen, unidentified person, Sylvie, Jane, Sarah, Jan.
Front row: Percussionist Jeremy, Artistic director Bob, Mo, Jaie, Michelle, Michelle, Margie, Mary Anne, Dianne.

Here are a few highlights since my last update:

• I attended the Monday afternoon concert block. My favourite part was a choreographed tribute to Judy Garland, including the Trolley Song and other favourites, complete with ruby red umbrellas and accoutrements, by the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. Afterwards Danny and I revisited Vieux-Montreal, but found the dining spots too expensive. We returned to the Gay Village and caught the end of a tarty street performance by Equivox, one of two visiting choruses from Paris. We ate in a quiet Vietnamese restaurant. I didn't see anyone from Guelph all day. Jon came back to the room after Danny and I had gone to bed.


• Tuesday Danny and I slept late then met handlebear and dakoopst for lunch at the food court adjacent to the festival's exposition booths. We sat with them and gmjambear for the afternoon concert block and heard the Rochester Gay Men's Chorus perform a composition by bigmacbear, "I Am With You Always." Danny and I finally reconnected with the Guelph guys for dinner at Café d'étranger, which became one of our favourites during the week, offering a wide variety of delicious sandwiches and courteous service (I found Montreal waiters and hotel staff on the rude side). That evening Michael, Les and I bounced between concert venues. The Columbus Gay Men's Chorus gave a rousing choreographed performance, which turned out to be one of my favourites of the week, ending with "You Can't Stop the Beat." After the next group appeared on stage I suddenly felt exhausted and returned to the hotel.
  
• Wednesday morning my chorus had its technical rehearsal at Theatre Maisonneuve, then went to a reserved room for an hour so we could go through our program one last time. I spent a wonderful afternoon with Stephen dakoopst. In the evening Danny and I saw Lily Tomlin give a comedy performance at Place-des-arts.
  
• Thursday we slept late again, then spent a couple hours at La musée des beaux-arts, mostly in the top floor containing works of the Old Masters. Most stirring for me was a Rembrandt's portrait of a young woman. The temperature outside hit a humid 31°C (88*deg;F). The afternoon was mostly taken up with the Rainbow Chorus's performance, which was more warmly received than we anticipated. Afterwards, Danny and I met handlebear and dakoopst for dinner at a crêperie, then moved onto a party at the Skybar.
  
• After Friday brunch at Mister Steer, Danny and I headed to the Biodôme, a small zoo housed within the Olympic Stadium, featuring habitats from Latin American rain forest, Saint Lawrence lowland forest and riverine systems, the subarctic of Labrador's coast, and Antarctica. The simulated ocean shorelines were most impressive and unusual, along with a huge aquarium of cold Atlantic fish. Then we spent two blessed hours skimming through a corner of Montreal Botanical Gardens, "the second largest in the world" according to a Montreal tourist agent, and I have no reason to doubt him. I must return to Montreal, if only to spend more time in the gardens, but I can think of many other reasons besides. After dinner we went to a concert at Basilica Notre-Dame de Montréal. At the time of its construction in the 1840s, it was the largest church in North America, and it's spectacular. Performances were given by four festival choruses, made up of choristers from around the world for this particular occasion. The second half was a performance by the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir. It was another climax of the week. Afterwards we went to Sauna 456 for Bear Soup. I have never seen so many attractive men in one place.
  
• After a late night, we had another slow start. I was starting to feel chorused out, and bummed out after the unsuccessful attempt to update my journal. We had dinner at Café Europeen, where some sangria improved my mood. I did not attend the closing ceremonies, which was a good choice according to most of the reports I've heard. We spent the evening at Le Stud bar, joined first by Jon and his friend Marty from Buffalo, and later by Les. I danced happily to retro music until 12:30 when we headed back to the hotel.
  
• After we checked out of the hotel, Les, Jon, Danny and I went on a pilgrimage in search of the ultimate Montreal bagel, which rivals New York's for best in the world. Afterwards we made a scenic pit stop on Mont-Royal and climbed to the huge cross overlooking the city. Then Les made a brief business call. The first organ he built resides at a chapel in a large Montreal cemetery. He had to check for an air leak, but found none. After admiring his workmanship, we headed home.

I'm feeling overloaded, but all I need is a quiet day with a good book by a poolside, something the Best Western didn't provide. Next visit to Montreal, I'll bear that in mind. After that, the fine art museum and gardens alone would be worthy of a few days' attention. The night life is more interesting than what Toronto offers. I simply have to go back.

Montreal travelogue, part 1 of 2

Old Montreal, July 17




Old Montreal, Place Jacques-Cartier, July 17


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Montreal travelogue, part 2 of 2

Montreal Botanical Garden, Chinese Garden, July 12




Montreal Botanical Garden, Chinese Garden


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July articles

I published both my Suite101 articles for July today.

Ecology: Montreal's Biodome

Living With Nature: Unfamiliar waters

The second is more interesting. I took the unusual step of lifting directly from my handwritten journal of the three-day canoe trip in Algonquin Park.

I've had one day at home to do laundry and pack again. Tomorrow morning I catch a bus north. I'll spend the next 10 days at Lake Fletcher with my daughters. Beyond that my plans are tentative.

I'm currently receiving so much junk email that my folder is filling to capacity within about five days, so if you try to send me anything after August 1 it will bounce. When I'll have internet access and a chance to post again, I don't know: sometime after August 6.