Montreal or to be more precise - Pointe-Claire
My brother-in-law, Milt, is well into his eighties, although if you hang out with him for a while, you would never guess it. The last time I visited him was in 2014. This time, I could see he had slowed down - just a bit, but he still loves walking and keeps a fast pace. He lives across the street from a golf course and a few short blocks from the water and a quaint business district of restaurants and boutiques.
The first evening I was there, we had a wonderful visit. Before the light disappeared completely, I went for a short walk through the neighbourhood (including the golf course) and took some quick shots with my phone. It was hazy, very peaceful, a perfect end to the day.
Promenade du Canal
Over the next couple of days, Milt and I kept fairly close to home but the area he lives is very pleasant so I still saw lots of interesting things. We drove to the market at Sainte Anne de Bellevue Canal. I love it there. Milt and I wandered through the market stalls and along the promenade to the locks. The old buildings, beautiful architecture, the colours, the boats, create a delightful atmosphere. Right by the locks, I saw a turtle swimming in the water.
At lunchtime, Milt asked if I wanted to try some Montreal Smoked Meat? Well of course! We headed to Smoke Meat Pete. On one of the outside walls there are three huge paintings - B B King, Etta James, and Buddy Guy. That's a hint as to the music played inside. The food was great and a cold beer hit the spot!
Stuart Hall Art Gallery
Stuart Hall Art Gallery was our next stop. The building is elegant and the grounds manicured with a spectacular view. The sun shone through the leaves giving them a magical glow. There was an aboriginal exhibit. Milt was not impressed with most of it but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Milt is more traditional when it comes to art.
Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques
The next afternoon we went for a drive in the country to Parc-nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques. First we looked around Ferme écologique du parc-nature Cap-Saint-Jacques. It was early in the season so there wasn't as much to see as Milt had hoped. The best part was watching the small children, on their field trips, interacting with these friendly farm critters.
We carried on to the beach and walked the trails. There was a sign on the beach that said it was closed but no one seemed to pay much attention to that. The other thing which amused me was "Surf Rescue." There was no surf, the water couldn't have been calmer, but I suppose someone might have required rescuing, so at least they were prepared! Around one of the bends on the path, was an interesting building - Chateau Gohier. It looks like a castle. Édouard Gohier began its construction in 1916 but after running into financial difficulties never finished it. Still it is quite a handsome building standing in the middle of the forest.
That evening, I wanted to treat Milt to a good meal, he'd been so kind to me. We walked from his home to Piazza Romana, a charming Italian Restaurant just a few blocks away. I love the neighbourhood he lives in, no wonder he doesn't want to move.
I'm glad that on previous visits I'd played the ultimate tourist and saw all the sights of old Montreal. One year I even attended McGill University for a summer institute and enjoyed some of the Montreal Jazz Festival, but I'm just as grateful that this time around, I spent quality time with my brother-in-law. Thanks for everything Milt.
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