A Visit

Last weekend, our niblings “Felix” and “Jenesse” came up to visit, coinciding with another canicule. It was ludicrously hot and humid, and yet we managed to fit in a lot of good activities. We met Felix and Jenesse at the airport, and got them settled in their hotel. Jenesse’s baggage, unfortunately, got Air Canada-ed, and didn’t arrive with them.

Manon took them to breakfast on Rue St. Catherine, and on a shopping trip to the Eaton Centre to pick up some forgotten items. In the afternoon, Sylvain took them hiking in Parc Mont Royal, up the steps, and to the Kondiaronk Belvedere for a view of the city and an ice-cream. We then came back down, and walked around the Plateau looking at murals and the like, and having dinner on Avenue Mont Royal before taking the metro back to the village.

On Saturday, we biked to the Old Port. The original plan had been to go up the Lachine Canal, but instead we looked around Silo 5, and then returned to the Old Port where we checked out an Indigenous Art Gallery, found some lemonade on Place Jacques-Cartier, wandered some of the old streets, and looked inside the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel. Did I mention it was stupid hot out? We took refuge in the thoroughly air-conditioned Pointe-à-Callière Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History, which is a very interesting museum if a bit labyrinthine. In the evening, we walked around Parc-La-Fontaine and had steamed dumplings for dinner. We attended a live performance by Bon Débarras: a kid-oriented introduction to Quebecoise folk music and podorythmie.

Sunday, Felix and Jenesse went off to explore Chinatown and went out to Parc Jean Drapeau on the ferry from old town. We met up with them at noon, took the metro and then a bus up to the heart of the Mile End neighborhood, where we went on the Museum of Jewish Montreal’s food tour “Beyond the Bagel.” The walking tour took us through different historical Jewish neighborhoods, and we got to sample many delicious things from cheese crowns to babka — and, of course, both St. Viateur and Fairmont bagels. It ended up with a smoked meat sandwich and pickle at Schwartz’s Deli.

Full and tired, we walked back to the metro by way of Square Saint Louis.

In the evening, we walked through the Latin Quarter, and had dinner at an African restaurant that served us way too much food. At this point, Felix and Sylvain walked back to the Village together and to their respective abodes, while Manon and Jenesse visited a speakeasy in the Latin Quarter for cocktails that came with puzzles.

On Monday, the heat finally broke. The temperature dropped about 20ºF, and it was pleasant. Unfortunately, Sylvain had to work, but Manon and the niblings took a bike ride to the Jardin Botanique where they did a quick once-through, and then we all got together for lunch in the Village. They came to the apartment, and repacked everything. Manon escorted them individually on the metro to the airport bus at the appropriate times, and their brief but busy visit came to an end.