Friday July 21 – Quebec City to Montreal

Useless info: in Canada they buy milk in clear plastic bags, of one or two litres. Our friends Jackie and Lorne kept theirs sealed in a pottery jug. They cut the corner of the bag and pour carefully to begin with, then fold over and peg the top of the bag to keep it fresh. 

More useless info: the shower taps are a puzzle, and all different. Most so far have been over a bath, and one tap system operates the shower, bath and sometimes even a second shower head. Tonight’s is a shower only, so that eliminates the bath aspect! However, while it seems fairly straight-forward we have noted that it is a double shower head, so who knows?

This morning dawned dull with low cloud again. We had a short walk after breakfast to look over the harbour. Back on the bus, to head to Montreal. It didn’t take too long to get out of the city and into the countryside again. Today is the last day for this group of 39. Tomorrow only 17 go onto the ship to continue the east coast tour. Most of the others fly over to the west coast for various tours. Gary used the time on the bus to go over details for tomorrow, and handing out paperwork etc to the people leaving us. We encountered very heavy and slow traffic for several kilometres on the outskirts of Montreal – the cause was a broken-down car being put on a tow truck on the road shoulder, but one lane was closed off for safety, leaving only one open. Lesley used that time to finish reading a short book on the Amish, which Gary had loaned her.

Montreal is 375 years old this year so a number of streets are closed off for festivals. There were lots of people around. We went to the Notre-Dame Basilica, a big Catholic church (most of Quebec is Catholic). It was beautiful inside. Dark wood, making it dark, but all beautifully painted in colours and lots of 24c gold leaf. The main church is large and rectangular (no transepts to make the cross shape normally seen in big churches), but not usually used for services. Behind the back wall is smaller chapel, much newer because the old one burnt down. This also wood, but a much lighter colour and beautifully crafted. It is totally different to the main church. This small chapel is where most of the services are held. Visitors can go I there but only to pray, and there is to be silence and no photographs (again, unlike the main church). In the main church there used to be a beautiful stained glass window, but the rising sun shone in and blinded the congregation so they covered it up and put skylights in the ceiling to give light inside. The fire badly damaged the window, and they could only save two panels, which are now in the smaller chapel.

Looking up to the huge organ

behind the alter

After leaving the church we had a 1½ hr city tour on the bus with a local guide. 

bank building

street closed off and decorated for the festival

lots of places have stairs on the outside to give more room on the inside

We finally arrived at the Hotel Westin around 5pm. [Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, which Scenic usually uses, is currently being renovated and is closed for a year, though should open again soon.]

At 6pm some of us went back to the basilica to watch a light show inside it. It may seem sacrilege to put a light show in a church, but it was brilliantly done. It highlighted features that we hadn’t seen before too. Lasers, projections, beams, backlighting and music saw the four seasons and a scary storm happen before us over the ceiling and the carvings of religious icons at the end of the church. It was very cleverly done, and with a full church at each showing it must raise a LOT of money for the church.

Tonight we had a special dinner, to farewell those going to the west coast, and also farewell to Mike, our bus driver. He’s been great – was retired but Gary asked him to come out of retirement to work with him. They get on very well and work well together. A good partnership.

Mike always had the hand sanitiser for us before we boarded the bus. On the last day, in order to match Gary's head of hair, Mike donned a hat that looked like a viser over thick hair. He looked so different, and gave us a laugh! (we didn't get a photo of this, unfortunately!)