Montréal
Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal
July 9, 2004
After arriving in Montreal, we headed out for dinner and an evening near City Hall,
which was swarming with diners plus hosts and hostesses vying for our business.
As we passed each restaurant, we were greeted with a "Bonjour, Hello"
then invited to look over their menu. Food seems to be a passion here and from first
glance dinners seem to be an event.
The streets resembled more of a street festival atmosphere than a Friday night given
the fact that people were everywhere and the sound of chatter spread over the traffic
or music from any locale.
Notre Dame Cathedral Organ in Montreal
July 10, 2004
Today we saw much of the city, beginning with Notre Dame Basilica, which from the
outside was somewhat ordinary, however the bright, vibrant blues of the interior
behind the basilica's organ was amazing.
From here we headed further inland to McGill University and what seems like an endless
maze of underground tunnels nearby. There are tunnels filled with restaurants, shops,
and simply paths throughout this part of the city making winter travel much easier
I imagine.
McGill is set in front of a rising piece of earth, which called my name and demanded
I climb to the top for the views of the city. The views allow you to see nearly
all of Montreal and the St. Lawrence.
Overall, the city feels relaxed, yet passionate, alive and present, yet historic,
foreign and unreachable, yet so accessible.
Montreal City Hall
September 13, 2009
Something always gets lost in translation. On this trip my title "Assistant
Executive Director" was shortened to "Ass Director," which was prominently
displayed on my nametag for all the world to see. Although the job seems intriguing,
I already have a job so swapped out that nametag for the the one I brought.
Having spent a couple more days in Montreal, I'm beginning to realize the lifestyle
here. Life isn't about the past or future, but rather entirely focused on the
present. The present matters more than what's next and now seems to trump any
planned event, not to say the people miss appointments, but rather they devote 100%
of themselves to the present company.
For each meal I was invited out and our meals literally took hours. Every restaurant
we went to was excellent and the service felt like it was half sincere, truly hoping
we each enjoy our meals, yet half competitive, trying to win us over from the competition.
Each meal would begin with drinks and menus, with an explanation of the daily specials
and the chef's recommendations. This would be followed by a lot of conversation
about everything from the menu to our passions and loves.
By the time the waiter or waitress finally came out to take our orders it seemed
a bottle of wine was already gone and each of our relationships were much more intimate.
Nearly everyone orders a starter (entree) and a main dish (plates), then the conversation
continues.
Once the starters arrive, everyone smells their dishes, give them a one-over and
analyzes their appearance, odor, and texture. The starters were slowly consumed,
with no threat that our main courses would be ready prior to out completion of this
course. As we ate, everyone discussed the food, including their thoughts and opinions
for improvement, however after our plates were cleared our conversation again returned
to life.
There seemed to be a large break prior to our main course, but time flew as the
restaurant's volume rose. As I looked around I noticed that dining out isn't
much of a couple's retreat so much as a social event, often consisting of groups.
While there were couples eating, most of the crowd at each meal were groups.
The main courses come out quite late, however no one seems to mind, in fact I think
some may even be upset if they came out too quickly, for these people can't
be rushed.
The main course, like the starters are almost art and it becomes clear very quickly
that the chef put a lot of time and effort, along with a risk or two fusing the
flavors and ingredients of each dish. While not always successful, each dish seemed
to be very satisfying. The time lapse between the starter and main course always
seems to allow your stomach to settle, diminishing the hunger and perhaps magnifying
the flavor, for by the time the main course arrives your hunger has been tamed,
so your motivation for dining is on flavor, not on gluttony.
Finally, the dessert menus are presented, dessert ordered, and later served. The
entire experience is more of an event than a feast and most of the time is spent
on socializing, not on eating. This, it seems is Quebec culture as I understand
it.
A Church in Montreal