Although the line appeared long, we purchased our tickets and entered the magnificent Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal within 10 minutes. The church began as a small chapel located at Pointe a Calliere in 1642 serving the first 50 settlers to the area. As the area grew, a larger building was erected on it’s current site in the 1670’s. Outgrowing the building again, the current cathedral was built in the 1820’s. I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves but be sure to note the organ built in 1891 and the stained-glass windows added in 1929. For more information, click here.

(more…)

Montreal isn’t complete without a walk up to Mount Royal Park. Near Magill University, the park takes visitors to breathtaking vistas overlooking the city. Somehow our map system was wrong and we parked in front of an old psychiatric hospital. We walked the grounds and followed a father taking his two kids to the top of the mountain. He said he’d lived there 9 years and hadn’t ever gone to the top. The abandoned Victoria hospital was a bit spooky but to the right side of the building we found a path and jumped on. Because it was getting dusk, we hurried up stairs and more stairs to the top.

Once at the top, there were tons of people! A guy played a piano. A large pavilion sat on the ridge and multiple spectators posed for sunset pictures. On the way back down, we followed the main path which was better marked and led us to a large parking lot at the base of the mountain. Click here for more information about Mont Royal.

(more…)