Thursday, August 8, 2019

Thursday, August 8, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in August of 2008, during the first week of Mattie's chemo treatment to be specific. Back then, the Hospital did not have a child life playroom. So the only place to gather and play was in the middle of the hallway. It was definitely not a great space. That day, we worked with child life interns to make this model magic mask. A mask I still have today. Months later the playroom was constructed and opened. It was a God sent to all of us.  






Quote of the day: Our “underground city” has over 18 miles of pedestrian walkways, indoor areas and tunnels linking 10 metro stations, 2 train stations, 2 bus stations, 62 buildings, 7 major hotels, 1,615 apartments, 200 restaurants, 1,700 boutiques, 37 movie theaters and exhibition halls, 2 universities, 1 college and 10,000 indoor parking spaces. ~ tourisme-montreal.org 

I learned one thing today and that is I am never going on Air Canada again. I found their representatives unprofessional, uncaring, and the quality of their planes are decrepit. 

I was supposed to fly from Washington Reagan Airport to Montreal at 11:20am. I got to the airport at 8:30am and experienced one flight delay after the next. Finally boarded the flight at 2:20pm. Mind you there was no explanation for this delay and the airline personnel did not provide us with updates. Thankfully I had text message alerts which helped. 

I chose this flight because it was the only direct flight I could get! Fortunately the flight was about 90 minutes and smooth. 

Negotiating the airport wasn't easy either. Signs were in English and French. After clearing customs (Which was an experience as Canadians and non-Canadians processed through the same lines -- first step was automated. Literally went up to something that looked like a large ipad and scanned in my passport and answered questions on-line), I was faced with what you see in this photo. NOT an escalator but a conveyor belt for people, at a 45 degree angle. How people haven't injured themselves going down this thing is beyond me. 

 I arrived at the hotel at 5pm and met my parents. We are spending the night here and drive bright and early (6:30am) tomorrow to Quebec. Which is about 3 hours away to board a Princess Cruise ship. 

My mom and I walked around for an hour before dinner. Many beautiful sights and was impressed with the amount of green spaces and gardens all around us. 

We visited Marie-Reine-du-Monde Cathedral. It is stunning and reminds me of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The Cathedral is a minor basilica in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and the seat of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Montreal. The building is 333 ft in length, 150 ft in width, and a maximum height of 252 ft at the cupola, the diameter of which is 75 ft.

The first architect, Victor Bourgeau, refused the project after studying St. Peter's, claiming that it could not be reproduced on a smaller scale. I understand his hesitation, but the Cathedral is a true work of art and in a way pays homage to its Italian counterpart. 

My maternal grandmother loved visiting churches and lighting candles in memory of loved ones. So today, my mom and I lit a candle for my grandmother and for Mattie. Finding real candles in a church now is a rarity. At least in the USA. It was wonderful to see these candles and be able to celebrate the lives of our loved ones. 

The beauty of the alter. 

The alter at St. Peter's in Rome. See the resemblance?

We walked through Dorchester Square Park. The park itself is beautiful and inviting. Except the fact that large groups of people were all over the park and smoking marijuana. To me that spoiled the experience and made it impossible to sit and enjoy the surroundings. 

I loved this fountain. It looks like it was cut in half, to make it look like a tree. If you look closely, you will see the small woodpecker statue attached to the right side of the fountain (midway up).

There are very large skyscrapers all around and what is noteworthy are the cute garden spaces that surround many of the buildings. It seems like the perfect place to come to during warm weather months during lunch breaks. 

Gardens and green spaces tucked into every street and around buildings. 

The beauty of Montreal at night. The view from my hotel room! Signing off, as I am getting up at 5am.