MONTREAL, CANADA

                                          City Highlights

 Getting from the airport into the city entails getting the hotel shuttle, going to the Greyhound terminal and then taking a smaller shuttle to your hotel. This process took me two and a half hours and my friend from L A three hours. Once in the city it is very walkable and easy to get around. With a low crime rate it is safe to walk anywhere anytime.

     Montreal, often referred to as the Paris of North America, is the capitol of Quebec Province where French is the predominant language. However, nearly everyone also speaks English.

The city is a bustling study in contrasts where Victorian brownstones nuzzle skyscrapers, and architectural marvels soar beside stately neo-gothic churches. The city blends the old and new with ease.

In 1535 French explorer, Jacques Cartier, looking for passage to India, was the first white man to set foot on the island that became Montreal. It was the site of a Hochelega and Iroquois village. In 1611 de Champlain fortified a settlement and trading center at the confluence of the St. Lawrence, Ottawa and Richelieu Rivers. The British conquered New France in 1759, but they confirmed the right of the French people to maintain their faith, language and legal code. For many decades the minority British ran the city’s economy. In 1867 the Articles of Confederation joined the provinces of Ottawa, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia into Canada which effectively ended British rule in Ottawa.

            Our first morning we headed to Notre Dame Basilica to pick up an English-speaking walking tour of the city.  The jewel of Montreal, it is one of the largest and most beautiful churches in North America. Designed with double balconies all around, it can seat 3800 people. This neo-gothic church, the start of the Catholic mission in the city, sits above the original 17^th century church. The first church was in the middle of what is now the street.

The organ has 7000 pipes. When forestry was big business, all the inside decoration was carved of red pine that now has been gilded. The marble-looking statues are carved white pine. This church has twin towers. The star-studded blue vaulted ceiling is unusual. The stain glass windows are by Limoges, and the church houses one of largest bells in North America.

            Our guide added, “The pulpit is no longer used, as microphones came into use in 1960. The architect, O’Donnell, was Protestant, but made a death bed conversion to Catholicism, so he is buried here in the church.”

            We spent a lot of time inside the church and in fact returned again another day to admire its lovely interior.

In lovely old Montreal the antique gas lights have been converted to electricity, but there is still one street where the old gas lights remain fueled by gas and are left on 24-hours a day. The cobbled old city is near the waterfront.

The monument to Montréal's founder, Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, in the square marks the city’s historic center. It also marks the site where he and a few Frenchmen had a brief skirmish with some Iroquois Indians resulting in a French win. The red brick New York Life building, built in 1888 and the city’s first skyscraper, sits to the right of the square.. Many old warehouses have been converted into apartments and condominiums, and many of the old 18^th century banks have been converted into hotels.

Marche Bonsecours with its graceful silver-domed and neo-classical architecture is hard to miss, as it dominates the waterfront of Old Montreal. Built in 1847 of gray stone, the cast iron columns were brought from England. The imposing building, with its silver dome, was the city’s main agricultural marketplace for over a century and is now full of small boutiques.

Montreal’s French architecture typically has solid stone wall construction. The roofs are steep with dormers. The windows are small with many small panes in them. The glass panes were shipped in molasses from France, to prevent breakage, and then assembled on arrival. The double small windows help keep heat in the home during the winter. On the first floor the windows were what we know as French doors, and had heavy wooden shutters to cover them in winter.

 Other city highlights are noted elsewhere in greater length and detail. Montreal is a wonderful city where we had a most enjoyable and interesting time.

WWII MEMORIAL

                                                  WWII Monument

            On this Memorial Day I think it appropriate for me to detour from my travel experiences to tell you about a trip a good friend of mine, who happens to be a WW II vet and who happens to live in Sun City Texas, recently took to Washington, D.C. to see the most recent memorial on the Washington Mall.  

            The 34 Sun Cityans, plus a 107-year old from Austin, were excited about the trip and were surprised to see 200 people up early to cheer them and send them off.

            My friend told me, “You can imagine the war stories that floated around inside the plane. You know the memorial sits on 7.4 acres about half way between the capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. At a cost of 175 million dollars, it took three years to complete. Opened in 2004, it is a memorial to the 16 million   men who served in the conflict and the over 400,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice. You know the war ended 68 years ago so it doesn’t take much to figure none of us are very young any more.

            “I couldn’t believe my  eyes as we were pushed down the long exit lane at the DC airport at the huge crowd, many of them school children who had come out to greet us, cheer, shake our hand, clapping and telling us thank you for our service. What a welcome!

            “The next day we were awakened by the loud phone ringing at 5:20 AM. We had been instructed to stay in our wheelchairs at all times to be pushed about by our guardian. This wheelchair business is pretty new to me but it does have advantages in crowds and lines!

            “Our first stop was the WW II Memorial which is certainly impressive and its location gives it a commanding presence. Granite, bronze and water blend well with the lawns, trees and shrubbery of the surrounding landscape. The 24 bronze relief panels flanking the ceremonial entrance brings new life into old black and white photographs of that era.  The 56 granite columns are split into two half-circles framing the rainbow pool and its fountains. The columns representing the 48 states, seven territories and the District of Columbia are joined together with a bronze rope at the bottom. Each engraved column. holds a bronze oak and wheat wreath. The two 43-foot high arched pavilions represent victory on both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts.

            “Senator Robert Dole and Award winning actor Tom Hanks teamed up to raise the monies for the memorial to become reality after over a half of a century.”

            My friend told me they also visited the Lincoln Memorial, Korean Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, The Navy Memorial, Air Force memorial and basically ended the day at Arlington National Cemetery.

            Statistics estimate that 800 veterans are dying daily. Honor Flight Network made its first flights of  six veterans in 2005 using small private planes. The program was the brain child of a retired Air Force physician assistant who was also a pilot and working for the VA. The program grew and in 2008 Southwest Airlines became their official carrier. Each veteran is assigned a guardian who handles his wheelchair. Most of the guardians are young active duty servicemen who volunteer for a flight.

            Everyone knows how important mail call is to anyone in the service or anyone away from home for that matter. As the vets were headed home there was once again mail call where each was handed a manila envelope of letters written by friends, volunteers and school children.

            My friend closed by saying, “It had been an exciting day but a long one and nearly everyone snoozed on the flight home. It was a wonderful experience and honor to be part of this group.”

          On this Memorial Day pause to think about all those who have so honorably served and fought for our freedom. God bless America!

LAKE MINNEWATER

                   Beguines and Lake Minnewater
 

            In 1488 the people of Bruges, Belgium executed one of the town administrators belonging to the court of Maximilian of Austria. Legend says Maximilian punished Bruges by obliging the population to keep swans on their lakes and canals for eternity. The swans are a lovely addition to Minnewater. Such a punishment!

            Minnewater is a lake at the southern end of the city. It wasn’t  far; I had a good walking map  so we took off in that direction. En route we had to stop to enjoy a famous Belgium waffle.

            Legend says that the lake was named after a girl named Minna. In Roman times two lovers were separated while the young warrior went off to war. Minna promised to wait for him, but during his long absence her father gave her in marriage to someone else. On the eve of her marriage Minna desperately ran away and hid in the woods.

            When the warrior returned he went looking for Minna, but when he found her she was exhausted and died in his arms. He built a dam in the creek near the tower, let the water drain out and buried Minna in the center. Then he broke the dam and again flooded the lake. Minna remains in the bottom of her beautiful lake.

            We missed the proper turn and entered the Beguinhof through the far gate.  The oldest remaining houses of the close date to the 15^th century. It has been a place of residence for women for 750 years!

            “What is a Beguine?” my friend asked.   

            I read what our information said: In the 12^th and 13^th centuries the crusades and other wars required that men take up arms and were often gone for long periods of time. Single women were in the majority but had little control over their lives. Women of some nobility could not marry outside their class and had little freedom or purpose in life, often with no chance of a decent livelihood.

            There were women who wanted to do good, help others but were restricted by the rules of society. About the beginning of the 13^th century some of them with common bonds and ideals grouped together and lived in cabins close to one another. This community was called a Beguinage.  These women were not nuns, took no vows, could return to city life and wed if she wished and did not have to give up her property.

            If she were poor, she could neither ask for nor accept alms, but could support herself by manual labor or teaching the children of the burghers—a citizen of the town, especially one of middle class. When first joining the community she lived with the Grand Mistress, but later had her own dwelling. Praying and mysticism were important aspects, but each Beguinage had its own rules, but no common ruler. There might be a meeting hall, chapel and assignments of certain duties.

            Beguines were influential in providing the populace with help and religious understanding that priests and ministers might not have been able to convey.

            The community was surrounded by a wall, and at night the gate was closed, and men were not allowed inside. The Grand Dame lived in the largest and most beautiful house. People generally like the Beguines, but it is a society of the past. Today they are part of the Catholic Church.

The Bruges Close

            From the gate it was only a few hundred yards to a gorgeous large courtyard filled with blooming daffodils and narcissus. Paths led one around the courtyard that also had many trees for shade. Walking toward the inner wall I was struck by all the clean sparkling windows. I don’t know why that attracted my attention but they just shone---maybe it was the sunshine.

            After awhile we entered the gift shop and talked to the lady inside who was one of the remaining 15 women living at this facility.

            She told us, “The Countess of Flanders, daughter of Count Baldwin, who conquered Constantinople, founded this close in 1245. In 1299 Philip the Beautiful placed the Beguinage under his rule, thus withdrawing it from magistrate influence. A fire in 1584 destroyed the chapel, but it was rebuilt in 1609 and later renovated in its present baroque architecture. In 1937 this became a monastery for Benedictine nuns.”

            It was a lovely quiet respite in the middle of a busy city. I was glad we had found it and learned something about a culture I never knew existed. There are several beguinages in Belgium, but this is the only one we had a chance to visit.

           

INVERARAY CASTLE

                        A Delightful Visit

The Trossachs is a collective name for Scotland’s wild Highland area east and northeast of Loch Lomond. The area has been famed in history and romance since Sir Walter Scot’s vivid descriptive passages in The Lady of the Lake, and Rob Roy. Some of Scotland’s best farmland is in this beautiful valley.

            Anyone who has spent any time in Europe knows that ABC means Another Blasted Castle/Church. I can’t tell you how many castles and churches I’ve visited over the years, but I’m always looking for something new and different that I’ve not seen before. I have my top three castles and then there are just the famous ones one must see.

Inveraray Castle

            Inveraray Castle comes under the latter category. Its style seems so typical of what we think a castle should look like. My friend and I passed up any shopping and walked up to tour the castle. The castle afforded us a nice view of the firth. This 1746 Campbell Clan castle, built on level ground, was surrounded by a dry ditch called a fosse. The gothic building was very light and airy. Beautiful tapestries hung on the walls. The dining room walls were exquisite. The Wedgwood ceiling was very different. The china display was lovely and 1300 pieces of armory was displayed beautifully and uniquely in a very high ceiling room. It was fascinating to view the display.  The castle is the home of the Duke of Argyll.

Armory Room and Display

            In the mid 1700s the Duke of Argyll wanted a castle to reflect his importance.  He moved the 300-year-old town so he could build his castle on beautifully landscaped grounds.  The first planned burgh was created and for centuries Inveraray has had an imposing landscape. The new Georgian town was finished in 1776.

The beautifully painted white buildings with black trim have many interesting closes to explore. Black and white were used because in the early 1700s there were only five colors. Besides black and white there was turquoise, canary yellow, and tangerine. Black and white seemed like a good choice for building!  Flowering hanging baskets hung everywhere in town. The Argyll Hotel dates to 1750 when it was a coaching inn for judges and lawyers on the circuit courts. It is a delightful little village. It would have been fun to explore the village shops and walk the closes, but the castle was definitely worth the visit.

            In the 50s there was a big scandal involving infidelity of the then Duchess.  Pictures were shown in court and she lost her case. The current Duke married the heir to the Cadbury-Schweppes fortune in 2003.

            After touring the castle we elected to eat in the castle café. I was reminded of my first lunch in a castle---a birthday one in England a few years earlier. Now I can’t count how many times I’ve eaten in a castle! Amazing.