Montreal – Places, Plazas and Promenades

Place de Jaques Cartier was the first area we stumbled upon.  This is a wide promenade area with restaurant terraces lining both sides and small vendors booths, park benches, statues and fountains in between.

We found a restaurant where we could hear the street entertainers serenading us as we ate dinner.  All the entertainers we heard throughout the week were excellent and enthusiastically supported by the crowds of people that gathered around them.

The weather here had been cold and wet before we arrived (as it seems to have been all across Canada this Spring) so the dry and somewhat warmer weather brought out tourists and Montrealers in droves.

Rue Saint Paul, the main street of the Old Town is a dedicated pedestrian area in the summer months .  It is paved with old bricks and stones and is lined with restaurants and tourist shops.  We felt a real atmosphere of fun and community in all of the public spaces we visited .

 

    

 

One afternoon we came upon the Plaza Des Spectacles situated near the Museum of Contemporary art. Here water shot up in different heights and sequences  from the paving stones and it was fascinating to watch and to see kids of all ages running through the water or trying to guess where it would next spout from.

      

         

 

  

When we went back a few evenings later to see how it looked under the lights, we were surprised by a completely different activity there.

There were no water fountains on, instead, just as we approached, the lights came on and long rows of people began to file onto the plaza.  They spread out into 7 rows, stretching into lines of 30 or so per line.  They were all ages from 15 to 75, dressed in everything from suits and ties, jeans and tee shirts to flowing skirts and exercise wear.

   

They danced and we watched for almost 3/4 hour as they moved to the music.  It was a cross between line dancing and contemporary dance  and was very  well choreographed. Later the water jets were turned on and became part of the dance.  It was absolutely amazing and we felt so fortunate to have happened upon it.  We found out later that it was a dress rehearsal for a performance several days later.  We heard several people remark that they were planning to volunteer for it the following year.

On another promenade area on the edge of the downtown district, there were rows of open structures which, as we approached, were seen to be swings.  There were probably ten of them supporting 3 swings each.  Again, people of all ages were swinging.  They were set up to play music as the swing went up and down and if you cooperated with the other swingers in your set, you could make different sequences of music.  It was fascinating and everyone walking by took their turns.

   

     

Other areas included a wide park area along the waterfront, small promenades next to peaceful pools of water and beautiful groves of cherry trees.

Perhaps it is because of the long winters but it was obvious that these places drew people – everywhere we saw people strolling along, sitting on park benches, bicycling or dancing – truly enjoying their city.