Montreal, is this Canada or Europe.

We arrived in Montreal and stayed at De'Escale Marina in the old part of downtown Montreal. We couldn't believe beauty of the buildings, the narrow brick paved streets and the French speaking people,who switch to English with such ease. There are abundant open air cafes and shops. We loved it! Montreal was one of Jan's anticipated highlights but it exceeded her expectations!

 Notre Dame Basilica was built in 1829 and is considered one of the crown jewels in Quebec's rich religious history.Tours are offered several times daily. St Joseph Oratory is built high on a hill. It began as a small chapel in 1904, the plan of Brother Andre, a humble man. By 1967 it was completed as it is today. The photos are below.

After touring the local area on our own we took the city bus tour. While on the tour we came upon a parade celebrating Canada Day. We learned that Canada Day is not celebrated as much in Quebec as the rest of Canada. Quebec's big celebration, St. Jean Baptiste Day, is a couple of weeks earlier and not celebrated much in the rest of Canada. There are absolutely some differences between the English and French speaking parts of Canada.

One day we enjoyed a long bicycle ride and another day we biked to Target with our friends on Average Looper. The bicycles have proved to be very useful as exercise and transportation.

We thoroughly enjoyed Montreal and must continue on to Ottawa.

Below are several street scenes of old Montreal.

The pink balloons in the gay village of Montreal,

Beautiful flowers everywhere!

I did not want this couple to know I was taking their picture.

They were probably at the courthouse to be married - note her flowers and rolled hose.

It was very hot! They were so cute.

Pay parking for bicycles?

Montreal Art Institute.

Inside Notre Dame Cathedral.

This chandelier was HUGE!

The pipe organ in the Cathedral. 

On Canada Day there were many activities for all ages of people.

Here some youths were playing hockey just outside the marina.

Fireworks from the boat on Canada Day.

More fireworks.

Several marina views, mostly for my benefit.

Photos of the end of the Canada Day Parade we just happened upon.

St. Joseph Oratory. It is seen  for miles and miles on the water as you leave Montreal.

 The four pictures below are a panoramic view of Montreal from the Church.

Inside of St. Joseph Oratory.

Brother Andrea's original chapel.

Mowing this steep hill at the oratory required some ingenuity.

They used ropes to pull these mowers up and down the hill.

Chambly to Montreal

After an enjoyable stay in Chambly it was again time to move along. We totally understand why some people make the Great Loop a multiple year journey. There is so much to see and do we are having to pick and choose our activities. That doesn't leave much time for the blog.

We continued north toward the St. Lawrence River at Sorel, Quebec. We stayed overnight at the lock wall at St. Ours. This lock was unusual because of the floating dock inside the lock. Locking is really easy for us this way. As we pulled into the lock we just handed our lines to the attendants who tied us to the floating dock. We didn't have to do anything until it was time to retrieve our lines before departing the lock.

As we entered the St. Lawrence River we were at the farthest east on the entire trip. Depending on our course through the North Chanel of Lake Huron it may be the farthest north also. After entering the St. Lawrence River we again encountered the huge freighter ship traffic. It wasn't an issue for us as there was plenty of room to stay out of their way. We found it interesting to check the AIS and learn their destination, etc.

Montreal is a active seaport with many loading and docking facilities for these ships. Of course Molson Breweries was prominent from the water. There was a very significant current against us after we left the shipping channel on the way into our marina in Montreal. Without realizing the effects of our wake we put Navigator up on plane to get through the current swiftly. We later found out that we waked Average Looper. We are SOOOO embarrassed that we did that!! I thought we were far enough ahead of them, obviously we were not! They were so gracious and almost didn't want to tell us what we did. SORRY for that!

The next post will be Montreal.

There were a lot of churches like this along the way.

We are curious why the steeples are painted silver.

Apparently this church had a festival of some sort going on.

It would have been interesting to stop and check it out. 

Too bad we didn't have the time.

Since the bridges are far apart the ferries are more frequent.

This is the floating dock inside the lock.

Most of the attendants are university students on summer employment.

They work six days a week, get paid for five and continue receiving pay after they 

return to school. I have to assume they like that a lot.

The floating dock without our boats.

What a concept! Sure makes locking easy for us, but more work for them.

This lock wall is like a park.

There were several people enjoying the area besides us boaters.

We like how Canadians enjoy the outdoors.

I am sure there are more than enough pictures of Navigator on the blog.

Many of these are for our enjoyment as we reminisce from the "home" if we live long enough.

This is the farthest east and possibly the farthest north of the entire loop.

FYI, Plymouth, MN where we lived is 45 degrees north latitude.

That is half way between the equator and the north pole.

We anchored overnight in the Contrecoeur Channel off the St. Lawrence River.

It was our first time anchoring alone, not rafting, of the trip. We were happy to be in the 

same place when we awoke the next morning. 

A successful anchorage.

Sunset from the dock across the way where we had docktails with another looper boat.

Three of us were anchored across this small channel.

How and why does this work and not blow a fuse?

Probably it isn't fused!

I don't recommend swimming anywhere near this marina.

Old boats never die they just become planters.

This sculpture was at the same marina.

Someone around here had some artistic talent.

One of the freighters we met.

Even though they are large they travel deceptively fast.

We have to be aware that they could sneak up behind us if we aren't careful.

This loading facility is HUGE!

Molson Brewing Company is behind this Canadian Coast Guard boat.

I just now thought about a brewery tour. Too late now!

Until next time---

Chambly, Quebec and the Chambly Canal

Our first experience in the Chambly Canal was a bridge that we needed opened. After unsuccessful attempts to contact the bridge by radio we docked the boat on the blue line and walked to the bridge. The bridge attendant was extremely friendly and helpful, explaining how the canal system worked, how we would purchase our passes and opened the bridge for us. At the first lock they sold us the lock pass and the mooring pass. We opted for the season passes rather that a one way or shorter duration pass. It has proved to be the better value. 

The blue line is an area approaching the lock or bridge that is painted blue and you tie your boat there when you are ready to lock through or pass under a bridge. By presenting yourself on the blue line you are informing them of your intentions to proceed and you must proceed when they are ready for you.

We traveled the Chambly canal to the town of Chambly where we stayed on the wall without charge because of our mooring pass. It was a hot day and Jane from Average Looper offered to cut my hair. Although she trained for that she hadn't ever worked in that field. She did an excellent job while I drank a beer. We enjoyed the evening and Chambly.

Chambly is definitely a French speaking town and that adds to the foreign country feeling. Almost everyone we encountered was bilingual and we had no problems communicating. Ordering pizza in the local restaurant wasn't quite so easy. There were four choices and variations of them wasn't an option. Whatever we ordered was good and we enjoyed it.

The next morning Mark and Jane from Average Looper and Jan and I left on our bicycles and rode the path that paralleled the Chambly Canal. It was a very enjoyable ride of just over thirty miles round trip. We enjoyed seeing other boats lock through these original locks built in the 1800's. The pictures below show their wooden gates. We are also amazed at the accessibility to the locks. There aren't  fences to keep people away like there would certainly be in the U S.

After returning from our bike ride along the Chambly Canal we had a short rest and cool down before we left again. This time around Chambly and the Fort.

Jane noticed, and we all agreed that the Quebec French speaking people are more interactive with each other. Almost no one was on their cell phone checking whatever most of us American do on our phones all the time. There were also several groups of people playing cards or board games on the tables in the parks along the canal. We had several people walk past our boats and eagerly talked to us about our trip. The locks are the central part of the small towns and draw many visitors.

Everyone was friendly and welcoming.

Haircut time on the canal wall. Thanks a lot Jane!

Dawn at the lower end of the three step locks in Chambly.

One of the wooden lock gates, originally built in the 1800's.

One of the three step locks on the Chambly Canal.

A step lock is a series of locks that empty one into to next until you are at the final level

rather that into a canal and individual locks.

A picture of an open wooden lock gate.

The path we rode back to St. Jeanne along the Chambly Canal.

Our boats are docked in the background.

St. Joseph Church on the shores of Lake Chambly

Statue of St. Joseph in front of the church.

This statue was across the road from the church.

Definitely French.

Fort Chambly.

The twenty first century pedicab.

Interesting and in English.

On Saturday morning there were hundreds of bicyclists riding through Chambly.

This boat is exiting the lock we will go through to continue toward Montreal.