Entrances – Sept. 11, 2022

  • Day 1: Lisbon
  • Weather: 65-80 degrees / overcast, sunny

As though I am Alice in Wonderland falling through the rabbit hole, I enter my hostel through a kitschy souvenir shop. Other entrances lead to far grander places.

Entrance to my hostel through a gauntlet of souvenirs.
Entrance to Santa Maria Major Cathedral, starting point for the Lisbon Camino.
Entrance to Lisbon the Triumpal Arch of Praça do Comércio
Entrance to Manteigaria Patéis, BEST custard tarts in Lisbon.
Traditional Lisbon Custard Tarts

Orientation – Sept. 11, 2022

  • Day 1: Lisbon
  • Weather: 65-80 degrees / overcast, sunny

Series of city hills, twisting streets, and metro re-constructions makes orienting in Lisbon immensely challenging. “Rooftop” views are spectacular; yet, disjointed for orientation. Rambling I discover Lisbon. City signage keeping tourists huddled from one site to another. We’re like a swarm of bees around the queen bee. Move two blocks off the landmark routes and there isn’t a tourist to be found.

Rooftop view of Lisbon.
Rooftop view of Lisbon.
Rooftop view of Lisbon.
Rooftop view of Lisbon.
Street view of tram.

Walking on Ruins – June 14, 2022

  • Montréal – Day 4, Tuesday
  • Weather: 72 degrees, clear sky

The lowest level of the Montréal Museum of Archeology and History was built of clear plastic flooring exposing original foundations of some of its earliest buildings.

The current exhibit featured Vikings whose men and women were fierce fighters and excellent sailors. Their early religious practices included animal and human sacrifices. They took advantage of unstable and fragile European governments to conquer, plunder, exploit, influence, and rule.

Early colonists built this brick structure which contained flowing water. Water still flows today. Today’s visitors walked through this structure.
To the Hurons and Iroquois, the turtle was a mythological symbol of Mother Earth carrying the world on her back…sounds all to familiar of my past.
Viking wore horned hats…Myth buster! Horned hats first appeared in Robert Wagner’s 1876 opera Der Wing des Nibelungen.
Bluetooth symbol is a combination of the initials from a Viking king. His name was Harald Gormssom but was known as “Bluetooth” for his dark, dead tooth. As he united Denmark and Norwegian, Bluetooth united PC and cellular industry.
Indigenous historic necklace
Dishes…always a favorite of mine.
Closer look at dish exhibit.
Early 1800’s glasses are…
…wickedly similar to my glasses.

Garden Stroll – June 13, 2022

  • Montréal – Day 4, Monday
  • Weather: 72 degrees, clear sky

It was my second visit to Montréal Botanic Garden, the first being in fall 2019. The summer flowers were prolific. Irises, poenies, and roses of every color. Surprisingly the vegetable garden had all the varieties grown at Monticello in Virginia 700 miles to the south.

Entrance of Montréal Botanic Garden.
Poenies
Entrance to Chinese garden.
Rose
Japanese Garden
Bi-color peonies, a favorite.
Chinese garden with the 1976 Montréal Olympic tower in background.

Double-Step – June 12, 2022

  • Day 2, Sunday
  • Weather: 68 degrees, occasional light rain

Double time to do double museums. The McCord Museum was a gem. Indigenous peoples’ and Alexander Henderson’s photograph exhibits were absorbing. Montréal Museum of Fine Art also had a superlative Indigenous peoples collection. Whale vertebrates with rich texture were used as the medium for some carvings. By afternoon, I was overwhelmed by too much visual stimulation. Eyes that become satiated stop seeing.

McCord Museum of Canadian History
Inuit cup-and-ball game made from the scull of a hare. (Monticello has a similar toy carved from wood.)
Like the Indigenous pipe on display at Monticello, the stem is detached from the bowl of the pipe in keeping with sacred customs.
Photograph by Alexander Henderson,
Photograph by Alexander Henderson.
Montréal Museum of Fine Art
Nicholas Party’s Portrait with Snakes.

Earth Shook – June 11, 2022

  • Montréal – Day 1, Saturday
  • Weather: 68 degrees, occasional light rain

The closer you got, the more the earth shook. People packed together partied in the streets at Place des Arts for the week long gratis concert. Flicking cigarette lighters in appreciation was passé. Bright cell phone flashlights showed appreciation and gave the appearance of stars fallen to Earth.

Music Festival at Place des Arts.

Rapper Souldia performance at Place des Arts had the audience dancing in the street.
Multi stages, multi performers.
Stars on stage. Starlights from the audience’s cell phones.
Grizabella, The Glamour Cat from Cats. A budding virtuoso.

Saint Joseph Oratory – June 11, 2022

  • Montréal – Day 1, Saturday
  • Weather: 68 degrees, occasional light rain

Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal was massive overlooking the city. It was crawling with tourists clicking pictures and buying souvenirs. They scurried, posed, clicked as though they were bees swarming a nest.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory ~ End of Ottawa-Montréal Camino.
Saint Joseph’s Oratory Church. Music from a massive balcony pipe organ filled the space. The sound hummed on my skin.
Saint Joseph’s Oratory
Click….I too was a bee swarming the nest.

Support Crew – June 11, 2022

  • Ottawa-Montréal Camino #12 Laval to Montréal
  • Distance: 8.25 miles / Total: 144 miles
  • Time: 5 hours
  • Ascent: 558 feet / Descent: 118 feet
  • Weather: 75 degrees, sunny clear skies

Our support crew really left me with a greater sense of accomplishment and a full heart.

Michel and his wife…who is also Danielle’s sister.
Danielle’s son, Danielle, her son’s friend, and her husband Bruno.
Danielle, Linda, Martina, Arnold, Michel with presents.
Most thoughtful remembrances of our Camino.
Closing the Ottawa-Montréal Camino.