Stephan O.
Google
Montrealers are proud of their “mountain”, the Mount-Royal. On the Mount, they walk, jog, bicycle, ski, sleigh, skate, smoke, drink, pick-nick, sometimes have s3x, and they pretty much do anything their imagination might wander on. I mean they even get buried on the Mount, as there is a choice of 4 different cemeteries. All in all, whether one is looking at the flowers from beneath or preferably from the top, the beloved mountain serves a much appreciated peaceful and quiet place for soothing the soul, especially under the cover and comfort of Autumn’s colors. As such, it provides an alternative to the ubiquitous fluorescence of the orange construction signs, so typical of any given day in Montreal. Sightseeing at first from the lower east side of the Mount, on Jeanne-Mance Park, you will find a couple of beach volley fields, and pretty often, exciting games and good players. Right cross the Avenue du Parc, you can catch on a warm sunny day the Tam-tams du Mont-Royal, a colorful gathering of drummers, dancers, vendors and their admiring audiences. A stroll near by, on the Olmsted gravel path, will take you through quiet woods and higher on the mount, to Beavers’ Lake (hum-hum, no pun intended)! Pushing up for an extra stretch will take you to the Kondiaronk Belvedere, so to enjoy a splendid view on downtown Montreal, whether by night or by day. From there, you can also give a wink at the St-Lawrence River and the bridges flying above. Standing quite noticeable by the Belvedere, the Chalet is there to welcome guests for a well-earned pause inside the great hall, where the walls bare several drawings, some of questionable historic episodes. If you feel like it, the Café des Amis offers coffee and pastries, although this may strike out the effort for the loss of calories endured during the walk up the mountain. If your knees allow you, a descent from the height of the 339 steps of the Mount-Royal staircase will take you back to the lower Olmsted path. Watch out for the slippery steps, as the flight downward may not be comfortable on landing. Otherwise, a walk to the slightly higher peak of the Mount leads to “the Cross”. The legend says this is exactly where the first French settlers and members of the First Nations signed a peace treaty while sharing the magic tobacco stick; no surprise, right ?! Away at the distance from the cross, there is also a beautiful view on the eastern side of the St-Lawrence River. There is more to explore and do, but I invite the readers to experiment on their own, so to discover the charm and the “joie de vivre” of the mount Montrealers are so proud of.