Jason Pearce

Continuation of my Montreal trip

On Saturday, we slept in (after Friday night, we needed it). We woke, hit the streets, and began looking for lunch. In just a few blocks, we found China Town — at the corner of Saint-Laurent Blvd. and de La Gauchetiere Street — and sat down to one of the largest buffets I’ve seen in a while.

Stuffed, we headed off to Montreal’s Old Town. Located between the river and the city-center, Old Montreal, founded in 1642, has remarkable 18th and 19th century architecture and the first Canadian skyscrapers. Charming, we found its boutiques, sidewalk cafes and public places fun to explore.

We did make a point to visit the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal, a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture. Built between 1824 and 1829 the interior of the church of sculpted wood, paint and gold leaf. It’s paintings, sculptures and stained-glass windows were also amazing.

Before long, we needed a drink and a place to relax. Thankfully, we found Jardin Nelson. Part restaurant, part courtyard, Jardin Nelson had the perfect marriage of historic grace and modern elegance. The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying drinks in the restaurant’s courtyard, listening to the live jazz band, and admiring the huge parasols that provided our shade.

Wasting away the afternoon in Old Town Montreal was just what the three of us wanted. Refreshed, we returned to the hotel to freshen up and begin another night of the Jazz Festival.

We were not a lucky in getting a sweet table this time. Regardless, we had a great meal, walked around to a few stages to listen to some Jazz, and called it the evening right around midnight. Afternoon drinks and a late night on Friday drained our batteries, so turning in early for the evening was just what the three of us needed.

Sunday was all about driving home. Laura and I had about a seven hour drive ahead of us, Rob only had about two hours, for we dropped him off on the way. Leaving around lunch, we reached the US border in about an hour. Unfortunately, so did everyone else. It took us three long hours to get back on US soil. Driving can be tiring. But taking three hours to drive just over a mile is exhausting. Eleven hours after leaving Montreal, I was home.

It was a fun filled trip that made a few days feel like a week-long journey.

I had a great Fourth of July weekend. Two friends — one new, one old — and I embarked on a trip to Montreal. Laura LaCascia, a new friend from Connecticut, and Rob Woods, a long-time friend from Lambda Chi Alpha’s staff (who is currently an IBM intern in Vermont), were my companions.

On Thursday after work, I picked up Laura in New Haven and began the drive to Burlington, Vermont, where Rob currently lives. On the way, we pulled off the highway to look for a place to eat. At the time, we didn’t really know where we were, only that we were in Vermont. It was just becoming dusk.

After avoiding a near-collision with another driver who was not paying attention (another story), we found a busy ice cream store where we could stop and ask a local for directions. Little did we know we were just minutes away from downtown Montpelier (Vermont’s capitol), which was about to begin its fireworks show.

So we drove into town, had no problem parking, grabbed a few hot dogs from the street vendors, and enjoyed a 20 minute show. Though Montpelier is the capitol, it truly remains a small town — having only a few stop lights. After this great break, we headed back on the road and made it to Rob’s by midnight.

Friday morning, the three of us were on the road by 10 a.m. From Burlington, Vermont, the drive to Montreal took us less than two hours. Rob had been there before while traveling for Lambda Chi Alpha. But for Laura and I, this was our first time to this city.

I was surprised how big it was. I also didn’t know it was an island, surrounded by rivers.

We arrived to Montreal around lunch. After grabbing a quick bite to eat in the pavilion in the underground mall located below our hotel, we took the Metro to the Biodome de Montreal. Once an arena for the Olympics, the stadium was converted into a Biodome in June 1992. It now features four natural ecosystems: the tropical forest, the Laurentian forest, the Saint-Laurent marine environment, and the polar world.

Nearby, we found the Montreal Botanical Garden. Established in 1931, it is considered to be one of the world’s major botanical gardens. It boasts more than 21,000 species and varieties of plants. The Chinese and Japanese Gardens were the best, for they offered exotic landscapes. It was also nice to just sit and enjoy the scenery after a good afternoon of walking.

We then returned to the hotel to get checked in, cleaned up, and ready for a night of partying. Our hotel was the epicenter of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. With 500 shows that involve more than 2,000 musicians, the Festival attracts 1.6 million spectators annually, including more than 250,000 tourists — which explains why it was so hard for us to find a hotel room. But what a room we found, for at the base of our hotel were two stages and another four were located just blocks away. We were right, smack, dab in the middle of it all.

After a few drinks in the hotel lobby, we hit the streets. Search for a place to eat, we asked one of the restaurants with tables outside how long the wait would be. To our surprise and unbelievable luck, we were seated right away. Our table was just 50 yards away from the main stage. We had a direct view and were the envy of the 100,000 standing folks in the street. Needless to say, we stayed there the rest of the evening.

The show ended at midnight, so we were off to find some nightlife. What we found was the Jello Bar. This place rocked! They had a great band, diverse patrons, and fun disco/lounge atmosphere. It made for a great ending to a long and fun day.

I’ll write more about our Saturday and Sunday adventures when I get the chance.

I found a list of a few cool things I could do right here in Connecticut.

Travelocity : Tips and Advice: Travel Tips: Local Secrets, Big Finds

Google released a beta version of its new toolbar, which I’m trying out now. A few months ago, Google bought out Blogger.com, which is the service I use to post the content you find here on my Monologue. The cool feature is Google added a blogger button to its toolbar, which makes it even easier for me to post content that I find on the Web to this section of my site.

Wired News: Google Gets Souped Up Toolbar: “11:30 AM Jun. 27, 2003 PT

Online search engine Google introduced several new gadgets in its popular toolbar for Web browsers, hoping to build even greater brand loyalty amid heightened competition. The new software for the toolbar includes a feature that automatically blocks pop-up ads and enables users to transfer online content to Internet journals known as weblogs. “

Wired News: Bloggers Gain Libel Protection

“The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Tuesday that Web loggers, website operators and e-mail list editors can’t be held responsible for libel for information they republish, extending crucial First Amendment protections to do-it-yourself online publishers.

Online free speech advocates praised the decision as a victory. The ruling effectively differentiates conventional news media, which can be sued relatively easily for libel, from certain forms of online communication such as moderated e-mail lists. One implication is that DIY publishers like bloggers cannot be sued as easily. “