Hey Trippers,

I’m here in Montreal enjoying my 8th year of The Montreal Jazz Festival.

It’s been hard to focus on all the music because I’m so busy exploring the sights, foods, and museums.  Here’s a link to the KnowYourTrip.com Montreal Web Pages HERE.

I wanted to touch on a topic that’s on the forefront of everyone’s minds before embarking on a trip – The Weather.  When it comes to the weather, Montreal can be a crap shoot anytime of year.  Last year, at the Jazz Festival, was the first year that thunderstorms blew in over a few of the 6 days I was here.  But this year, with the whole eastern seaboard having rain for the past month and a half, it didn’t look good.  Before I even left Seattle, it showed rain for the whole six days. It was a prediction of steady rain a few days and thunderstorms the rest. I planned on indoor music venues and museums. I kept telling myself that it would be just fine if it rains everyday because there’s so much to do in this city. I was reminded how stressed I was over the possibility of rain the whole time I was in Venice, Italy last month. Venice was hot and sunny the whole six days! You see I’ve always had the weather gods on my side but that does not damper my cynicism.

On the way up to Montreal from New Hampshire it rained harder that I’ve seen it for many a year.  Hard enough that we missed a major highway connection and ended up having to make up an hour travel time.  It  did stop raining enough for us to enjoy our annual ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s outside Stowe, Vermont.  It soon started up again.  We crossed the US/Canada border with threatening skies.  Our arrival in Montreal was gloomy but we checked in our hotel and rested up for our next few days of music and activities.

Day one I only needed my umbrella twice as I hit the Marchè Jean-Talon and explored new foodie spots in The Plateau and Mont-Royal neighborhoods (More on them later).  Day two, I forgot my umbrella and trekked up to St. Joseph’s Oratory Basilica.

Somehow I missed all the showers but could see them all over from the hill top church.  I went back to the Place-des-Arts location of the Jazz Festival and just missed a downpour while on the Metro.  From there I walked to Old Town Montreal and hit three museums; Centre d’histoire de Montrèal, Pointe-à-Callière musée d’archéologie et d’histoire de Montreal, and the Musée Marguerite-Bourgeoys (You’ll read my reviews soon on the Know Your Montreal pages)

Again, I missed the showers.  I walked to Chinatown and picked up some goji berries while on my way back to the Jazz Festival.  Again, I missed the rain and The Cuban Parade and Celebration that traveled down Boulevard René-Lévesque.

Today, I sat indoors watching the phenomenal history making Wimbledon Men’s Final between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer – all the while watching a glorious day develop outdoors.  As soon as the match finished, I bounded on the Metro out to Montreal’s Jardin Botanique and Insectarium.

It was a perfectly pleasant day for a garden tour; breezy, sunny, and low humidity.   I didn’t even want to spend much time in the huge green houses!  The Olympic Stadium Tower looked glorious against the blue sky.

Every weather forecast on the web, on TV (local and national), and newspapers predicted today would rain!  How could they ALL get it so wrong.  You know what?  I don’t care because I’m the one celebrating.  Now, I’ve got to work on my cynicism . . .

Make it a point to come to this great city.  More on Montreal later . . . . Happy Tripping,

Carter