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In Montreal
Jun. 1st, 2018 09:25 am So I've been in Montreal since Monday. I have the use of an apartment in Verdun which is a residential area 5 or 6 km south of the downtown core and close to the river. Considering how close it is to the core it's bizarrely quiet and residential. Miles of walk up apartments with scarcely a shop or bar or restaurant to be found. Oh, and I'm also on the bus route that goes past the mental hospital so it's as much fun as the Sherbourne bus. It's also a bit awkward getting to and from downtown where all the CMIM action is. It takes a bus to get to/from the metro and they aren't all that frequent especially late at night so I've been using taxis to get back after evening sessions. This being construction season though the drivers are forced to take bizarrely circuitous routes so it still takes the best part of 30 minutes.
The first part of the competition has been fairly intense with afternoon and evening sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and today. Fortunately the pace slows a bit after that and I even have a free day tomorrow. Days like today are tough. I've been writing since I got up and I still haven't ot ready to go out. I need to be at the hall for 3pm and then it will be two hours or so of singing. Then I get to grab something to eat then find a quiet spot to write up the afternoon's proceedings (fairly easy as my media pass lets me into parts of the hall that are otherwise closed) before the evening session at 7.30. That will be two more hours followed by how ever long it takes the judges to do their thing before I can head back.
I had hoped this would be a chance to spend some time with the lemur and explore Montreal together but Pad's not doing so well and so it goes. Sightseeing and restaurants aren't all that much fun on one's own though I did manage a decent bike trip (Bixi) yesterday. Out to the Lachine Rapids and then back via the Lachine canal to the Vieux Port. Even that was complicated by construction everywhere. I will make sure to see the Picasso exhibition at the Musee des Beaux Arts though.
I just hope Pad hangs on until I get home. She has the best possible cat nurse at any event.
The first part of the competition has been fairly intense with afternoon and evening sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and today. Fortunately the pace slows a bit after that and I even have a free day tomorrow. Days like today are tough. I've been writing since I got up and I still haven't ot ready to go out. I need to be at the hall for 3pm and then it will be two hours or so of singing. Then I get to grab something to eat then find a quiet spot to write up the afternoon's proceedings (fairly easy as my media pass lets me into parts of the hall that are otherwise closed) before the evening session at 7.30. That will be two more hours followed by how ever long it takes the judges to do their thing before I can head back.
I had hoped this would be a chance to spend some time with the lemur and explore Montreal together but Pad's not doing so well and so it goes. Sightseeing and restaurants aren't all that much fun on one's own though I did manage a decent bike trip (Bixi) yesterday. Out to the Lachine Rapids and then back via the Lachine canal to the Vieux Port. Even that was complicated by construction everywhere. I will make sure to see the Picasso exhibition at the Musee des Beaux Arts though.
I just hope Pad hangs on until I get home. She has the best possible cat nurse at any event.
