Montreal [Bryan]

Last month was conference month for me. This year, my big conference was in Montreal, Canada. When I first went to these academic conferences, I felt very awkward. "Mingling" has never been an activity that I excel at, or even enjoy very much. Now, though, there is a critical mass of people that I know and like, and it always feels like a reunion to see them all again.

I liked Montreal, too. I spent an afternoon exploring the "old city," the highlight of which was a visit to the beautiful Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal. It had a stunning interior -- perhaps the most beautiful church interior I've seen. I forgot my camera, but here is a nice shot I found elsewhere.


The next afternoon, I explored the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. They have a nice little representative collection -- Monet, Rembrandt, Picasso, Boucher, Renoir, Cezanne, etc.


I then hiked up the Royal Mountain (Mont Real in old French) -- the hill in the middle of the city from which it derives its name. Great view of the city (and my face, I might add).

360 Degrees

By the way, if you are ever in Quebec, be sure to order some Poutin -- french fries, cheese curd, and gravy. Yummy stuff -- "quintessential Canadian comfort food."