Montréal. (Longueuil)

We left the St.-Ours Lock public dock wall early, under cloudy skies. We enjoyed the downstream current of the Richelieu River, then at Sorel we turned west and upstream on the great Saint Lawrence Seaway. With a 2-knot current, our speed was slowed to about 6-knots. Still, we hoped we could make our marina before the rain.

Another check on our weather radar told us otherwise. We saw that a storm cloud was forming not too far ahead so we zipped closed the windows of our fly bridge and paid very close attention to the instruments of our upper helm. The boat got a good soaking while we stayed dry.

Pete has two iPhone apps that helped a lot. “Boat Watch” and “Boat Beacon” identified other vessels sharing our waterway. We gave the big super-tankers plenty of room in the shipping channel, often traveling outside of the commercial buoys and watching our depth.

We were not able to get a slip at the “Yacht Club de Montreal,” so we reserved a slip at Port de Plaisance Réal-Bouvoir in Longueuil. It was much like Liberty Landing in New Jersey, across the river, with the same amenities and an hourly ferry to the old port of Montreal.

Our docking was assisted by several locals, one of whom was Maurice Simard, a semi-retired Canadian constable and lover of music. He thoroughly entertained us that first evening! His wife, Marilyn, was a microbiologist and hospital laboratorian. In spite of our language challenges, I believe she fully understood my respect for her profession!

We shared a bottle of Mumm Champagne and many laughs, enjoying the timeless and classic music of our younger years. Music is the universal language!

Our first Montreal dinner was at Maggie Oaks, Brasserie Montréalaise. “…a vegetable-forward market grill, overlooking historic Place Jacques-Cartier in Old Montreal… Maggie Oakes is dressed in marble, walnut and brass, and boasts an impressive dry age meat cooler, large glass wine cellar and a unique green wall for fresh herbs and micro-greens.” I compare it to Morton’s Steak House with a greater emphasis on organic greens.

We toured more of the old city on Sunday. The highlight was evening Mass at Notre Dame Basilica with organ music that could rattle your bones. Simply amazing!

Our second dinner, on Maurice’s recommendation, was the infamous Jardin Nelson, a seasonal restaurant in a garden setting with jazz music. Our dinner and the music was fabulous!

We were once again out early on Monday to get through the St. Lambert and St. Catherine Locks. What an experience! I’ll save the suspense for my next post.