Last Day in Montreal

Today is brutally hot.

It was actually brutally hot yesterday too. (over 30 degrees, plus humidity here ... makes for a crazy day)

As many of you know, my visa interview at the U.S. Consulate was yesterday. My visa case is officially "pending" some paperwork from Jay's end, but I am flying home tomorrow (hopefully) and should be arriving back in San Diego around 10 p.m.


(this is at a historic house, built in 1906, perched on the shores of the Lake)
This old church, and the statue of Jesus in a town just south of Stewart Hall (the building spoken about above)


I spent yesterday (the first half) more anxious than ever in my whole life, and nervous, upset and scared -- but the second half (my afternoon) I walked downtown Old Montreal and visited boutiques and stared in awe at the myriad of streets and rows on rows of old buildings, some brought back to life by the almighty dollar and others left to decay, their hollow broken windows crying years of neglect and eerily whispering the fantastic sight they once were.



I was unable to bring my digital camera (since the consulate forbid it) so I snapped some photos on my cell phone, but I don't know how to get them off, so hang in, and I'll see what I can do.



Today, Karen and I went sightseeing along Lakeview Drive (I think?) and visited some historic sights, mostly old buildings and churches, and crazy little Quebec towns, with French charm.



The most obvious, and yet, surprising thing I keep finding here is that everything is OLD, everything! I am beginning to catch an itch to travel to Europe and experience the old churches, castles and ruins ... but I guess that will have to wait. For now, Montreal will suffice.



My next blog, I imagine, will be on stateside again -- unless I get stopped at the border, in which case, I'll be blogging from my mommy's ... hopefully that doesn't happen.



Thanks for coming on the journey, it's far from over, but this chapter is almost finished.



love, a.

An old bridge, built in the 1880's, trains still run over it.

The little town, St. Anne, where Karen, and I stopped at Pete's Cape Code, for lunch (I had salmon)

Some cool, close ups, the chain was used in the 1900's to dock ships to the wall.

The weathered column above from an old church