We finish up our visit to Montreal this morning with a trek up to Mont Royal and a visit to St. Joseph's Oratory. Then its off to Quebec City about 2 hours and 45 minutes Northeast of Montreal. This is the farthest north we've ever been.
Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont Royal, built in Italian Renaissance style, is Canada’s largest church. The basilica, dedicated to Saint Joseph, is best known for its link to the legendary “Brother Andre”, one of the most popular Quebecois of the 20th century who reportedly performed miraculous healings on the sick or injured. Brother Alfred Bessette, who was eventually canonized in 2010, began the construction of a small chapel on the slopes of Mont Royal in close proximity to Notre Dame College. As demand for prayer space grew, a larger church was planned and finally completed in 1967 and today the basilica can hold 2,400 seated congregants (or 10,000 standing). The 100 m dome was designed by Father Paul Bellot and is the third largest of its kind in the world.
The diversity of St. Joseph’s Oratory architecture is unique, since it was planned as a crypt church in 1914 but was only completed at the end of the 60s, thus leaving plenty of room for architectural influences over the years. The oratory museum, located on level 5 of the Basilica, showcases permanent and temporary exhibits. Among its most noteworthy exhibitions is its collection of nativity crèches – with 200 works from Quebec and another 100 from other countries.
Mont Royal Park
Montreal’s spectacular Mount Royal Park (Parc du Mont-Royal) was inaugurated in 1876 as a place where city people could enjoy acres of green space and take part in different outdoor activities. The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (architect of New York’s Central Park) and provides one of the best views of the city below. One of the premier attractions of the park is the giant cross erected in 1924 by the St. John the Baptist Society. Standing at over 100 meters, the cross lights up each evening. Most visitors drive to the top of the mountain to see the view, or they may walk to the top through one of the many trails that bisect the park.
Arriving in Quebec City we head to the old port area of Quebec and check into a cute little boutique hotel that gets great reviews. Every morning they deliver a continental breakfast right to your door. Five minute away is the March du View-Port, which has lots of food stalls so Ida can have her fresh fruit each day. Most of the attractions we'll be seeing over the next few days are all within walking distance.
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