When Rush announced their R40 Tour there was little doubt about going. Having been a devoted fan since the 70's, I'm always looking forward to yet another show. So when the tickets went on sale, I purchased my VIP nation ticket for Montreal.
Previously I had made many short trips to Montreal. Whether it was for a sporting event, concert, or something else, I had always seem to have a short stay in Montreal. This time I decided to be different. I wanted to experience Montreal as a tourist. With the concert on Sunday night I booked both the Saturday and Sunday at the hotel. Travel to the city would be by train.
Saturday Afternoon
I arrived in town and set off for my hotel.
Along the way I passed the "Mary, Queen of the World, Cathedral". I went inside and had a look.
I then continued towards my hotel. After checking in, I decided to go check out "Old Montreal". I walked to the Metro (subway) station, purchased a 3 day pass and went on my way. My first destination was to be the Notre Dame Basilica. I had heard great things about this church and was not disappointed.
Next I went for a walk down to the waterfront
After that I just walked around Old Montreal enjoying the cobblestone roads and very old buildings. The place was very alive.
Sunday Morning.
For Sunday morning I had booked a "Montreal Highlights" bike tour. This turned out to be really interesting and a lot of fun. For over 5 hours my group explored many landmarks of the city while having them explained by our guides. We stopped and enjoyed a great lunch at Atwater Market, Toured along the waterfront, Visited many interesting buildings and sites.
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| Our Guide for the Tour |
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| Mont Royal |
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| McGill University |
Sunday Eve Rush Concert
The Bell Centre was a short walk from the hotel. I lined up at the VIP Nation line to receive my tickets. I was quite pleased when I received my front row ticket. From the seat number I knew I was on the same side as Geddy Lee (the singer/bassist). After inside I mingled with other VIP guests and we all had a great time swapping concert stories. A few even commented about my custom made t-shirt that contained a scan of my ticket from my very first Rush show back in 1978.
I then visited my seat and waited for the concert.
The show was outstanding. The setlist covered a vast period of time, from their first to last album and almost every album in between. They played the songs in reverse chronological order. They even adjusted the stage show to reflect the period.
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| Opening the show with the "Clockwork Angels" Stage |
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| That 70's Wall of Amps look |
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| Opening Act look |
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| Closing the show with "High School Gym" look |
One of my personal favourites was "Xanadu".
After the show I returned to the hotel bar and joined some other concert goers at a table. We swapped stories until late at night. I enjoy this part of the evening, meeting other fans.
Monday Morning
I have a few hours before my midday train so I want to make the most of it. I board the subway and head for Ile Sainte-Helene, one of the islands that was used for Expo 67. It is now a park with some wooded areas. I crossed the bridge to the adjacent island so I could check out the F1 track. It seemed to be available to bicycles which I thought was kind of nice.
After much walking I returned to the subway and back to the hotel. I checked out around noon and walked to the train station. Arrived back in Ottawa around 3pm.
Summary
Although I was only 2 hours away, Montreal felt like a million miles away culturally which was great. I had never really "visited" before and was now glad that I did. I really liked the bicycle tour. I will remember to try that again when visiting other cities.
