Montreal and Toronto

I crossed the Pont Champlain, a very long bridge over the St. Lawrence River, from Broussard to arrive at Montreal.

In 2004, the St. Joseph's Oratory of Mt. Royal was designated a National Historic Site of Canada on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

Founded by a low-ranking, uneducated orphan linked to thousands of spontaneous healings and unexplained phenomena from 1875 through to his death in 1937, the miracle man of Montreal, better known as Brother André, didn't live to see the St. Joseph's Oratory's completion in 1967, a posthumous thirty years later.

Evidence of Brother André's Vatican-endorsed miracles, in the form of abandoned crutches and wheelchairs which belonged to people who were reportedly cured, is scattered throughout the oratory's attractions.

This is a northwest view of Montreal on the oratory's terrace.

At the very top of a long climb is this meeting place, stark and modern in decor.

Amazing art work is on the entry doors.

Costco in Montreal? No kidding, everything is in French but the numbers.

This is the "economy" price per liter. There are 3 3/4 liters in a gallon - You do the math.

Back on the other side of the bridge I went to Chambly, a charming historic area.

Champlain passed through here in 1609 and wrote in his diary, "all this region is very level and full of forests, vines and butternut trees. No Christian has ever visited this land and we had all the misery of the world trying to paddle the river upstream."

It is not all glory being an explorer.

While biking in Chambly I read the sign informing bike riders it is only 408 kilometers on the bike trail back to Quebec. I thought I might skip that experience for the moment and instead watched the boats go through the locks.

Meanwhile I kept busy trying to read my Walmart receipt.

I drove down to Toronto.

I parked about two miles from the downtown waterfront in this beautiful old neighborhood at the intersection of College and Havelock then rode my bike around. I saw children and young parents strolling around on a relaxed Sunday morning and residents having morning coffee in little cafes.

Reluctantly, I left Toronto because I couldn't find a spot to leave my trailer.