Magic in Montreal

And the Isle of Herons

Our friends to the north have been very gracious lately. I was only mildly concerned about visiting Canada, after the fool we elected decided to say they should become the 51st State. Everyone from the border agent to the bookstore proprietor was friendly despite all this, and our trip was a delight all around: nice people, great food, and a relaxing time in a beautiful city along the river.

It wasn’t the best time to look for birds, as migration is in progress and the birds ain’t headed toward the land of poutine and back bacon. However, I did manage to see Black Crowned Night Herons and a Great Blue near the Lachine Rapids, as well as waterfowl at the Botanical Garden. If you’re here for the birds, be patient, I’ll get to them soon enough.

I’m not much of a shopper, but I do try to visit bookshops and music stores when I am in a city. I feel like it gives you a good feel for the area. That and parks. In Montreal, on the mountain park that gives the city its name, people dress up in quasi-medieval garb and beat each other with foam rubber weapons on the weekends. Live Action Role Playing, or LARPing, is popular enough here that there’s an entire store dedicated to it, Les Artisans d’Azure.

Of course, I had to visit. For someone who grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons, and computer games based on it, this was like walking into an armorer’s shop from The Temple of Apshai or Ultima! They even had scrolls for wizards and plate mail.

I spent more than I should have, and I didn’t even walk out with armor! They have an armor sale on, if you need to raise your armor class.

While in many ways, Montreal is like other cities, with a tourist-clogged downtown, fake Irish pubs, and transit system that makes the United States look backward, it has a unique feel to it, and they seem to embrace fantasy in ways that other places don’t. For example, at the Botanical Garden, in preparation for the Halloween season, they not only had “spooky plants,” but a man dressed as a literal hedge-wizard, Kalbacius le Sorceleur!

As in Paris, the people are happy to speak English as long as you begin courteously with “allo” or “bonjour,” the lingua franca as it were. I speak terrible French; merci, pardon moi, parle anglais si vou ple, and la toilette?!! are about all I know, and I managed. The Sorcerer was in deep conversation with a little girl, so I didn’t interrupt him.

We didn’t visit the mountain this time, but we did wander the Botanical Garden, which was populated with Song Sparrows, Dark-Eyed Juncos, and Downy Woodpeckers. We also saw Wood Ducks at the pond, and they’re always delightful.

At the Park of the Rapids, I walked the length of the narrow island, near the aptly named Isle of the Herons. Black Crowned Night Herons were in the trees, and Great Blue Herons waded in the water. Double-Crested Cormorants dived, Herring Gulls soared, and Canada Geese and Mallards floated along.

The Cormorants were daring and dived in the rapids, often coming up with food:

The Night Herons were balled up against the cold. I’ve only seen the female before, so it was nice to see the black and white plumage.

Great Blues held court in the cove and the pond.

It’s a trip I hope to make again in different seasons, though I’ll skip winter! I lived at the same latitude for a few years, and the bitter cold and short hours did not appeal to me. Merci, Montreal, for the hospitality!