Montreal Jazz Festival - Day 1! About 18 years ago, I was in Montreal with my family and discovered their unique annual musical event. Each night we attended, I loved the vibe and sound. Since that visit, I have been wanting to return to the festival - today was my chance! Before departing for Canada, I teleworked all morning and into the early afternoon. Since I'd already packed last night, I was able to depart my condo by 1345. On the way out of town, I stopped for gas at Irving in West Lebanon (1400) and then got on US-4, which I used to reach I-89. From that point, I drove north towards the Canadian border. Unusual for me, I had to make some stops at rest areas because I'd drunk a lot of water earlier in the day. I got some calls from Brenna (car trouble) on the way and we had a LOT of time to talk after I reached the queue for Canadian customs (1605). I ended up waiting in line (to cross the border) for more than 45 minutes. As a result, I was delayed for close to an hour on the normally easy drive to Montreal (if you include traffic on the Champlain Bridge increasing during that window). Once in Canada, I drove north on QC-133. When I had to get off on to the "old" road (due to continued construction on the four lane highway), I encountered a rolled-over tanker truck at the roundabout! Fortunately, some nice locals had set up a way (for cars to take turns using the same 1/3 of the roundabout) to get around the damaged vehicle. There was a lot of traffic on the route towards Montreal but I eventually reached the A-35. After that, I made great time going north. Meanwhile, I took more calls from Brenna (car fixed). I started encountering traffic at A-10 and it was relatively slow going all the way to the Saint Lawrence River. However, I crossed OK and then followed A-10 towards the north. Started seeing lots of construction, signs for speed cameras, signs for red light cameras - all the while, I started to truly believe I would get a ticket. At one point, I got off the highway and tried to use surface streets but Google Maps got me right back on the jammed highway. I ultimately arrived at the Hotel Le Roberval at about 1815. However, it then it took me almost 15 minutes to find a place to park nearby. I eventually (after making several right turns, including some on red) made it to the "15 minute parking" spot - went inside, paid for my room and then unloaded the car. The front desk clerk told me that my car was too big for the on-site parking garage on but recommended some others nearby. As a result, I spent almost an hour driving around on one way, construction filled streets. I got misdirected a bunch of times and ended up in places where I couldn't go anywhere but backwards. At one point, I spotted a parking garage within 1 km of the hotel (SPAQ / UQAM on Rue Sanguinet) but it was about 10 yards down a one way street. Frustrated, I ended up driving the "wrong way" just to get to the entrance (everything worked out OK). Driving inside (1850), I realized I'd done a very good thing because the daily rate was only $15CAD and there were plenty of spots! After parking, I had trouble getting outside because (I learned later) the garage was connected to a school that was no longer in session. During an exchange with some nice locals, I got some important tips (like bring the parking receipt to get back inside) and followed them out of the garage. After that, it was a quick walk back to the hotel. With great anticipating, I quickly changed and finally departed for the Jazz Festival. Initially, I walked south from the hotel, taking Rue Saint Denis and walked into a nice area of restaurants and pleasant outdoor enjoyment. This place was called the Quartier des Spectacles - the neighborhood of the festival - so I kept on exploring towards the south. I encountered pick-up soccer games, heard lots of local/cultural music and enjoyed the marvelous weather. After a bit of walking, I eventually located the area for the performance stages (starting at Parterre and stretching towards the Place-des-Arts). Satisfied I'd made a good decision to return to the festival, I quickly settled right back into the swing of things! Starting at1945, I explored the entire concert venue (multiple city blocks), deciphered the complicated schedule, sampled several stages and enjoyed local food & drink. There were crowded areas, packed with rowdy fans, but I also found quieter places, lightly sprinkled with people who were sitting on the grass as they grooved to the music. The weather was awesome and I lost myself in the smooth sounds of so many instruments. Added to that, the many French conversations all around (and even directed at) me made me forget some stresses of home. Initially, I enjoyed the performance of several artists in the area of Scene Rogers and Scene Rio Tinto. Later, I found a place for a beer and walked around inside the venue until I finished it. Next, I walked further to the southwest (although I couldn't tell that from the paper map I had because it didn't indicate the direction of North). I found even more food and many more people. At one point, I found myself packed in like a sardine with many others who were watching the main stage. I managed to extricate myself and explored more of the area. Feeling hungry, I got a hot dog and then found a place (Poutine Factory) with more delicious food. While eating, I continued enjoying artists who could be heard from nearly every angle. I got one more beer near the end of the evening and, surprisingly, located a bathroom nearby (in the VIP area) that didn't have a huge line like the rest. After that, I continued walking and listening to the performances until I'd made my way back to the Parterre. It was then that I noticed that the first artist I'd watched when I arrived was starting her second set. Not wanting to exhaust myself on the first night, I departed the Jazz Festival at 2145. I walked north and east towards the hotel - many of the landmarks were familiar and I only needed to check my map a little bit. The trip wasn't too long and I was in my room by 2215. Once there, I spent a bit of time trying to decipher the program - I figured out who I'd watched (Sunny War, Cory Henry, Salin and the Dusty Brass Band) and got a better orientation of things I'd done/seen. After that, I did some reading before going to sleep (2355). Overall, it was a wonderful Summer evening among Les Quebecois!
