A day in Montreal.
Breakfast was a grade above “why bother”. Toast (6 different types for non GF) bagels and jam. No hot food. They do have cold boiled eggs that seem very popular in Canada. They do have GF & toast it in a separate toaster.
People (quite a few) turn up to breakfast in their pj’s!
Be thankful you don’t live in New York. All credit card transactions at 3.5% + tax!
We are doing a tour with 6 other people - from Sydney, Australia, Dallas, Texas and New York.
Lovely old stone house. Lots of trees everywhere.
Saint Joseph’s Oratory on Mount Royal. The only building which exceeds the height of Mount Royal - a building height regulation in Montreal.
Brother André was a monk of the Congregation of Holy Cross who became internationally renowned as a miracle healer. Due to his reputation, in 1904 he was given funding to construct a small chapel on Mount-Royal to operate out of.
The new basilica named Saint Joseph's Oratory was constructed mostly thanks to public fundraising and wasn’t completed until 1967.
The Oratory became the largest Catholic shrine dedicated to Saint Joseph. Brother André lived from 1845-1937 when he died aged 91. He became a saint - Saint André Bessette - in 2010. Today, the Oratory continues his mission of welcoming, prayer and hope.
They use real candles for the votive candle offerings.
These are a few of the walking sticks that people left after Brother André cured them.
View from the top.
View of the main stairs to the Oratory. The centre stairs are timber to make it a bit more comfortable for pilgrims who come up on their knees.
A statue dedicated to immigrants who came by boat.
One of the glass windows.
The original Chapel was 4.5m x 5.5m and still remains today but was moved 100m in 1924 to allow the new basilica to be constructed.
Beaver pond because bevavers used to live here when it was first established. It’s has fish and is used as a great recreational area in the city. It’s also a natural ice rink in winter.
Part of the Berlin Wall given to Montreal by the German Government. It’s kept in a well lit arcade of the underground city so it is protected from the weather.,
Dinner at Pho Ly Quoc Su a fabulous Vietnamese place that looked popular.
View from the top. 
