it was amazing to watch the thunderstorm from our cafeteria on the 18th floor today. it also gave me extra incentive to figure out the way from the bell tower to les halles de la gare via the underground city.
what is normally a 2-minute walk across the street (I needed to get a stamp at the post office) took about 20 minutes. 🙂 it was amazing! (probably due to all that renovation they did in that area of town, the quartier international de montréal) I ended up going through that cool glass building that is south of the bell/banque nationale towers, and then into place bonaventure (which is so much nicer than its horrid exterior reveals). all I can say is that it was lovely to walk through modern and well designed buildings on a rainy day–a moment where montreal’s architecture surprised me.
and before I leave on that note, the most amazing fountain in the world also exists in this quartier: jean riopelle’s la joute (click link for the “schedule”).
[flickr]http://www.flickr.com/photos/nino_ary/519678024/[/flickr]sculptures reminiscent of edward gorey (crossed with tim burton and la sagrada familia), flames, steam (ok, not really steam, but mist… but how crazy would that be if it were steam?!), and water (duh), all syncopated in artistic harmony. in half-hour cycles.