Part deux from last week’s post, that I wanted to do the next day but danged if I can organise my time…
“Stolen moments” create a feeling of enjoyment in our “intensive time” awareness. The glow and the intensity of those instants can guide us throughout a whole lifetime. They can expose a second or a third dimension of the daily events and shed an expounding light on all the little details we encounter. (“Stolen moments” )”
― Erik Pevernagie
The show ended some time around 3:30 ish. Julie had errands to run so we went our separate ways. Walking back towards my car, I took pictures of the former St-Jacques Cathedral, then the Montreal Arts Institute (part of UQAM – Université du Québec à Montréal – one of our four universities) and, as I turned towards my car, I looked back and captured the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Chapel. (My aunt always said Quebec was the province of “Miracles” 😉 ) We’ve got a slew of ’em!
St-Jacques Cathedral
Cool opening
Montreal Arts Instutute
Ooh.. what’s thatT
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdres Chapel
I was parked right in front of “Les Foufs” – Les Foufounes Électriques (which, translated, means The Electric Bums) – a wild venue where you can have a drink and take in some live shows (so NOT my genre, usually! Punk and Speed Metal and the like…) I shared the murals around this building before, back in September 2019. (I just went back to check because I didn’t want to repeat and whoa! They are COMPLETELY different!) If you want to see the then images, click here.
I didn’t give them that much attention because I figured I had already photographed them (not realizing it was totes diff!)
Adjoining building
I got back to the front of Les Foufs and threw my umbrella into my car as it wasn’t raining anymore and made the decision to steal a moment for myself. I looked at the battery of my phone. Oy! Only 35%! Welp, so be it, I’ll walk and click until the battery dies. Maybe I’d actually make it to the Mural festival!
St. Laurent Blvd, also known as The Main, is a rather busy street so to close it to car traffic for ten days between Sherbrooke and Mount Royal streets is something else. I know it caused us some grief at work as some of our tours go along this very section.
The last day for the festival was the 18th (the next day) and I was not coming back into town on Sunday, so thank you weather gods for turning off the taps for an hour or so, enabling me to go take a look-see, sans needing an umbrella.
Walking through the gates, I had only fifty feet or so to find myself in front of the first (and only) stage where two artists were hard at work with some thumping LOUD music playing.
This was pretty cool – creaked by Junko, using 0ld Bixi bikes (the bicycles you can rent anywhere in Montreal).
There were no other exhibits per se, as far as I could see; only kiosks selling this or that. It felt more like a sidewalk sale than a mural festival, quite frankly.
I was discouraged until I spotted wild colour to my left. It was the opening of an alleyway. Oooohhhh! These are done by Benny Wilding
On one side
Facing the other
To the end
‘Round the corner
I kept on going and there was LOTS of art but most of it felt rather messy to me. I took many pics but I’ll not bore you with them because frankly, once I uploaded them, they felt meh. I took many, MANY pictures along a couple alleys (way more than I would have thought 35% would allow!) and feel I could easily overwhelm you – so I shall hold back and save some for another time!
But I’m not quite done, yet, though… I didn’t go all the way to the end of the mural festival because, why? It just felt like there wasn’t more to see, so I turned east a block or two, snapping these
Alex Scanner, St-Laurent. Now I have Spanish Train in my head
Kevin Ledo, Leonard Cohen, Napoleon Street
Rone, Such a beautiful face, St-Dominique St.
Egle Zvirblyte – 1st to finish during festival 2023, corner of Pine and Hotel de Ville
Thank goodness for Google Image Search which enabled me to give the proper credit to the murals I photographed! Not all of them had signatures that were easy to see.
As I made my way back towards my car, I was taken by the charm of so many of the row houses. There were no more murals at this point and I still had some juice!
My camera grew dim. I had 3% left but just before I reached my car, I spotted these pigeons. As promised, Willow, here is that white one I mentioned. I’m frankly surprised it turned out!
I had time to get home, take a shower and get all dolled up because Linda and I had a dinner date at Lulu for mussels and good wine and we decided to dress up because… Why not?
We had such a lovely time despite making a crappy choice in wine (thankfully, we were able to switch it out for something way more palatable); the warm chèvre on not-crunchy croutons was tasty but there needs be some crunch! I enjoyed it anyway because it tasted good. I then chose the Diable (Devil) mussels – and like the name implies, it was spicy, while Linda took the Indienne. My friend was rather underwhelmed by her meal. We figured they were hit as hard as many other restaurants, thanks to the pandammit.
I am so mad at myself for forgetting to take our usual selfie. We looked marvellous! You’ll have to trust me on that one.
A Dalectable Life 