Metros and Forums and Schools, Oh My!

Have I ever said how much I love Montreal? Oh, well it seems I've definitely shared similar sentiments in the past. Well, I mean it. Montreal is Gorgeous, it's old, it's cultured, and it's fascinating. Especially if you're spending most of your time downtown. Especially if you're as obsessed with the Habs as I am, and your sister lives two blocks away from the Bell Centre, and your friend decides to take you to the old Forum for Breakfast.

Katherine and I met up at the Marriott on Peel and walked around for 20 minutes trying to find a Metro station. It was my first time on a Metro (this information totally betrays what kind of a "small city" girl I am, but whatever.) For whatever reason, the Bell Centre had a sign right next to it for the Metro, but all the doors leading there were locked. We eventually went in at a stop called Lucien L'allier, and rode the metro to Alexis Nihon. Katherine had only said before hand "I think you're going to like the place that I'm taking you for breakfast" but wouldn't explain why I would like it so much.

So we get out Alexis Nihon Mall, and there in front of us across the street it says on the building "Pepsi Forum", and it hits me. I can't decide whether to be horrified, devastated, or thrilled. On one hand, I'm at the old Forum, for the first time in my life; on the other, it's been gutted, turned into an AMC, and the word Forum has the word Pepsi beside it. PEPSI for God's sake! The epitome of big business and the corporate machine tacked on to take advantage of THE most famous building in hockey. This is offensive indeed. So, do I stay outside, put my foot down and refuse to enter as Katherine mentions one of her other friends does? No, I go in and take a bazillion pictures. Because after all, it's been the Pepsi forum for years, and my not going inside is not going to change that.
Breakfast was great. I broke my no milk products rule (there was montery jack cheese involved :D) but I didn't break my no-wheat rule. You should have seen the waitresses face when I asked for an Eggs Benedict with no bread on the bottom... I burst out laughing, so I guess she felt safe to ask why, and I went on to explain about my allergies...
Instead of taking the Metro back the way we came, we walked all through downtown and I got a better feel for the city. There's an interesting crazy graffiti wall, which I took another billion pictures of, and once again, the buildings themselves are just more interesting to look at. We eventually ended up at McGill (more snap-snapping on my camera... trying to figure out which engineering building M's lab / office is in... no luck) and then walked back to Peel and parted ways at the big monument with the church behind us (near the big "The Queen Elizabeth" building).
Don't worry Katherine, I didn't get lost on my way back to the my sister's place. The Marriott was my guiding light home :D


An ad outside the Bell Centre. That's a pic of Matthieu Dandenault


Katherine at the Metro in her cute hat


Outside the "Pepsi" Forum, they have the various Stanley Cup Championship Teams Engraved into the ground. This is 56-57's team. Maurice Richard was Captain.



Crazy Graffiti wall


Katherine's building at McGill is actually an old church

p.s. I took so many pics that they'll probably be popping up in my posts for the next few days / weeks

p.p.s. Less than a week left until my brother-in-law, sister, and niece get back from their trip, and then I can see my little angel again.

p.p.p.s. Aisha's wedding in on Saturday. Yay! I have to figure out what to wear. Ugh.