Rue St Denis is pretty
September 25th 2008 02:24
I emerged from the bus station and bumped head forward into Rue St Denis, "pretty" I thought, cause all the elegant shops and restaurants made it look like somewhere in Europe. The signs and awnings competed in bold and attractive colors and designs, making up blocks after blocks of a audacious, dazzling, gentile street; and the summer people sat in the terrace fully enjoying their food and the warm ambience. I remember a shop selling toy giraffs, which made up a cutre and handsome window; funiture shops, tatto shops. It was so not Toronto, I thought.
I just missed the jazz festival held there, and the plaza was left with high stage structures to be dismantled, but the place was festive every night, with all sorts of events going on and hustles and bustles of crowds, African dances, Australian band, and also preparing itself for the annual Just For Laughs commedy festival. One night a bilingual choir was singing on Rue St Catherine, light-hearted and happy, attracting some happy crowds. A film was going to show but a shower of rain came and the tables and benches were deserted. But the street was still busy.
The outside stairs leading to the second floors of the houses on the street seemed to be unique. The gates in the Paris ghettos? The cast iron balconies in the Latin quarter? And when the windows on the second floors were often decorated with a Quebec flag, sky blue with a white cross and four little fowery white spearhead, it was certainly more unique. "400 years" said some signs, refering to, as I learned, to the province's anniversary.
"This is Canada--north America, but it's also different..." I found the need to remind myself.
| 30 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
Comment by jon
Orble News
Urban Hint
Blog Adviser
Jon's Bookmarks
Debate Battle
Orblepedia
Orble Notes
Sydney WeekendNotes
You may also need to add the email address admin -at- orblemail.com to your address book in order to receive Orble admin emails in the future.
Thanks,
Jon.
(Orble Admin)