Happiness is in the scooter | Between tombstones and little treats

What could be better than a scooter to discover the city, its shores and its thousand secrets? After surveying the South-West, Little (and medium) Italy and the South Shore last year, our journalists are going on an adventure again this summer. This week, Sylvain Sarrazin visits the surroundings of Mount Royal, in a route designed by Silvia Galipeau. Narrative.

Sylvain Sarrazin
The Press

It was with a languorous electric scooter that this route crisscrossing the Montreal mountains was followed, zigzagging between tombstones, architectural luxury and small treats.

Carried away by the crowd

A Silvia program for Sylvain? I go into it with my eyes closed. Finally, rather ajar, since it all starts on the very busy avenue du Mont-Royal, pedestrian during the summer. Practical, the scooter, to park on the edge and weave its way between tanned onlookers and orange cones… First stop: the Kouing Amann bakery, for a tasting of this Breton pastry specialty. Cold shower ! It is closed on Mondays. We therefore fall back on Le Toledo, a stone’s throw away, which has the pleasant surprise of making Basque mini-cakes – a rarity in Montreal. You can also grab an excellent Italian sandwich, before extricating yourself from the local circulatory chaos and heading for the urban mountains.

cohen hard

It was while climbing towards the Jewish cemetery, the second stage of the route, that doubt crept in: will this electric scooter survive the coast? Here we are launched at the dizzying speed of 9 km / h, but, anyway, we have not found a more powerful electric machine for rent (it tops out at 32 km / h). There are many small pedals to push, but our dignity takes for its cold…

It is therefore at a turtle’s pace that we arrive at the entrance to this cemetery founded in 1846, near the corner of Springgrove and Mont-Royal, to discover a beautifully flowered place combining serenity and beauty. There are the names of great families, from Rothschild to Bronfman, and one of the challenges launched by my colleague Silvia consists in finding the burial place of Leonard Cohen. Not easy, since many steles bear the same surname! The help of a cemetery employee is required: “She’s not there, she’s in Europe”, teases the deadpan, to whom the question seems often asked, before leading us in front of a modest grave. and sober, in the shade of a tree. Moving. Hallelujah!

Open air museum

An adjacent cemetery is on the program, located just a little further down the road. This time, it is in a Protestant atmosphere that we cross the paths, strewn with obelisks and heterogeneous monuments. Nothing macabre, a family even came to relax there in the shade of a willow. The mission given by Silvia is this time to unearth the grave of John Molson, imposing, it seems… but it is a failure; without bitterness, because it is good to stroll along flowery paths. Riding there by bicycle is prohibited, but the guards confirmed that cars and scooters are allowed there (even if, legally, our turtle-engine is considered an electric bicycle…). It is here that we appreciate our mount, whose slowness allows us to enjoy the scenery, and the silent side respects the tranquility of the place. Leaving the latter, we roam the streets of Outremont, including Maplewood, where the prestigious residences are lined up. Other challenges, taken up this time: find the house where stands an imposing sculpture by Botero, then the former property of Robert Bourassa. A real open-air museum!

Eternal naps and rest

Never two without three: the next step is the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery, a veritable labyrinth totaling 55 km of routes, where anonymous surnames and great names of local artists follow one another: Émile Nelligan, Jean Paul Riopelle, Claude Jasmin, and even the puck artists (Maurice Richard). A real Montreal Père-Lachaise. In the area of ​​the Union des artistes, there is also another particular name: that of Silvia’s father, Jacques, another major name; for the fathers of happy people are also great men, aren’t they? He whispered a message to us: Silvia, your dad is delighted with the magnificent setting where he takes his nap and sends you kisses. He also says that his old scooter was a lot cooler and faster than my electric calf! As for us, we also pay ourselves a little nap (without lingering there, huh!) and we enjoy walking these paths conducive to peace of mind.

Sections and cupolas

Return to the world of (bons) vivants through the streets of Westmount and its indecent cabins, built with millions and sometimes… strange in taste. By gravitating around the wooded Summit Woods and the surrounding streets, we admire the most successful architectures, while taking advantage of the points of view offered by the height of the places (that’s free!). Behind the handlebars of this scooter, which clashes ridiculously with the bourgeois environment, we also come across historic houses below, along the Côte-Saint-Antoine road, such as The Goode House (1840) or the Descaris house (1698) .

The program indicates a surprise at the intersection of Summit Crescent and Devon. So ? An access and an impregnable point of view, of which I was totally unaware of the existence, on the Saint-Joseph oratory. wow! Speaking of cupola, I see that a cup of ice cream has been added to the menu, which amply justifies a long detour through the sunny streets of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce to Ca Lem, a renowned Asian creamery, for a delicious lychee-yuzu duo. Refreshment to wake the dead!

Come on, let’s take a final climb at 8 km/h for a last lap of honor via Camillien-Houde, in order to enjoy one last time, very gently, the panoramic views of this city where life is good.

The electric scooter, practical?

Did we enjoy this basic electric scooter? Rented from Dyad (excellent, fast and easy service), it proved pleasant for sightseeing at a slow pace on the flat, reaching 32 km/h, with a range of 85 km (possibility of changing the battery quickly by going back to ‘agency). On the other hand, it is very winded on the climbs and not very comfortable in the main arteries like Sherbrooke. To be seen according to his itinerary. Note that it is in a gray area, halfway between the bicycle and the electric scooter.

Word from the author of the course

Confidence: I love strolling through cemeteries. But I like motorized loitering even better, which is also authorized! It is with this proud observation in mind and by falling personally, and quite by chance, on the grave of our dear Leonard Cohen — while looking for my father’s, tell you if I was in the field! —, that I concocted this course for my esteemed colleague. As a bonus, I decided to spoil it by adding to our three cemeteries (yes, three, did you know that?) a walk through the impressive (indecent?) huts of Outremont and Westmount. And again, and quite by chance, it was there that I discovered this completely unknown entrance, with an “impregnable” view indeed (I quote you, dear colleague) of the oratory. Without this beloved and powerful (lalalèreu!) motorized vehicle, I would never have ventured there in my life! When we tell you that happiness is in the scooter! Glad you enjoyed it! —Silvia Galipeau

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