My ipad travel blog: Montreal to Ottawa, September 23, 2015

It was a lovely morning in Montreal. Below I am looking out my friend, Linda's window.

Before I left for Hudson and Ottawa, Linda, her sister, Carol and I went for a walk to one of my favourite neighbourhoods just near the Olympic Stadium and Botanical Gardens. I finally did a bit of research on this neighbourhood

Most of my Montreal friends don't even know about this park ad most of them live on the west side of the city.

It was actually begun as a tricentennial project to give affordable housing in a garden like setting.

Now I imagine these houses are quite expensive.

The streets are dead end and there are not sidewalks but there are paths to lovely Park Cite-Jardin.

You are just off Rosemount Boulevard between Viau and L'Assumption and very close to Maisonneuve Park where the Botanical Gardens and Olympic Stadium are.

I remember hearing Mayor Drapeau lived here.

My friend Linda owns a duplex a few blocks away which is very typical housing in this neighbourhood so this neighbourhood is such a surprise. For a bit more information check out this blog.

Returning from our lovely walk, it was time for me to head for Hudson on my way to Ottawa.

Hudson is three lovely communities just west of Montreal. Here you can see the ferry to Oka across Lake of Two Mountains. Oka is well known for cheese once made by the Trappist monks here and the Oka Crisis when neighbouring Kanesatake Mohawks set up a blockade to prevent bulldozers breaking ground for a golf course to be built on a native burial ground.

Below is this lovely church in once was Como where my friends, Art and Jennifer were married long ago. As mentioned Hudson now includes Hudson Heights and Como. I have always loved visiting Hudson. Here is a bit more information about this pretty place.

Today I was meeting an old friend, Rosie, with whom I once lived in a house in university. We hadn't seen each other probably in 42 years but had reconnected on Facebook.

We met for lunch at the Willows Inn and just had a wonderful time catching up! I really appreciated her coming from her south shore home, Candiac, to meet me here!

In the picture above you can see that monastery. It was time to be off although it would have been nice to spend more time here but I was on my way to Ottawa.

I decided to go from Hawkesbury in Ontario back over the Ottawa River to new Highway 50 and then to exit off at Montebello. In the spring I had helped a friend plan a visit there and I hadn't been there in ages.

Located on the Ottawa River, Chateau Montebello

was a private club founded in 1930 and later was opened to the public. It is located on one of the last surviving land grants made by 17th century French kings. Originally the Quebec Seminary later the land was sold to the family of Joseph Papineau and his mansion is now a historical site.

I stayed long ago at Chateau Montebello

and it was fun to wander around the grounds although it was actually getting quite warm.

You can see the wooden beams.

But time to move on. My only problem was trying to find a gas station later at the exits. I am used to service bays close by but that doesn't seem to be the case on the 50.

I made it into Ottawa and was glad to find out that there was a gas station a few blocks away from Joanne and Richard's home. Soon after I arrived, Richard had to leave and Joanne arrived home from work and we were off for a walk along nearby Dow's Lake