I finally got to hang out with Josée, the girl who rented me her apartment and got me in touch with her friends Brandon and Joël, who then took care of me and made me meet their friends, like Greg and Jérôme…
But Saturday we were supposed to go out dancing with Josée, who was back in town for the weekend. Unfortunately, upon arrival in her hostel, she tripped over a step and sprained her foot.
I brought ice and bought bandages, a cream and a bottle of Vodka, for the pain. That calmed things down, but it didn’t look good for our night out.
The party that we wanted to go to had also been postponed last minute, so things looked bleak… but then, this is Montréal: there’s always something going on: the Village éphémère, fireworks, some festival…
Josée did not let that little incident stop her weekend… Kicking into action, she rented a wheelchair and recruited a friend to push her around town.
We met up on Sainte-Catherine and walked and rolled over to the river, to watch the fireworks competition… From there, a trip to a Dépanneur, the omni-present shops that cater for urgent needs, alcohol, cigarettes, chips…
We met up with Jerome who invited us to a roof top party. Roof top? All eyes on Josées wheelchair. Heck, as if some stairs would stop her! She dragged herself up a spiraling fire exit staircase with her cane…
Jerome’s roof top patio was amazing. He built it himself, a huge wooden structure in the middle of the flat roof – and even had welded the staircase himself from parts of other staircases.
Sitting on top of his 3-storye brick building, practically right next to the massive brigade over the Saint-Laurent, it is the perfect hang out. His Spanish room mates were there, and I met some great people.
I was tired and went home after that, for some much needed sleep, but the rest of the gang was wheeling Josée over to the Place des Arts where a DJ was playing through the night.
The next day I heard stories of her chasing the boys with her canes and forcing them to vogue for her…
The last days in Montreal all went by like this: just hanging out with friends, lunches, brunches, cafés, smoothies, dinners, pools… in order to see everyone I have met in the last four weeks.
I totally ignored my to do list of things I wanted to see or experience, for the time was better spent with friends.
It will be hard to say good-bye to Montréal. It has been such a welcoming, warm city, and I really feel like I connected to it, like I could just stay here, look for a job and move in.
I am very determined to come back… maybe next summer, on tour with Madonna? Maybe once in the winter for Igloo fest? Count me in!