seaside spectacle

As I mentioned, federated Canada's sesquicentennial is July 1st. But Montreal turned 375 just last week. And this is the 50th anniversary of Expo 67, which broadcast Montreal's charms to the whole world.

To celebrate, Montreal lit up the Jacques Cartier bridge, scheduled a summer of free entertainment, and mounted Avudo, a multimedia ode to the St Lawrence river.

Tickets are free, but you have to preorder, so I got two. I was walking toward the pier after dinner when a woman asked what was going on. The show only debuted last Sunday so most locals haven't heard of it. I mentioned I had an extra ticket, so she came with me.

Carolina is a tourist from Poland, in Montreal for the first time for a wedding. It was fun to hear about her adventures, which began in Brazil.

We were dazzled.

Avudo tells the story of Montreal, with projections on the pier buildings as well as on a curtain of water.

 It's in French and English, but the main language is visual.

 As when these eyes and faces began to appear projected on a wall of water.

 A child's face

 A gray wolf

Transported to an earlier time

Early settlements

The tradition of maple water

 which continues to this day

 And then in 1734, heartbreakingly consumed by incendie.

 The winter ice festival

 and the snow falling on the river

 Joe Beef tavern

 and digging Lachine Canal by hand to accommodate ever larger ships

 This was a nightclub (?) that had white horses running on conveyor belts.

 Marquees and performances

 to modern-day Montreal.And hockey, inspired by lacrosse.

  Of course it ended with hockey.

No mention of the founding of Canada 150 years ago. Which I found...odd.

Afterward I took a walk, and noticed the faces on the trees beyond the Cirque du Soleil tent.

Lots of them, like ghosts of the harbor. At first you weren't sure if you saw them.

 It was a beautiful night.

More information about Avudo and Montreal's celebration