Atwater Marche, with its distinctive clock-tower. The gentrifying industrial neighborhood reminded us of Gowanus or Red Hook. |
We swooned over the fromageries, boulangeries, patisseries, and fresh fruits and veggies.
Canal Boat Ho!
Even more exciting than the formidable cheese selection: we were sharing the dock with another canal boat. It was a distinctive style of vessel: a bateau mouche. You know them as the glass-topped excursion boats that cruise the Seine, in Paris.
Even more exciting: this boat was a cafe/bar. No question about our evening's entertainment. We trekked on over.
Adorableness Afloat
Amsterdam comes to Montreal! |
A young man in a crisp white shirt was bustling about and dropped by our table to ask how we were doing. "We love your boat!" we enthused. "We're on a canal boat too!"
Love at First Sight
Gurvan (left) and Jeroen, proprietors of Canal Lounge |
Gurvan Bartholo and his spouse Jeroen Ter Schiphorst never set out to create what Narcity calls "the most romantic place" to have a drink in Montreal. They were flight attendants and happy with their life.
Then Jeroen spotted this boat in an online ad. It was the exact same scenario as when Cap first met Dragonfly: pure love at first sight. They had to have it.
Diamond in the Rough
Flowers above, romance below . . . |
Then there was the work of negotiating with Parks Canada to anchor a bar in the middle of a national historic site, the Lachine Canal.
And the adventure of cruising it up the Ottawa River, which was as bouncy for them as it was for us.
But now Canal Lounge is a "must visit." Both local condo dwellers and developers cite it as an important amenity in the neighborhood. The guys have eight employees. A success all around.
The Brotherhood of the Boaters
One of the best things about boating is the people you meet, and how quickly your shared experiences make you fast friends. Visiting with these two crazy, visionary canal boat enthusiasts was one of the high points of the trip so far.
We like to say, only half joking, that our mission is to spread the joys of canal boating across North America. Gurvan and Jeroen are doing the same with Canal Lounge. Hats off to you!
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