The night before, we had been apprehensive about the weather forecast, which showed a 70% chance of rain -- not ideal for a bike ride. When we awoke, we were pleased to see no rain. But, during breakfast, we saw the rain start to fall. Luckily, by the time we transported our large group to the port area of Old Montreal for our bike ride, the rain had ceased, and all was dry.
It was quite a feat to get 57 people geared up for a bike ride. There were some stops and starts, and a few falls, but the bike ride allowed us to do as those in Montreal do and venture into less trodden areas. Some sub-groups biked along the Canal Lachine, while others went over the bridge to the Parc Jean-Drapeau. Along the way, we had close up views of the big cargo ships and interesting architecture such as the Habitat 67 building.
When we returned from our bike ride, there was a surprise for us. The tour company had arranged for us to have the comedy improv workshop, after all, providing us with an extra motorcoach instead of Metro transportation for the day in order to create the extra time to fit this into our schedule.
Some children were tired or too shy to want to put themselves front and center, but others were energized by performing in front of their peers. It's always a treat to see children surprise you with their personality traits in new situations.
We then headed for the Plateau Mont-Royal area for lunch and a bit of shopping. There are many restaurants in this area, and the neighborhood manages to be a part of the city while still maintaining a relaxed and gentle atmosphere.
After lunch and an ice cream here or there, we hopped on the motorcoach to the Hip Hop workshop, which took place at a quasi-YMCA with an indoor pool, coffee shop, and large dance studio that easily accommodated our big group.
The dance instructors easily engaged with the kids, and, step by step, they taught the kids (and the chaperons) a multi-part dance routine. With the exception of maybe one or two kids who needed a rest, everyone was up and dancing for over an hour!
While we waited for our original bus (which would eventually bring us back home), we got a bit more physical activity in at a nearby park.
Then, we had an hour-long journey to La Sucrerie de la Montagne, a maple syrup-making establishment west of the city. After a short explanation of the maple syrup process, we were ushered into a large, wooden community house for a family-style dinner with live music, to boot. Needless to say, this musical bunch was quick to accept the offer to play some instruments and even broke into an impromptu rendition of Ms. Hochkeppel's "Oye."
After a stop at the gift shop (hopefully, you have some maple-related product to enjoy), it was time to say a fond farewell to our super tour guide, Rali, a young man who did more than just give the kids the typical tourist spiel and gave them some social awareness, as well.
A big thanks to all of the chaperons, without whom this could not have happened. They gave generously of their time, of their humor, of their patience, of their energy, and of their sleep.
