The train slowly pulls away from the Montreal station. Goodbye madame, so long mademoiselle, au revoir monsieur! What a trip of a city. A bon voyage. It hit all the right cultural notes that made me buzz with historical, eco-cultural, and technological thrills. But now the last vestiges of the city whiz by on rails, and a new journey begins across la belle province.
The train picks up speed, slowly at first crossing the city then swiftly racing at a steady pace.
At times, the train slows down when crossing towns along the way, blowing its soulful horn. It stops at a few small stations where people wait on platforms beside the tracks, luggage in hand, or wait expectantly for acquaintances to arrive. Handshakes, hugs, kisses, smiles, goodbyes. Small out of the way places frozen in time.
Soon enough, the train has crossed into Ontario, and along the way we can see how nature is changing with autumn just over the seasonal horizon.
In the fall, the entire landscape becomes covered in yellows, oranges, and reds. I see them in splashes on the foliage and marvel at this transformation that is beginning to take place.
Inside the train, it is mayhem. Several children are screaming, laughing, fighting, shouting and crying while their parents are having loud conversations across the aisles, intervening only when the cussing and crying begins.
I forgot my headphones. The six-hour ride of pure bedlam with the unruly children and equally noisy parents tested my stoic patience. The rest of us passengers kept quiet in the storm with a polite stiff upper lip, trying our best not to get boreal with these wild folk.
I focused on the scenery.
Mile after mile. Scenic landscapes, charming towns, unfamiliar faces, machinery, cultivated fields. The tracks clattering. Large birds glided lazily across the lakes and streams then disappeared beyond the window frame. Such incredible sights in these remote places fired up my imagination, unwinding like tape spool, spliced scenes and stories across the vast Canadian land.
Thank you for traveling along.
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