Opus Card

 I have an Opus Card – valid for seven years and it makes me eligible for reduced fairs on the metro. The fare for December is just under $50 and I can ride my heart out, which I hope to do.

Today Catherine dropped me off at the Mount Royal Metro and I walked my heart out before I finally went underground. The walk reminded me of reading The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler many years ago – the street names, the shapes of the houses, and the tiny narrow streets. I finally let myself go into some of the shops: leathers from India, shops full of tourist mugs, discount houses. I brought home two new scarves, as if I need them. The best part of buying them was that the woman at the cash register took my scarf and put it over her head, then showing me three different ways that I could use the scarf. I think her English was about as good as my French, but I caught on to the fashion demonstration.

I feel confident on the Metro. Not that I didn’t miss my stop today and then went to the end of the line, just to see what was out there. Retirement is a wonderful thing. Strange, the feeling of going to the underground and not carrying baggage as we always seemed to be doing in London. Now I go lightweight: a money pouch full of credit cards around my waist and some gloves in the pocket of my jacket. The scarf today was to keep the wind off of my neck, though I didn’t need to buy 2.

graffiti on buildings
in Monyreal

Next time I go to the Mount Royal Metro I am going to walk the quaint streets full of students, spend more time looking at the psychedelic colours of the graffiti on the brick walls of buildings and walk in the opposite direction from today. Catherine offered to buy a book form me that is full of these images. I am starting to worry about the challenge of maintaining the same weight in my luggage going home as that which I brought with me. I might leave some scarves behind.

Arta