On Tuesday morning I picked up a steaming cup of coffee from the MacDonalds in Lachine and made my way down to the "Old" Lachine Canal. The whole of the Lachine Canal is "old", but this portion is even older than the rest since it pre-dates the heavy industrial use of the canal in the early to mid-20th century.
A plaque commemorates the much earlier fur trading period, long before the construction of the Lachine Canal, when this spot at the head of Lake St-Louis served as the jumping off point for fur-trading expeditions up the St-Lawrence river and on to the Great Lakes.
The ancient fur trade outpost, once a kingpin in the lucrative trade of centuries-past, now serves principally as an anchor for this very pretty urban park.
Nothing is further from the hustle and bustle of the more traditional commuting experience that is happening on Highway 20 than the picturesque serenity of this much less traveled route just a few kilometres to the south.
Taking the Vespa to work means that I can take ten minutes to enjoy my first cup of morning coffee in this beautiful relaxing setting rather than juggling coffee in the car or on the train.
Ten minutes is such a small price to pay for such a soothing experience.