My day in sunny Montreal!

Good morning world, how are we all this morning?  Well as day 8 of my Canadian adventure begins I'm sitting in the rather opulent lobby if my loft apartments where they serve a nice little continental breakfast, blogging on and imagining what it would be like to do this for a living.....forever hopeful!!

So, back to now and what I got up to on my day in Montreal yesterday....

The day began in my loft with good news on the weather, the day was going to be lovely and sunny, warm with no rain! Wooooo!  So I broke out the flip flops and sun cream, donned the floral harem pants, had my breakfast and headed off for my open top bus tour.  You know I do love a bus tour so the plan was, as always, to do the first full loop then decide where and when I wanted to get off.

First I had to find out where it stopped. One thing I had noticed in the short amount of time I'd been in Canada was that it didn't appear to be as geared up to tourists as other places.  Now that's not a criticism and maybe it was just where I was visiting, but finding things out was little tricky.  So unable to work out map the website showed as I'd stupidly left my scientific grade microscope at home therefore was unable to read the microscopic route map, I headed out to find the information  centre and hopefully the bus.

The walk turned out to be quite invigorating (by that I mean long) the promised and long awaited sun not yet in the sky, and I wandered through the university and business district watching all the locals and students starting their day and beginning to realise you never can trust a weatherman, wherever you are.

Finally I found the office and the bus and headed straight for the back seat on the top deck of this familiar mode of transport.  And there I say, flowery trouser, flips flops and all, watching the long line of raincoats and umbrellas join me.....I had my brolly at least.

The trip was an entertaining and enlightening one, mainly in part due to Norman the guide, who bore a none to striking resemblance to Bruce Willis (ding dong), the humorous collection of fellow tourists on the bus and how we all coped admirably with the wind blowing a hooley for the entire 2 hour loop.  These tours are the best way in my mind to get a feel for a city and soon the first loop was done it was back round again to get off at my first stop, the Basillique Notre-Dame de Montreal.

Wow.  It took my breath away.  I've seen so many beautiful churches and cathedrals all over the world including this ones namesake in Paris, but the interior of this church was breath taking.  The incredible alter was completely carved from wood and when you see the pictures (that don't really do it justice) you may see how amazing that makes it.  So I sat, quiet and humbled, lit as I always do for those loved and lost and then headed out to explore the old town.

And very picturesque it was too.  Although I have to confess that having just come from Quebec City I had been spoilt in the Old Town department.  Walking up and down the cobbled streets taking in the atmosphere I headed onto the Old Port which they have done up and with an artificial beach and everything, and is now a great place to walk and take in the eclectic Montreal skyline.  I was hoping to see a good view of the amazing bridge I drove over on my way in and the mad looking theme park that was next to it, but alas the view was nowhere near as impressive as I'd hoped it would be.

There were 2 things that I had been told to try in Montreal by the writer on the train, the smoked meat sandwich and the bagel (beagle).  Now was my change to try the first, and if the picture of it on the side of the little wagon was anything to go by I wouldn't be needing dinner tonight!  So like the poutine I waited in anticipation.  Unlike the poutine it looked nothing like the picture and if I'm honest, didn't taste all that either.  But I tried and then it was time to walk it off and keep looking for the elusive beagle.  But alas I only got as far as 200 yards down the prom as the charming and right up my street bistro Magasin General enticed my in with a lovely table by the window, a smiley waiter and a fella tinkling the ivories.  Not to mention coffee and apple tart to die for!  For once, I took my time eating.

Another thing that Montreal has and I've been unable to find is 22km of underground shops and restaurants.  I had been trying to find a way in all day and just when I thought I'd done it I realised that I was in fact lost, holding a little green bag given to me by a girl, lining up to buy some tokens and a glass and finding myself in the middle of the Montreal Beer Festival!! Hoorah! Forget the underground I was in heaven.  So a glass of Mad Clarke, Twice as Mad Tom, a chocolate stout (which tasted much the same as the oyster stout in NZ and we all know how that ended...) late I moved onto caramel cider.  Then realising there was an inside with even more I had to admit defeat, this task was too much for my to complete alone!

So I decided to head back to my loft, wandering through the streets a little light headed having missed the last bus, and bugger me if I didn't wander right into the middle of an free open air music festival.  Apparently they are happening all over the city all weekend!  I told you Montreal likes to keep things secret.....!!

By now I was feeling a tad weary and as much as I'd have loved to stay and enjoy the festivities I just mooched for a bit and carried on my journey home.  I love travelling alone and have not problems enjoying things solo, but some cities and some things just needs more than one of you.   And Montreal is one of them.  But content with my day I arrived back at the loft, ready to chill and pop back out for some tea.  Thankfully I didn't nod off and I slipped out to Thai Express up the street and had a yummy pad thai and tom yum soup before realising this old bird needed some sleep.

And that was that! I woke at 7am this morning refreshed and ready to tackle my next challenge, to get me and Vera to our next destination - Ottawa. Once again I have done minimal research but I haven't done too bad up till now.  But I know one thing, my accommodation will have a lot to live up to.....!!

Montreal is a great lively and fun city with far too much for one old ginger bird to do alone!!

So until Ottawa faithful followers, TTFN!!