We’ve been enjoying our stay in Montreal so much that we decided to stay another night.
This morning we walked Steven to the train station. From there, we rode our bikes to the Atwater Market. A large indoor and outdoor food market. Numerous vegetable stands, butchers, bakers, cheese mongers and fish mongers. It’s foodie heaven.
I probably over bought on the sausages and pates, but how could I resist. Forget your typical brat or Italian sausage, I’ve got duck sausages for the grill. I also bought about 6 different pates.
The other thing I really like about the city are the bike lanes. I can beat any car getting around. The bikers also obey the traffic signals. They stop at read lights and slow down at stop signs. There’s so much bike traffic that Sue and I got caught up in a bike traffic jam during the afternoon commute.
Another cool aspect of the city are the number of parks. And, it seems that each park has some form of entertainers. Mostly musicians, but I’ve also seen balloon clowns. I’m still looking for mimes and Jerry Lewis impersonators.
Okay, let’s talk about the pink elephant in the room. French is the primary language. All signs, labels on foods, menus in restaurants, postings at the marina are in French. Everyone you meet will greet you with bonjour, or some derivative.
So what? It’s no big deal. When they say bonjour, I reply with hello and we switch to English. As for menus and signs, I’ve been here 2 days and I’m impressed with the number of nouns I know already. Hey, Once you know canard, do you need to know anything else? To be honest, I struggle with their use of the metric system more. Try ordering at the deli using grams, it’s not easy. If someone tells you it’s 24 out, you’d pack your heavy winter coat, right?
Of all the cities we’ve visited so far on our trip, this is by far my favorite. If you get a chance, make it to Montreal, stay in the old city, and DON’T rent a car. Rent a bike instead. Get a glass of wine, sit back in a park and listen to the music. And yes, the bums constantly hitting you up for money also understand English, Kay?
Kurt & Sue Sail 