Montreal - sightseeing #1

After a very good sleep in very comfortable beds (thanks Sofitel), we treated ourselves to a delicious breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The boys had an omelette and I had bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon. (I have been advised that Montreal’s bagels are superior to those of NYC - I will post my results after some further tasting!)

The concierge suggested a 3 hour tour of the major sites of Montreal. The shuttle was late to pick us up and take us to the tour bus, so by the time we boarded we all had to sit separately. This turned out to be a good thing, as both Ian and I sat next to lovely people. I sat next to Yolanta who was visiting from Poland - she was accompanying her husband on a business trip - so while he worked she played the tourist. We chatted like we had been friends for years and she has invited us to visit her in Poland (I also invited her to give us a call if she is ever in Melbourne). Ian sat next to Sandra, who was from Toronto, and had accompanied her husband who was coaching his ice-hockey team in a regional competition. Sandra hates ice-hockey, so she too opted to do the tourist thing.

The tour itself was pretty good as an introduction to Montreal. We visited Old Montreal, the Old Port, Notre-Dame Basilica, Chateau Ramzey, City Hall, Place Jacques Cartier, a (slow) drive along the F1 race track, McGill University, St Joseph Oratory, the Olympic Stadium, the Biosphere and the Biodome, a drive through a couple of inner city suburbs, and then a lookout at Mount Royal - where there was snow still on the ground from the snow fall overnight. That should give you an idea of how cold it is here! Very bloody cold, but we have the appropriate attire to ensure we remain comfortable and warm.Read more