Thursday August 17, 2017

Youppi

Another nice homemade breakfast and we are out the door. We walk to the city hall and take a free tour. It is kind of short and alright, not the best we have been on. We learn a little history of Montreal politics and a few things about some of the more influential mayors. There is a small exhibition in the main hall about the old Montreal Expos baseball team that is pretty interesting. Also learned that Jackie Robinson played here before going to the Dodgers. After City Hall, we meander down Rue Sainte Paul, one of the older streets in town. It is filled with restaurants and shops.

Carol in Her Glory

We turn down a side street where there is a patisserie and we get two pastries to share as a snack. One is a hazelnut cream éclair and the other is a raspberry and chocolate pastry. We sit outside with some music playing across the street and enjoy the desserts. We get up and start wondering some more. We pass an archeological dig where the old town hall used to be and also the building where the grey nuns practiced. The grey nuns were a Roman Catholic Sisters of Charity group and helped the sick and destitute. We go down near the waterfront for a bit before heading back inland towards the Basilica of Notre Dame. We decide not to go in and head back to the waterfront for a pit stop. We are both kind of tired so we walk back to our apartment and have some leftover souvlaki from last night’s meal. Then we take a little nap and relax until it is time to get ready for this evening.

Carmelo and Diane

Carmelo calls and gives us a 30 minute heads up on their arrival time. We wait about 25 minutes and go downstairs to wait outside. They show up and tell us that they are taking us to a Portuguese restaurant that they know. They then offer us Vietnamese also but we like the Portuguese idea and that is where we end up going. It is only about a 10 minute drive from where we are staying. As we walk in the owners and waiters greet them and we discover that they are regulars here. They also have been friends with the owners for quite a while. We order a salad for the table and we get a 5 meat meal for two as the main dish.

Portuguese Meal

We get grilled calamari, grilled shrimp, lamb chops, spare ribs, and chicken. Carmelo and Diane get the same except they have sardines instead of shrimp. We also get a liter of the house red wine. What ensues from then on is a great evening of dining, several carafes of wine, fantastic stories and a whole bunch of laughter. We also get a small glass of port at the end of the meal and a Portuguese custard type dessert. By the time we are all through, we have spent 5 hours enjoying the evening.

Goodies Box from Carmelo

Carmelo drives us back home and also gives us a box that is filled with pastries, strudels, and cookies. These are the products he makes and sells in his business. Thank you Carmelo and Diane for a fantastic evening and we sure hope that we will see you again. Utah may be in the cards for them. Tomorrow we are on our own to explore a little more of the city. It is supposed to rain all day so we are not sure what we will be able to do.

Expenses                                                                                                                                Pastries at Maison Christian Fuare 14.95 CAD                                                               Dinner at Restaurant Jano 90 CAD                                                                                  Trylon Apartment 104.96 CAD                                                                                        Parking 15 CAD