New Attitude, New Day

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The snow storm seems to have passed and it is currently a balmy 16 degrees outside. Jerry is feeling better this morning and trying to avert the head cold. We will be spending the day in Old Town the same area as our hotel. The church and the archeological museum are on the agenda as well as one of the best boulangerie in the city. I clearly need an attitude adjustment, everything seems to be pissing me off. Traveling use to be so easy now it all just seems hard, maybe it is because we did zero pre-planning so everything has been plan as you go. Not that we don’t always go off itinerary, but we at least have a general idea of what we are going to do each day, or at least one part of the city. Here, everything is all last minute because we did not take the time to plan ahead. I typically have a multi-page itinerary, the overview and one for each day. Here nothing, just a book and a prayer. This approach works fine in a place you know well, (or if you are a 20 something backpacker) for example, I really don’t need an itinerary when going to Paris, but we still do it, because we have been there several times and know what is where. However, when it’s your first time somewhere, especially a foreign country with language barriers, I cannot stress enough the importance of a good itinerary, even if it is just a general outline. This avoids headaches later on reduces the domestic disputes.

After a quick breakfast, we bundled up and headed out. First stop Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Montréal, which we can see from our hotel window. It has the largest bell in North American weighing in at 12 tons and a 7,000 pipe Casavant organ. Behind the main sanctuary is a smaller chapel called Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur. It is an impressive cathedral and very much in the gothic style. The front with the two towers is very reminiscent of the real Notre-Dame in Paris, but of course it does not even come close.

Next was the Musée d’Archéologie et d’Histoire Pointe-à-Callière. It is a great museum and covers the beginning of Montreal to the present time. It is a multi-media presentation beginning with a movie presentation then down to the archaeological site itself. The museum sits on top of an actual archaeological dig of an Iroquois village and the early French colony that would become Montreal. It is very well done, in fact we spent longer in this museum than I think we have ever spent in any museum. Mainly, because there is just a lot to read. As it is still the holiday season there was a special presentation just for kids. There were several live actors throughout the museum, depicting various Christmas folk lore characters. There were also two special exhibits, one based on pirates and the other on Agatha Christie. My grandmother would have loved the Agatha Christie exhibition as I am sure she read every book ever written by her.

It was a very well done museum and very much worth visiting when in Montreal. However, the Agatha Christie exhibit was very crowded and slow moving as there was just so much information presented and everyone was reading every word. They had a great segment on the Orient Express, which was my favorite part.

It was 4 by the time we finished with the museum, but it was the only real tourist thing on our list for the day. We then walked across Place Royale to Maison Christian Faure. This is supposed to be the best French style pâtisserie in Montreal. The pastry certainly looked authentic, including the macrons. It was a bit to hip and chic however. French pâtisseries are pretty down to earth unless they are on the Champs elysees or other trendy Paris street. In any event we purchased to chocolate croissants and a box of 6 macrons. The chocolate croissants we have already devoured back in our room with some hot chocolate. They were pretty good, would probably have been better if they had just come out of the oven.

Dinner tonight is just around the corner from our hotel. We have already made reservations and I am trying not to get to excited, but one of the things on the menu is a lobster bisque and they say it takes 3 days to make. I am thinking this might be way better than anything I have made, I just hope it doesn’t have any clam juice or stock in it, otherwise I will never know if it is better than mine. That is pretty much the day so far. We may attempt a drag show after dinner, but it depends on Jerry and how well he feels. I have recovered from yesterday and my mood is much improved.

Chez Delmo

I was not disappointed. The lobster bisque was by far the best I have ever had in a restaurant and the closest I have ever had to my own. In Jerry’s words not mine, it was great but mine is far and away better. Still, do enjoy a bisque that had the flavors I accept and huge pieces of lobster, I was very happy. The restaurant was very close a short one and a half blocks from the hotel. The dinner started with the owner spending some time talking to each table, well he did skip the hipster table that couldn’t bother to take their hats off and were wearing disgner ripped up jeans. I would have skiped them as well, if even sat them in the first place. Mainly because they would not have been able to live with my no technology rule. Yes, when I finally get to open my dream restaurant, no technology of any nature is allowed inside, it must be checked at the door. But, back to the meal.

We had our traditional glass of champagne, but in this case it was Prosecco, we can be economical when needed. The first course for me was the lobster bisque, which I have already raved about and Jerry had tomato soup that was a recipe in existence since 1938. It was excellent, but could use a bit of a bite. I apologize for the lack of pictures, we just spaced them. We then split a beef carpaccio, again very good but good have used a tad more olive oil and maybe a little balsamic. For the entrées I had Canadian rack of lamb and Jerry had Grilled Salmon. The best part was there was no choice how the lamb was cooked it was medium rare or nothing, they only did it one way, pretty much the same with the salmon. Now, while the salmon was very good, it was still Atlantic salmon and not Pacific Northwest Chinook. In any event both entrées were cooked to perfection. The vegetable sides were also wonderful and seasoned perfectly, possibly the best green beans and mushrooms I have ever had. The potatoes, mixed the mark, they were clearly an afterthought, they had no seasoning at all.

Jerry’s salmon came with hollandaise, and while the consistency was good, the flavor was a tad light. Over all, it was the best meal we have had in Montreal and definitely worth going to and I would come back for sure. Before I forget we both had Baba Rhum for dessert, a sponge cake served with a shot of Rum. In France it is typically served soaked in the rum and a bit of chocolate sauce. Here the rum came in a shot class and you got to pick from three different types of rum. Two from the Caribbean and one from the US, the one from the US was called Sailor Jerry, I just laughed since Jerry use to be in the Navy. The staff was great and very friendly, they were anxious to be done for the night because after this they had the next week off. And Connie, the wine we had with dinner was a Bordeaux from Saint Estephe, which is one of my favorite sub-appellations in Bordeaux.

It started to snow again while we were at dinner and we walked the short walk to the hotel in the snow. It was a great day, and definitely vacation is back on track. I didn’t even mind the child at dinner, he was very well behaved, but I see trouble in the future he is an only child of parents clearly in the second half of their life, so can I say spoiled and entitled is probably in his future.

Tomorrow is another good day of site seeing, a museum and a dip into Chinatown for dumplings (pot stickers), then New Year’s Eve dinner at a jazz club. We did forgo the drag club tonight to insure Jerry kicked the cold, he is taking elderberry in addition to other over the counter medication so hopefully that will kick it out of him.

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Comments

[Dave]

Don't make me stop Montreal
Hey Guys, What an amazing time, enjoying your blogs! Always enjoy the stories and photos! Jerry if they have a Liquer called St Germaine have that heated in a snifter and Chris you too! It's wonderful and will clear the cold! Ring out the old, ring in the new, Happy New Years to both of you! Love, Dave and Steve

[Andrea Vaughn]

what a diff a day makes...
nice, glad you's felt like venturing out. Look for some medicinal mushrooms, visit an herbalist? Sure to heal fast! Im hoping. Mouthwatering foods, never enough hollandaise! Carry on, be well! Xo