Day 9

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Day 9: Toronto to Montreal, Canada
Bon Soir Mes Amies!

It was a long grueling day of travelling....8 hours to cross (with stops) from Toronto to our hotel in Montreal. We have only been in Montreal for about 3 hours and we are in love with it! Just to give you an idea of why we love this city, we had to park our car about a block from the hotel (the garage will only accommodate very, very small cars) and were standing on a corner trying to align ourselves with the map that the kind hotel receptionist had given us when a man walked up and asked if he could help. Along with his wife, they got us rearranged and in the right direction to go to a very nice restaurant for dinner. To top it off, the man's wife kept offering to give us a ride in their car as they were getting ready to go out for the evening. We assured them that we were very ready to take a nice long walk after a long drive. They were so sweet and concerned that we have a good experience in Montreal. The hotel had sent us to a so-so Italian place and they kept assuring us that we really, really didn't want to go there.

So, tonight's blog is short. We left Montreal on the freeway, jumped off for a bit to go out closer to Lake Ontario. We spent a few hours travelling the back road and ended up in picturesque Port Hope where we had a fairly bad lunch in a great old building. We played "Tag" on the freeway to Montreal (people follow so close and jump into spaces that are half the size of their automobiles.)

We are debating as to whether we will leave early tomorrow and spend time in the middle of Vermont where a lot of small farms and dairies are producing hand crafted cheeses, maple syrups, and ciders....or if we should catch the tube and see downtown Montreal, try my hand at communicating with my very rusty French, and visit St. Michaels' cathedral.

I guess we'll all get to find out our decision in tomorrow's blog....

Bonne Nuite Tout la Monde,
Madame Max, and Monsieur Jacques.

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Photos

Leaving Totonto
The day began clear and crsip; It's beginning to feel like Fall

Lake Ontario
It's hard to imiagine that this is a lake!

Fall Color Begins
As we have travelled we have been seeing more and more trees turning color.

Into Port Hope
Beutiful tree-canopied roads

Fort Hope
Canadians love to display flags: theirs, and other countries'.

Into Montreal
Not sure which river this is--the print is so small in the Atlas--but it is an area called Trois Riviers that becomes the St. Lawrence River.

Comments

[Richard]

Well!
First an elementary school teacher, then a Madame. My, My!

[Jennifer]

Montreal
Considering that you can get Vermont cheese in specialty stores in Berkeley, maybe you want to spend another day exploiring Montreal. Bon soir!

[Teri Thomas]

Retired
So glad you are having such a wonderful time, Max. This is what retirement should be about! Miss you. :0)

[John and Max]

Retired
Yes, the good life is out there...just hang on Sloopie, it will be yours one day soon. Miss you, too!