Mum and C flew back to England on Sunday. Time went far too quickly and the ten days they were out here sped by, but we seemed to fit a fair amount in; from pottering around the neighbourhood, to heading downtown, and then driving outside of the city.
Their first day was spent mostly recovering from the journey out here, sat outside in the sunshine (I did march them around the hilly neighbourhood showing them the humungous houses of Outremont in 30-plus degree heat - not sure if they were too grateful for this). The next day, with them slightly less jaded and T home with the car, we drove out to Lachine, a borough of Montreal sat on the southwest of the island, lined by the shore of Lac Saint-Louis and the Saint Lawrence river. It was where we cycled a few weeks ago and we thought they would appreciate the water view and to see another side to the city.
Their first day was spent mostly recovering from the journey out here, sat outside in the sunshine (I did march them around the hilly neighbourhood showing them the humungous houses of Outremont in 30-plus degree heat - not sure if they were too grateful for this). The next day, with them slightly less jaded and T home with the car, we drove out to Lachine, a borough of Montreal sat on the southwest of the island, lined by the shore of Lac Saint-Louis and the Saint Lawrence river. It was where we cycled a few weeks ago and we thought they would appreciate the water view and to see another side to the city.
We walked along the peninsular covered by Parc René-Lévesque, which was the first time for us too, and we noted the cycle track for another day :)
And, of course, no visitors of ours could escape a visit to Fairmont Bagels, so we called in on the way home to buy some warm sesame bagels...
The fantastic weather only lasted until Sunday, when a huge thunderstorm paved the way for cooler temperatures and drizzle - a bit like the weather they thought they had left behind in England.
On Monday we caught the bus downtown, so they could sample being amongst skyscrapers, and see and hear the sights and sounds of a North American city; however, mum and C seemed to be more interested in seeing the sights and sounds of North American clothes shops. They then road-tested the clothes shops in our neighbourhood on Tuesday when I was busy with other things...
Wednesday they came to the gym whilst I had a squash lesson and sat outside in the sunshine which had appeared once again, drinking coffee whilst watching the ‘characters’ of the other gym members. I think they were quite disappointed my lesson only lasted three quarters of an hour to be honest, as they seemed to be having a wonderful time people watching...
The forecast for the rest of the week did not look, so I insisted we went up to the summit of Mont Royal to see the view over downtown. We caught the bus up, looked at the view, and then walked around the summit, meeting a couple of locals along the way:
On Monday we caught the bus downtown, so they could sample being amongst skyscrapers, and see and hear the sights and sounds of a North American city; however, mum and C seemed to be more interested in seeing the sights and sounds of North American clothes shops. They then road-tested the clothes shops in our neighbourhood on Tuesday when I was busy with other things...
Wednesday they came to the gym whilst I had a squash lesson and sat outside in the sunshine which had appeared once again, drinking coffee whilst watching the ‘characters’ of the other gym members. I think they were quite disappointed my lesson only lasted three quarters of an hour to be honest, as they seemed to be having a wonderful time people watching...
The forecast for the rest of the week did not look, so I insisted we went up to the summit of Mont Royal to see the view over downtown. We caught the bus up, looked at the view, and then walked around the summit, meeting a couple of locals along the way:
Waiting for the bus back down we got chatting to a lovely couple who had just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and were in Montreal on holiday. He was English and she was Spanish and they lived in the north of Spain. When she found out I had lived in Sevilla she proceeded to talk away in Spanish to me…I kind of understood her, but could not reply. All the Spanish I had learnt flew right out the window, replaced at that point in time with German, which did not help at all. When we arrived at our bus stop, I did remember “Hasta Luego” but that was the limits of my poor attempts.
Embarrassing! I hang my head in shame...
Embarrassing! I hang my head in shame...
On Friday we caught the metro downtown and went to the Old Port, and walked along Promenade du Vieux-Port to the Clocktower Quay, where I was able to show mum and C where we did our ice-fishing. Where the huts had stood on feet-thick ice and snow, now sat boats, and it looked totally different:
Our meander had the sound of cars in the background, as the Grand Prix was taking place across the river. We wondered back through the cobbled streets of the Old Town (Vieux Montréal) where mum and C thought it vital they sampled some more Canadian clothes shops...
Whilst T and I were at the Grand Prix on Saturday, they walked up to Avenue Laurier, a wonderful street a fifteen minute walk from us lined with boutiques - I think I can safely say they didn't miss out on shops over here.
Whilst T and I were at the Grand Prix on Saturday, they walked up to Avenue Laurier, a wonderful street a fifteen minute walk from us lined with boutiques - I think I can safely say they didn't miss out on shops over here.
Their flight wasn't until Sunday evening, so instead of hanging around counting down the hours, we drove out to Saint Sauveur, a pretty town situated in the Laurentides, a 45-minute drive from Montreal. The sun came out (to prove it does shine in Canada) so we were able to sit and have a picnic lunch bought from a fantastic bakery on Avenue de l'Élglise. We drove back a slightly slower route alongside the Rivière du Nord so they could see the stunning countryside.
It was lovely showing them where we live, and introducing them to new tastes and sights: in addition to bagels, they sampled the local ice cream, maple syrup cakes, poutine (which they weren't as keen on as the other foods), American and Canadian cheeses, as well as amazing pastries from the bakeries nearby. They also made some discoveries of there own which they were able to share with us, one in particular being a great coffee place (which had been recommended but we hadn't got around to going to), which does amazing chocolate pots and chocolates:
Albie was, at first, overjoyed to see two visitors. I think he reasoned that meant two extra people to feed him, so he would therefore be given more meals. He was not impressed to discover this was not to be the case. He tried miaowing loudly and incessantly at them, he then tried ignoring them; he showered them with love, and then hissed at them.
Nothing made them produce food for him unfortunately.
Nothing made them produce food for him unfortunately.