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Montreal -'A short cycle time!'
Bed count = 4
So the last time I wrote we were leaving the peace and tranquillity of Vermont.We set off early saying our good byes to Yogi bear and the local three legged cat that seemed to follow us around….scratching on the rear side left was clearly a challenge for this kitty!So we were on the road again and in the hands of our trusty Sat Nav lady to guide us the way a mere 2 ½ h to Montreal, Canada.Despite a great track record the Sat Nav lady had clearly tricked us into a false sense of security and picked the 'scenic route' this time around!About 1h in, we took a turning and were heading for boarding signs on a ferry…..surely we didn't have to cross the Atlantic again?!Following a quick pit stop, it was apparent that we had navigated to the middle of an Island…dam, blast and bother!However, after asking a local shop keeper it turned out that there was another toll free route that involved driving over a few Islands and through a series of lakes.We set off again into the wilderness with the Sat Nav lady telling us to turn around at every possible opportunity…..she was clearly troubled by the whole experience!However sometimes things happen for a reason and the drive from this point was nothing short of spectacular. It turned out we were in the Lake Champlain region of Vermont and we passed through several fishing villages, luxury lakeside apartments with pristine lakes in front of rolling mountains in the distance.Even though it added a bit onto the journey it was well worth it and it reminded us both of the Lake District back in the UK.Once we left the island network, we had the US/Canada border control to contend with.Expecting a long and painful experience, it was actually the opposite and really didn't take long at all….I'm not sure it will be the same when we come back into the US!So goodbye to the US for a month or so and welcome to Canada!Since leaving the US I have listed a few things I will miss…and few I won't!
Things I'll miss:
1.Generally helpful and nice people.
2.Some great breakfasts and cwaafee (coffee).
3.People asking how you are all the time.Even if you tell them you're dying they will be positive about it…'that's just super'…!
Things I won't miss:
1.US flags on every street corner, road or plant pot…anywhere where one can be placed!
2.People claiming to know the geographical area of the UK and Kent, when it is clear that they only know London and think Europe is an island!
3.The inability to get a normal portion size where everything (including the plate) is deep fried!
4.The great mystery on why US citizens cannot pronounce the word 'herb'…mixed 'urbs' just doesn't have the same ring to it!
5.The word 'awesome'…far too overused and annoying after a while!
So moving on, we arrived in Canada, where the speed limit changes from mph to km/h and all the signs are in French…..just to try and catch you out.Moving into the French speaking area I was immediately harassed on the roads by some circus-like driving manoeuvres from the locals.However, we moved onto the edge of Montreal and then into the downtown area.Melissa can probably vouch that this was the biggest driving challenge to date!Think signs in the wrong language, people riding bikes the wrong way up a street, pedestrians trying a few suicidal runs every few meters and just to top it off, a horse and carriage cutting you up on a left hand turn!However we survived the test and managed to reach our destination.To say the area was a little less salubrious that our last accommodation is an understatement, but we checked in, dropped our bags off and returned the car.So we were stopping at a little B&B called 'Repos and Manna' run by local Italian/French/Canadian owner…Tony!Despite the surrounding area, the room was clean and Tony gave us a thorough orientation of things to do in Montreal…..I'm not sure if he quite understood that we were only stopping three days!After that we crashed out for the night, but not before booking a 4h cycle tour the next day….
So we were up bright and early the following day and were treated to a 'super breakfast' by Tony!We came down to him actually peddling his fitness bike in the front room and were shown to the dining table adjacent to his lounge.He changed from his gym gear into a chef's uniform (literally!) and cooked us some wicked French toast before our eyes…...very funny but nice!After this we jumped on the local Metro and headed for the cycle hire shop.Despite a wrong turn we made it on time and got kitted up with a bike and helmet.The French tour guide was convinced that he wanted to get me in a pink cycle helmet, but I managed to persuade him that this was more Melissa's style!Montreal is a very bike friendly city and there are loads of cycle routes, not that this stopped our tour guide taking us straight down the road and over a few pavements to start the tour!However joking aside this was an 'awesome' way to see the city and the tour guide was great.We would cycle a bit and then he would stop off at an attraction and explain the history.The tour also involved homemade pizza at Atwater market and some local ice cream in the afternoon.The whole thing actually lasted about 5h in the end, we got our fair share of exercise but it was great fun.We also met a couple from York (UK) and this proves that it's very much a small world!After we finished, we decided to climb the 400 or so steps to the top of Mount (Mont) Royal where we were told that there were amazing views of the city.Despite nearly suffering heat stroke on the way up, we were not disappointed.It is also clear to see how Montreal is actually an island, which I must admit I wasn't aware of before visiting.After travelling back we had a quick change and popped back into town for a bite to eat.Apparently Montreal is a direct rival to New York for trendy places to eat, so we were not spoilt for choice.However we opted for a local Thai restaurant which turned out to be quite good - the fact that the wooden legged waiter had get over two language barriers to take our order was a challenge, but this didn't stop us having a lovely meal.
So day 2 was a bit more chilled and after another breakfast and chat with Tony, we hit the town again.One other thing to note is that the winter in Montreal is supposed to be horrendous and the city is actually made up of loads of interconnecting tunnels that run between the main shops and office buildings.You can actually walk for miles underground to get from one place to another and that's exactly what we did!!Once we surfaced we popped up to the 'Little Italy' area of the town which has another great market (Jean-Talon market).Stalls and stalls of very fresh fruit with free samples to try.…tasty!We finished off the day with a nice Italian meal and took an early night to rest our weary legs!
So today we have had our final breakfast at Tony's, checked out and headed to the bus station for our next leg of the journey.Following our experience on the Greyhound/Peterpan we are trying the 'Mega bus' today!Its mega cheap, but so far it seems quite good value for money.I am actually writing and posting this using the free Wifi on the bus!Of course we have an interesting crew again, including a very fidgety Chinese woman who is practically sleeping in the aisle right now and a token transvestite patrolling the second floor of the bus!However, so far so good and Melissa appears to have dropped off to sleep, so it must be comfortable!We are on our way to Toronto for 3 nights.We are stopping in the 'Cabbageville B&B' and I kid you not…this is actually the real name! I have read the reviews and nobody has spoken of the smell of rotten veg, so we are going to give it a try!The name is comedy enough to suggest that the experience will be eventful…..watch this space to find out!
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