dernier weekend a Montreal! :(

Friday

After finishing up the last day of my internship, James and I got to look forward to a visit from one of James's college friends, Jody. He came in around 8:45 pm on Friday, and we promptly took him to our neighborhood sushi restaurant to enjoy their sushi for the second time. After sushi we stopped by a nearby bar on Avenue du Mont-Royal and had a good time talking and getting some drinks. We got to sit in the outdoor sidewalk seating area, and as a result learned that after midnight you can't consume alcoholic beverages outside in Montreal--who knew?

Saturday

What a day! I started off by picking up breakfast for everyone at our corner bakery, and then James and Jody went to Energie Cardio to work out. Once they got back and showered, we headed out on this HOT day to Schwartz's to introduce Jody to the smoked meat sandwich. We had to wait in line, but it didn't take too long, and the sandwiches were as good as ever. James experienced the pangs of jealousy however when he saw a guy next to us get something called the "Grande Assiette" (Big Plate), which is just a plate full of the sliced smoked meat and a pile of bread so you can make A LOT of sandwiches for yourself. He was upset that I didn't tell him that was available (for the record, I didn't know!), and I'm sure that will be his order if we ever come back.

After Schwartz's we hopped on the metro to visit the Olympic Park and Tower north of the city. We took the funicular up to the top of the tour (which is the highest incline tower in the world) to get some spectacular views of the city. It cost $15.25/person, but I would say it was worth it. We then walked around the stadium for a little while and then hopped back on the metro to go to the Underground City. Jody bought a couple of T-shirts, some popcorn, and some candy, and I took notes for our big shopping day on Monday :).

We then went home where I made burgers and corn on the cob for dinner, and we all enjoyed some much-needed rest from the hot day. We did head back out on the metro to go to Parc Jean Drapeau to see Canada's fireworks display in the International Fireworks Competition. We had never gone out to the island before to watch the show, but MAN was it worth the distance! We were so close, and the fireworks just filled up the sky. Canada had a very impressive show, and I wouldn't be surprised if they won!

Sunday

We all enjoyed a little later wake up times on Sunday after an exhaustive Saturday, and then headed to L'Oeufrier for brunch. After brunch we headed up Mont Royal for the last time, and Jeter once again got to join us. Still an exhausting 3 hour hike, but still so worth it for the views of the city and the beautiful park. Needless to say, a hike up Mont Royal always equals a low-key remainder of the day, which was a nice treat after such a packed weekend.

saturday splurge

Saturday was another exhausting day for the "Walking Garcias"...I have no idea how far we walked, but I think it's safe to say that it was at least 10 miles.

Food
For our "Saturday Splurge" we spread out our eating to get some of the best Montreal had to offer in our stomachs. We started with Portugese sausage from the Street Painting Festival, added scrumptious mini-burgers and "the best" poutine in Montreal (a Quebec original dish--fries with cheese curds and gravy), waffles and crepes with Nutella from a street stand, and finally, a baguette with extra creamy Brie and grapes. It was all SO good. I can't wait for the next Saturday Splurge.

Attractions
We did some more tourist-y things today, and our first stop was the Basilica of Notre Dame. On our way we found an older couple that looked lost, and they asked us where they should go, so we led them here as well. Boy, did that make me look like a knowledgeable tour guide. The Basilica was amazing. I have seen many cathedrals throughout Europe, but it was by far the most impressive and illuminated cathedral I've seen. The work inside is so intricate, and I can't wait to get prints of the pictures I took.

We also strolled the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal and went out to walk along the Old Port. We intended on climbing the clock tower to get some great views of the city, but alas, it was closed off. We did have our first Bixi experience! Bixi is company that has bike rental stations all over the city, and you can ride them for free for 30 minutes. We rode them the length of the old port, and even though James was nervous, it turned out to be really fun!

We made our way back through some of the festivals we visited on Friday, and stopped by the main location of the Street Painting festivals to get a picture of us sitting in a GIANT Adirondack chair--a little shout-out to Webb! By the time we made it home, we had spent 6 hours walking around the city, so we were ready for a relaxing evening at home. We contemplated heading out for a free outdoor concert, but our exhaustion ruled, and fortunately so, as it started storming around the time of the concert. Another great day in Montreal!