Day 37 of my trip...
It's times like these that I can appreciate the Catholic Church...
My main goal today was to get one of those Montreal Bagels I kept hearing about. It was good but it wasn't a New York Bagel. I went to this little shop called Fairmount Bagels, inside it was tiny and obviously just a place to buy bagels to take home. But the line lead out the door and there were guys in back of the counter hand rolling out bagels. The bagels are good and the crust was great. They roll the entire bagel in the topping so it covers all of the surface, a plus for Montreal. But in the end the bagel is almost all crust and no real bagel inside. I like my bagels to have more dough in them.
I had a free afternoon and I decided instead of the Science Center I'd head over to the Basilica Notre-Dame de Montreal. It was beautiful inside and out. Everything was ornate and wonderful. There was artistry everywhere you turned, even in the smallest details.
Click on the picture for the larger version.
Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the Basilica Notre-Dame de Montreal...
Afterward I headed back to my hotel for an afternoon break. Then I met up with an on-line friend and we toured Montreal by car. It was great seeing the local sights, Mount-Royal Parc, the Olympic Stadium and Village and the various neighborhoods.
We ate dinner at a local favorite, Schwartz's Delicatessen. This place is a little hole in the wall that's famous for it's Montreal Smoked Meat. You stand outside in a line and they escort you in when a space at a table opens up. As you can see the place is packed with everyone sharing tables with strangers.
I of course got the Montreal Smoked Meat. It's a little like corned beef but more smokey and less spicy. It was delicious! One thing that I've always heard is that when people eat in silence it's a good sign that the food is good. As crowded as this place was it was darn quiet.
Afterward we drove around town a bit more and stopped at the Orange Julep. It's a cool drive-in that serves an orange drink similar to an Orange Julius but better. I had one and it was great but instead of showing you a cup with orange liquid in it I thought I'd show you the drive-in.
Tomorrow I leave Canada and head to Bar Harbor Maine. Back to the good old USA.
BTW if you don't hear from me for a couple of days don't worry. I'm not sure what if any internet access I'll have in Bar Harbor.
My main goal today was to get one of those Montreal Bagels I kept hearing about. It was good but it wasn't a New York Bagel. I went to this little shop called Fairmount Bagels, inside it was tiny and obviously just a place to buy bagels to take home. But the line lead out the door and there were guys in back of the counter hand rolling out bagels. The bagels are good and the crust was great. They roll the entire bagel in the topping so it covers all of the surface, a plus for Montreal. But in the end the bagel is almost all crust and no real bagel inside. I like my bagels to have more dough in them.
I had a free afternoon and I decided instead of the Science Center I'd head over to the Basilica Notre-Dame de Montreal. It was beautiful inside and out. Everything was ornate and wonderful. There was artistry everywhere you turned, even in the smallest details.
Click on the picture for the larger version.
Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the Basilica Notre-Dame de Montreal...
Afterward I headed back to my hotel for an afternoon break. Then I met up with an on-line friend and we toured Montreal by car. It was great seeing the local sights, Mount-Royal Parc, the Olympic Stadium and Village and the various neighborhoods.
We ate dinner at a local favorite, Schwartz's Delicatessen. This place is a little hole in the wall that's famous for it's Montreal Smoked Meat. You stand outside in a line and they escort you in when a space at a table opens up. As you can see the place is packed with everyone sharing tables with strangers.
I of course got the Montreal Smoked Meat. It's a little like corned beef but more smokey and less spicy. It was delicious! One thing that I've always heard is that when people eat in silence it's a good sign that the food is good. As crowded as this place was it was darn quiet.
Afterward we drove around town a bit more and stopped at the Orange Julep. It's a cool drive-in that serves an orange drink similar to an Orange Julius but better. I had one and it was great but instead of showing you a cup with orange liquid in it I thought I'd show you the drive-in.
Tomorrow I leave Canada and head to Bar Harbor Maine. Back to the good old USA.
BTW if you don't hear from me for a couple of days don't worry. I'm not sure what if any internet access I'll have in Bar Harbor.