Our area had been experiencing a nor’easter that began on Saturday and continued though Sunday, with rain, gusty winds, and coastal flooding. We were concerned that our  trip to Montreal on Monday morning could be impacted, because LaGuardia Airport is definitely on the coast. However, our Uber driver took the heavy rainfall in stride.

We arrived at the airport at 5:15 am.  For a recent flight to New York from Milan,  we learned that the airport employees didn’t start working until 6 am. New York airports are different. The busiest hours of day at New York City airports are between 6 and 9 am, and we were glad we were early for our flight. LaGuardia has been renovated since we were there last, and it’s now much more pleasant, being clean and comfortable.

Carla arrived shortly after we did. The rain had stopped, and our plane  left on time. Our flight took about 75 minutes. Usually there are long lines to get through Customs, but we were amazed to find that we were the only ones there. Nicholas’ experience was much different. His flight from California would take more than 5 hours and he was on line at Customs for two.

Nick, Carla and I Ubered from the Montreal airport to our rental apartment in Old Montreal. Our suite would not be ready for us until much later,  so we dropped off our luggage and began exploring immediately. We hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before, so we stopped at a cafe. Carla enjoyed a crepe filled with  bananas and almonds, topped with maple syrup, while Nick and I shared a panino of smoked salmon, and a small side salad.

Then we walked over to the most noteworthy building in the neighborhood, the Basilique Notre Dame. Nick and I have been inside many Basilicas in Europe, but this one was different. The pillars holding up the ceiling were made of wood, not stone. At the end of each pew, there were elaborately carved figures. There was blue light coming from behind the altar. A swirling staircase led to the Pulpit of Truth, with prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah at its base. The stained glass windows showed some bible stories, but mainly they were of the religious and civil history of Montreal.

The basilica faces a central square called Place d’Armes, in which there’s a monument honoring Paul de Chomedey, the founder of Montreal.

Across from the square was The Bank of Montreal. Inside were giant columns and a small museum dedicated to money.

Our travel book recommended a walking tour, so we walked along to the Old Port. The day’s weather was cold, damp and windy. I was appropriately dressed in several layers,  with a scarf and gloves, but the locals seemed very comfortable in tee shirts, shorts, and sandals. We approached the science museum, but we found that it was geared to children. We walked on and on, with the Biodome in the distance. We entered a shop of lovely art objects, where we bought a small totem pole that reminded us of our trip to Alaska.

We walked on and saw that we were in front of a creperie  that was recommended in our book, and decided that it was time for lunch. Carla selected  a crepe with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, while Nick and I shared a Nutella crepe filled with strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and topped with chocolate drizzle. So delicious! Then we walked on in Old Montreal, noticing posters in support of various candidates. We learned that there would be an election next week.

Nick naps every day, so we headed back to our apartment, where he did just that. Carla and I relaxed by watching  cooking shows. We learned that Nicholas had left his apartment in California for the airport there. He arrived at 7:30 pm, looking exhausted and hungry. We tried to find a nearby restaurant, but learned that we needed reservations, which we didn’t have.  After much more walking, we found one called Venice that could accommodate us. We looked forward to Italian food, but we learned that the restaurant was  in the style of Venice, California, rather than Venice, Italy. Carla ordered pulled pork and fries, and Nicholas, a burger and sweet potato fries. Nick had a poke bowl with tuna. I ordered a Caesar salad. We  were all very satisfied as we headed back to our apartment.

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