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<\/a><\/p>\nNick, 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, \u00a0so 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 \u00a0bananas and almonds, topped with maple syrup, while Nick and I shared a panino of smoked salmon, and a small side salad. T The basilica faces a central square called Place<\/em> d’Armes, in which there’s a monument honoring Paul de Chomedey,<\/i> the founder of Montreal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>hen we walked over to the most noteworthy building in the neighborho<\/a>od, the Basilique Notre Dame<\/em>. 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<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/em><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>Across from the square was\u00a0The Bank of Montreal.<\/em> Inside were giant columns and a small museum dedicated to money.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>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, \u00a0with 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<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>We walked on and saw that we were in front of a creperie \u00a0<\/em>that was recommended in our book, and decided that it was time for lunch. Carla selected \u00a0a 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.<\/p>\n