O, Canada!

 (Craig writes) Becky and I have enjoyed our trips to the beautiful country of Canada over the years. We had previously  traveled to the Maritimes and Prince Edward Island in the east and to Victoria, Vancouver Island & British Columbia in the west. Today we traveled to the amazing city of Montreal with our granddaughter, Nicole, and explored many of it's fascinating areas. Driving from our airbnb apartment in Malone, New York we crossed into Canada at the Trout River border crossing. After answering a few questions and checking our documents the Canadian Border officer stamped our passports and welcomed us to Canada. As we drove through the little town of St. Martine Becky and Nicole spotted a French bakery named "Le Sacre Pain" (The Sacred Bread). Walking inside the shop we were greeted by the wonderful smells of fresh baked pastries, coffee and a warm "bonjour" from the smiling lady behind the counter. We purchased a selection of pastry items and some coffee then enjoyed both at their outside dining area. The pastries and coffee were delicious and set the tone for the rest of our day exploring Montreal together.

                We discovered a delicious pastry shop in St, Martin, Canada on the road to Montreal.

                                                        A few of the freshly baked pastries.

As we crossed the St. Lawrence River headed into Montreal our excitement grew! Our son, Matthew, and our daughter, Ashlea, had been to Montreal before and had suggested a few places they thought we would enjoy seeing. One of the first places we visited there was Mont Royal. There are three peaks on Mont Royal with the highest being 764 feet above sea level providing a great place to view the city of Montreal below.

                                                     Driving across the river into Montreal.

                                 Becky and Nicole at Mont Royal overlooking Montreal, Canada

Nicole enjoys a variety of teas from around the world and in her pre-trip planning had discovered a tea shop she wanted to go to while in Montreal. Camellia Sinensis was the name of the shop and we enjoyed a tea sampling of several international teas along with detailed information about the origin of each tea from Jean Francois, one of the store managers. Nicole purchased some of her favorite tea to share with her family when she gets home.

                                   Jean Francois weighing tea and their wall of teas behind him.

                                    A happy Nicole after enjoying an international tea sampling.

We walked a little over 7 miles around Montreal taking in it's unique beauty, friendly people and enticing food smells. Lunch time found us dining on some yummy, spicy Indian food at a restaurant named Swagat. We met an interesting gentleman who was dining at the table next to ours named Francois Renee. Renee was a native Quebec Frenchman who was very proud of his Quebec heritage. So much so that he commented that "there was Quebec, then just the ROC". He explained that Quebec was the best and then there was just the Rest Of Canada! Renee provided us with much entertainment and French Quebec history over our lunch together. We also found it amusing that we were in the Latin section of Montreal, eating Indian food while chatting with a French Quebec gentleman. truly an "international experience".

                                         Nicole and Papa enjoying lunch together in Montreal.