ADVENTURES OF A RETIRED NOMAD

The plane landed while I was still sleeping with my seat back. One of the perks of 1st class I guess. That, and they called me Mr. Taylor the whole trip. We took off around 12:15 am, served dinner around 1- 1:30 am, fell asleep just after and arrived at 7:15 am. I was in a haze while walking a mile to customs. Lots of machines to check in then an agent asked me what I planned on doing here in Montreal. I told her I was going to eat. Yes but why are you here...I replied...to eat!. OK. I found an ATM for my Canadian Money then bought a weekly pass for $34 that enabled me to ride on any buses, trains or subway. Bus 747 took me to my neighborhood then the driver got out and flagged a bus on the other side of the street to let him know
David was on his way. He waited and shortly after dropped me at the front door. Best buses I've ever been on. All Hybrids, A/C, clean and personable drivers!
Ming had a plate for me. I ate a bit and crashed until 3 pm.

I had a bit more food then took off for Swartz's Deli and a Smoked Pastrami Sandwich while browsing around Rue St Laurent with my camera.

The World Cup was still going on and the bars were all filled with fans for the Canada vs France game.

I went into Basta, a grocery, and bought a bottle of "Hard Homemade Apple Cider" and a bottle of "Macintosh Apple Cider" which I have not had since my teens in Western NY.

Underground Japanese Coffee Shop

Ming`s assorted grub for David! How special.

Still a bit groggy I woke and bused to a French Breakfast place just down the street.

Children tied together like a chain-gang.

Pleasant view

Salmon Omelet Platter like an Irish Breakfast without Blood Sausage. Ham was good. Omelet brown and dry but with capers. Lots of potatoes for the trash. Fruit was nice but half skin.

Ming recommended the park across the street so I went for a long walk.

I did a little shopping then returned to join Ming on an excursion to Montreal underground mall then above ground tour of old town Montreal and on to the port for a boat trip. We stopped for coffee on an Island then returned to China town and a wonderful dinner before going back home.

Edible THC in softgels...like Via D...not really.

Tai Chi exercise.

Grouper and Brocolli...very good.

Japanese Egg Plant...also very good.

I enjoyed Natto ... fermented soybeans... with my Yogurt and Museli for breakfast before my photo walk on Thursday in Ming`s neighborhood.

More Children`s Chain-Gang

Underground Japanese Coffee Shop

Bed for the homeless Beggar

The Menu stated Irish Lamb Stew...not even close!

Lot of restaurants encourage you to bring your own wine. They have no liquor License but unlike the U.S. they don`t charge a corking fee but I believe they raise the prices a bit!

Ming arranged for us to meet with a SERVAS couple, Don and Lena. We are both members so I welcomed it. We took a train some distance then they picked us up in thier car and drove us to the park near the water. We ate at Le Goumand, a French restaurant that was very good. We had a wonderful time. Lena, was Vietnamese and came over to Canada with her mother and brother but her father was still in a Re-Education Center serving a 10 years after the defeat of the South Vietnamese in 1975. He later managed to reunite and he and his wife are now in a comfortable nursing home in Montreal.

Taylor's Port wine and coffee...ended the perfect lunch/dinner at Le Gourmand in Pointe Claire.

Slide show on building walls while waiting for our bus home after exiting the train station.

They dropped us at our bus stop at the entrance to the hi-way and waited until our bus picked us up. As SERVAS members they traveled all over Morraco for a month. We had a wonderful time.

I enjoyed spending the morning and afternoon wandering the city. I visited an exhibition of Dutch artist Escher, then lunched at a Lebonese restaurant before returning home that evening to attend a dinner with Ming`s friends at an Afganistan restaurant called Kyberpass. I had the Lamb Shank.

Backside

Frontside

Excellent Chicken Swarma...lunch.

The following is our dinner at Kyberpass

Geralyne, a friend of Ming`s invited me to a concert at the Botanical Gardens this afternoon. She came by and we took the bus and had lunch in the garden restaurant before attending the concert. After we walked through the Chinese, Japanese, then the Indigious gardens before going into the greenhouses. Lovely day.

A Frittata, like a Quiche with Soup or Salad...very good.

I returned to Ming`s then left for an Italian dinner nearby. I thought I found the restaurant and was reminded they had no liqour liscense so I went to the state store and bought a bottle of wine. I returned and gave the bottle to the waiter to open while I glanced at the appetizer`s and decided on some Gaspacho. He left to put in the order while I sipped my wine and contemplated the menu. What happened to the Italian pasta dishes! It turned out, I was at the wrong restaurant! Too late, so I ordered Breast of Duck. Very good dinner. When I returned home, Ming was still entertaining friends at a dinner party she scheduled, so I joined them for a drink.

Spain won the World Cup and Montreal was celebrating with horns honking and people still drinking. I visited a bit before early bed.

This morning I was to meet Ellie, another friend of Ming`s for coffee and a trip to Mount Royal after. I went to her home and we ended up at a lovely park not far away. We enjoyed a nice conversation and coffee then Ellie took me around the wealthy neighborhood tour. After it was getting warm and I suggested we forget the trip up the Mountain and went home. I freshened up and had some water then felt better and decided to explore the mountain myself. I took a bus then transferred to another until I was on the Mount Royal walking around. Beautiful views of Montreal.

Ellie on the right.

I made the Mount Royal summit.

I hiked to a lake then had a Hot Dog and took the bus back for dinner at Mings with Elaine, another friend of Ming`s from South Africa that was a photographer and just back from a visit in England. We had a wonderful Curry and Rice dinner and talked forever.

Forgot to photo our dinner.

Today I joined the Montreal Library so I could catch up with my blog. My small Notebook in frustrating to edit and do the blog but now I am caught up and will go out with Ming and another SERVAS friend, Teri whom I haven`t met yet, for a tour of a historical area of Montreal then dinner.

Teri is a lovely, fun, smiling lady that was very upbeat!

Lobster Rolls!

Flank Steak and Humus.

I wanted Bacon and Eggs today but started at the Japanese Coffee shop with a Matcha Latte and Croissant. Next was Beauty's, open since 1946 and has been serving the same menu since. I ordered overlight eggs, toast, and a side of bacon...perfect...except $17...Canadian!

There is one of the oldest buildings in Montreal that was the first Governor's home and preserved all these years. I visited it this afternoon.

I thought it a bit boring. I can not hear those recordings with the tour that give the history so maybe it would have been better?

Walking around Montreal is not boring...quite fun!

I finally made it to this Italian Restaurant in my neighborhood for some Ceasar Salad, Creme of Mushroom Soup and Salmon Fettuccini. I took advantage of the bring your own wine but think they increase the prices to offset it because there is no "corkage" fee like in the US and it's more labor cost and dishes to wash. Set up that way, they make money when people bring there own wine or not. Most do and they think it saves them money?

This morning, I decided to have Eggs Benidict. I researched some area breakfast places and found one that had Salmon Benidict. It was very good and a pleasant place.

Later I visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts....

See if you can ID Avedon`s subjects?

Got lots of cut fingers with this slicer...Lots of fun with this bicycle!

Our family vacuum growing up...I took it to Arizona and used it for years at Taylor`s Chowder House. The server`s used it. Retired it after over 35 years and it still ran great.

You can almost hear them singing!

I enjoyed the museum but thought it should have more ART, unless I missed something? Like the photos of Avedon? Well the first to last: Dwight D Eisenhower, president, Richard Avedon, photographer, Gabrieal Garcia Marques, writer, Delai Lama, Head of Tibetian Buddhist, George Wallace, bigot, Richard Avedon, younger photographer, Pattie Smith, singer, Edgar Rice Burroughs, writer, Truman Capote, writer, and Henry Miller, writer.

Ming and I took the Subway to have dinner at a Vietnemese Sushi restaurant. We passed a lovely Farmer`s Market on the way.

Belgian...Tin Tin.

Wonderful meal and day!

This morning I met Geralyne for a walking Tour of the area, with a qualified guide. It was very informative. He lived in this neighborhood for over 50 years so started with the history and we traveled through time to present day.

Lenard Cohen grew up in this neighborhood and lived across the street when he passed away. His followers had a concert in this park with musicians playing his music from this gazebo.

Our guide was very personable interesting.

Another tour of the area with over 25 motorcycles...that looked fun too. We walked to Mikado, another oriental restaurant that was outstanding.

Our meal at Mikado was excellent. A couple next to us kept looking over at me and I thought I was talking too loud as I do frequently. They stopped by our table to compliment my "voice"...that was a first. She said I sounded like a movie star but she couldn't place him. Her husband, a professional musician honed in on my "tone" or the key I was speaking in?? Go figure.

I am now a member of the library so I can use this computer to make my efforts a bit easiers. I love the Dyson water faucet in the Men`s room. I saw my first at the Iceland airport in 2006 I think. This is the only one I`ve seen since.

....off to see more and have lunch at Brassiere d`Art.

Waiting line for the opening of the library...single men with nothing to do.

I dined on Salmon and Salad...very quiet lunch. I noted the waiter setting up all the tables for lunch and dinner.

In the early '90s, the Health Dept annouced all restaurants in the State of Arizona must wrap the silverware and could not set up tables ahead of time with silverware, napkins and glasses, etc. It was unsanitary. I was 45 years old and worked the Hospitality industry since I was 14 and never knew that! Montreal never heard of it either.

I bought 2 Onigirl to go. One with Saute Pork and one with Raw Fresh Salmon. Both were excellent. A ball of sticky rice stuffed with your choice and wrapped in seaweed. Walked a lot this week|

This morning I took the bus to Bagel...etc. Lenard Cohen`s favorite restaurant...and closest to his 3 story house in the park across the street, where his fans celebrated his life with song and music, after he passed away.

His photo on the register...and painting at the entrance.

Alcoholic Smoothies.....

Tattoo`d Cook...who prepared my excellent Eggs Benny|

A nice salad to go with a wonderful Breakfast with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.

$37 Canadian dollars a pound for roasted coffee beans from Honduras.

Hard Apple Cider, homemade...bought a bottle and dumped it after tasting how bitter it was. 7% alcohol but I think 20!

Non Alcoholic Gin and Rum???

Spices

Homemade Dumplings stuffed with fresh fish and seasoning

Great idea : Nine fold out chairs attached in a triangle and put in pedistrian street instead of cars.

Smallest Oysters I have ever seen and ate. One Baja oyster from Mx would be 5 times the size. I had a decent meal at ``Darlings`` and my server was a ¨¨darling¨¨?

Loved the upside down Old Road Sign for Motel? uses at Ceiling lighting|

My Darling server with pink boots.

Tasty Lamb Brochettes

I had a Matcha latte this morning at the local Japanese Cafe then later had a Salad with Avocado and Eggs for lunch.

Note for guests who use the bathroom...in two languages...very thoughtfull.

Ming and I took a bus to her SERVAS friends beautiful home for a BBQ Lamb ànd pot luckgathering with one other SERVAS lady that lived in Italy and was visiting her other home in Montreal. She is a retired singer, and now traveler. The couple have belonged to service sfor 10 years and visited Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca a few years ago. It rained so we had our first part of the meal indoors then later in the garden.

We enjoyed a wonderful evening with such special people. Great conversation and food. Long walk back to the bus but all downhill and home in no time.

Today I joined Ellie and we met up with Elaine for an excurision to a part of Montreal I have yet to see. Very upscale area. We arrived on the bus then wandered around stopping in points of interest along the way while enjoying a light rain before deciding to eat at La Souviener. The rain forced us inside. We had Buckwheat Crepe with Cheese and an egg with a salad.

Humphrey Bogart minus a cigarette in his hand.

Elaine waiting while Ellie photographs the leaves on the tree.

Elaine waiting while Ellie photographs me.

Decisions....we settled on the last...easier to read!

Forgot to photo the food with such engaging company!

We walked all the way home again...no bus.

Loved that even in a residential area the street is semi-pedistrian with four lanes reduced to two and the two lanes converted to pedistrian. The delivery, emergency, and service vehicles as well as residents can get to where they are going while the people in the area can walk freely without traffic to worry about pollution, etc.

Eyebrow Workshop....new one on me!?

This is a converted High School...into luxury apartments.

One of the best Bagel Shops in Montreal

Back in our neighborhood....CORSETS and all.

Spent today at the library booking a flight for my granddaughter Emily whom I have yet to meet. She is 24 and living in San Diego but will join us in Phoenix for a few days to visit with her Mom and give me a chance to meet her. We have conversed over the internet for a few years so I am really looking forward to meeting her! I worked on this blog also so I can mail it before I leave. It sure took time and there are a lot of photos I did not show you. Too many so you got the best, as usual!

Returned to Bagel etc. for another Benni! So good.

Quick stop at the library...interesting map of Montreal.

Ming and I are dining out tonight at a nice Italian restaurant in ``Little Italy``Tomorrow I will pack and be relax before my trip on Friday. I have a direct flight from Montreal to Phoenix in 5 hours. My direct flight from Mexico City to Montreal was 5 hours.