Day 8, Friday, July 12th

Montreal today and tomorrow.  Nice little ride from Ottawa - only 130 miles and I planned it that way so we'd have some time in Montreal this afternoon without being rushed.  And beautiful weather well except for the heat wave a few locals here in Canada have been complaining about.  It's gotten up to about 30 degrees centigrade (about 86 degrees fahrenheit) and the local weather forecasters are offering tips on how best to deal with it.  Get real people.

We took a short ferry ride (1 1/4 miles) from Hudson to Ora on the way.

Then on to Montreal.  We were told that traffic was terrible and oh yes this was a Friday late morning.  There were a few little slowdowns but nothing really serious at all. 

Our first stop was Parc Mount Royal, the highest point in the city and a huge park area designed in the late 1800s by Frederick Law Olmstead who also designed New York City's Central Park.  We didn't spend much time here but driving through it was very pleasant.

The Queen be chilling while I explored a bit.

Haven't seen one of these in ages but I've seen a few up here in Canada.

On the road from the park to the hotel.

The Queen pours a mean drink.

Later that afternoon we went exploring down to Vieux-Montreal (old Montreal)

Notre Dame Basilica. 

Not sure what this is but got a shot of it anyway.

The concierge at the hotel recommended three restaurants.  This is the first we got to, a steak house.  On to the next.

Shops along the way.

The microbrewery.  Think we'll eat dinner here. . . and we did. . . and it was good.

A local having a smoke outside this steak house told us it was the best restaurant in Montreal in his opinion.  Well maybe tomorrow.

On the way back to the hotel.

We are staying at the Doubletree Hotel right downtown in the heart of the city.  Lots of big hotels here - this one is twenty stories and has a two level mall on the first two.  If we'd stayed on the outskirts of the city and had to drive in facing traffic, one way streets, parking, etc., it would be a challenge.  It is pricier to stay in the downtown but definitely worth it.