Montreal, Quebec

scratchedvinyl, my sister, and I took a Greyhound bus from Ottawa to Montreal at 7am. Only about 5 people were on the bus at that time so we had the seats all to ourselves. When we arrived in the new part of Montreal 2 hours later, right when we got off we walked the wrong direction and got lost for at least 20 minutes. We walked back to look at street maps posted on directories and transit bus stops...we can't even read a map correctly. We strolled along outdoor cafes, clothing boutiques, fast food restaurants, walls and floors that have been marked with vandalism art, and even "adult entertainment" places. The city was very quiet since none of the stores opened until 10am.

We were so fascinated with the stores there that we had a quick lunch at the mall food court so we'd have more time to shop. I still came back empty handed. After shopping on Rue Ste. Catherine & Rue Rene Levesque, we went to the nearest metro to go to Old Quebec area. We were going to buy tickets but there were no security officers on duty. This Asian lady waved at everyone waiting and told them, "Hurry, it's free! Go, Go, Go" and so we went through without paying $2.50 each. It was a nice, free ride after hours of walking. At Old Quebec, 8 stops later, we walked through cobblestone paths with an alleyway of all sorts of stores. Many of which were souvenir stores, boutiques, and outdoor cafes/bars. Somehow, we ended up resting in the center of a park where street performers and caricature artists were wooing the crowds. After 15 minutes of resting our aching feet, we walked back along the way to the bus station. One long block later, we stopped at a cafe to buy drinks. For the first time, I ordered a bottle of Bacardi without being carded at all, since legal drinking age there is 18.

We walked all the way back to new Montreal to get a snack at McDonalds before we headed back to the bus station a couple of blocks away. Thank goodness they had city maps posted on directories at every block corner or we would have been lost for good. At the central bus station, we waited about 45 minutes before the Greyhound bus headed back for Ottawa. After about 9 hours of walking/standing almost non-stop, our feet and legs ached like no other.

Other note: I'm leaving for Toronto tomorrow morning and will be back home in Indiana by Tuesday evening. :) And I have been reading your entries, just that my internet is too slow to comment and I hate when it gets erased. Be back soon!