Montreal

Poutine.

Bonjour!

I've just returned from a little road trip to Montreal, and I have some lovely meals to share with you.

If only we could have really shared, then I wouldn't have had to do quite so much yoga upon my return.  The French like their food rich.

Confit de canard with pancetta and arugula. (Excuse moi.  My French is bad.)The only salad I ate all weekend, and we shared it three ways.

Some nights we ate fancy -

Le beouf.

- some days were more casual.

La Binerie.  Baked beans are a Montreal thing, and these were the best I've ever had, hands down (I ate two helpings).  The crepe also contained Quebec cheddar, which was hearty and had some zip. Tres bon!

And I made sure to save room for French pastries. The flakiest, and butteriest of them all.

We ate the apricot one.

We did see the sights, but we also love to experience the local flavors of the region, and those tend to be what I remember the most.  We saw some beautiful cathedrals and buildings among the cobblestone streets:

 Vieux Montreal. (Old Montreal)

Basilique Notre Dame de Montreal.

Montreal is a lovely city.  But at these times I felt like a tourist. An outsider looking in.  Voyeuristic.

It was sitting in the open air cafes, sipping a wine I've never heard of and enjoying a meal with a French name I could barely understand, that I felt the most connected with the city.

Montreal is a straight shot up from Albany, four hours, easy peasy.  And then suddenly you're in another country, speaking another language, eating amazing food.  Life is good.

Au revoir.