Layover in Montreal

I am on my way to France for another pilgrimage, but had obviously not had my coffee yet when I booked the flight...not only did I have an 8 am flight out of Newark, making it impossible to take the train to Newark the day of (I am unwilling to sleep in the airport), but I had a 12-hour layover in Montreal! No worry, I haven’t been to Montreal for several years, and last time it was 19 below zero!

Everyone was super sweet at the airport and I easily caught the shuttle, which gives you a day of free rides for 10 Canadian. I had planned to take the bus deeper into town, but saw the Atwater Market on my little google map, so when the bus stopped nearby, I got out.  

The market seems well out of the tourist area, though I did walk from there to the old city. It was so charming, and food was so beautifully displayed, I felt I really wanted to be able to do my grocery shopping here.

See photos and captions for details.

So sad, no dogs in the market


One of many sausage displays.

The purple in the middle are figs.

There were several florists, I kind of liked this arrangement.


Tiny blueberries...and so crazy late in the season, I believe they are from Quebec.

Real maple syrup in 1-lb cans. This would be $15-20 in U.S. It’s worth it to drive up there to get your fix.

Q
All local, there is an island north of Quebec City (Ile des Orleans) that grows berries in September, craziness.


Ho hum herbs, but again, September!


One of several bakeries in the market.


These tomatoes are so pretty, you must zoom in. I would like to get some seeds...


This guy had Vietnamese vegetables, tons of them...locally farmed. Why don’t we have that?


You gotta have your little pigs...but the candy was also stunning, I just like pigs.

Some wild mushrooms mixed with other interesting produce.

Loving the garlic display.

Next I walked through Montreal adjacent to the canal/river. Passed through two seemingly up and coming neighborhoods...places I’d never been. There was even a Salvation Army that had some interesting stuff, but a number of vintage stores too.

When I finally got to the Old City (Veaux Port?), I was pooped...six miles maybe? Stopped for lunch in a little outdoor cafe in a park where the staff had an outdoor staging area but ran back and forth across the street to the kitchen. Had a lovely prix fixe meal of smoked salmon, mushroom omelet, and sorbet and coffee....plus a glad of rose..US.$20. Oh and did I mention that the staff moved so quickly! Being alone, I tore through my meal pretty quickly, but they were on it, always knowing where I was in the order. They also ran from task to task, no walking. And, and I don’t know what this is, I felt cared for, noticed, even as a single older woman. I feel that in the U.S., no matter how good the staff, there would be a difference in the way I was served compared to a couple.

Oh and an aside....Several times in the last two days of travel I have been pushed aside by couples. I am first but they run in front, I am first but the hostess offers to seat them first, I am first but they slip into line in front of me. I keep wondering if I am imagining this...I can’t say I have ever noticed this in the past and wonder if it’s my imagination.

I must say I want to go back to Montreal soon and buy syrup and eat prix fixed meals.