Springtime Montreal and Toronto Roadtrip!
Contributed by Leann ZotisMontreal is a wonderful dichotomy of the provincial, old-world charm of a small town and the high-speed, fast-paced life of a modern twenty-first century city. Since high-speed and fast-paced were the very things we were fleeing on this little getaway, we focused our attention on Old Montreal.
There is much more to see in Montreal than can ever be accomplished in the few short days we devoted to it. Being the awe-struck patrons of architecture that we are, my husband and I sought out the Basilique Notre-Dame as our first destination. Inspired by the Saint-Chapelle in Paris, the Basilique Notre-Dame is a heart-stopping monument to the magnificent creations man is capable of achieving.
No great roadtrip vacation is complete without a sampling of the local gastronomic delights. We soon found ourselves fixated at Chez Suzette where we dined, not once, but three times in as many days, savoring such unequalled delicacies as Quiche Lorraine, dinner crepes and an exquisite fruit filled dessert crepe. The delightful waitress teased us with her fluent command of the French language and we felt as though we were dining near the River Seine instead of near Lake Ontario.
Our roadtrip journey took us to Quebec City where we felt more drawn into old-world Europe than ever. Bicycles seemed on equal terms with motorized vehicles and the old part of this quaint town was alive with the hustle and bustle of tourists and workday citizens at every turn.
Next stop on our roadtrip: Toronto. Here we left behind the old for the new. Toronto is a thriving metropolitan area where English is the language of the land and the fear of mis-communications was laid to rest. We spent a memorable evening at a live performance of the famous Second City Comedy Club. Here, thanks to our first row seats that touched the stage, my husband and I became the target of a few good-natured jokes. The comedians were outstanding, in the tradition of some of the more famous alumni of the Second City culture, John Candy, Martin Short and Dan Aykroyd. We already have plans for a future return trip.
Perhaps the most bizarre event to transpire on our journey occurred on our return trip, as we prepared to cross the Canadian border back into the United States. While we were away, my husband and I celebrated a wedding anniversary. In honor of the occasion, he surprised me with a dozen yellow roses delivered to our hotel room in Toronto. Actually, part of the surprise was on him when, for reasons we still don't completely understand, two dozen yellow roses were delivered to the hotel room.
Our return trip across the border sent up red flags to the customs agents who immediately called for back up in the form of an agricultural inspector. It seems the two dozen yellow roses, propped up securely in the back seat between bags of dirty laundry were considered something of a contraband item when it comes to border crossings. After several minutes of poking and prodding the roses, much to their chagrin and mine as well, we were sent on our way with the good wishes for a pleasant day and a happy anniversary.
We're ready to pack our bags and head out again on our next road trip. Where to next time? Who knows, maybe the western states. Colorado, Utah, Arizona all have an appeal. So much to see, so little time!
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