After spending over a month in Ontario we make the short drive from Cornwall to Montreal. The change is a little disorienting – no more English signs, the traffic lights are different and I did not even recognize the menu at Tim’s. Good thing a double/double is the same in both languages.

We arrive at our camping spot in the early afternoon. We will be staying at the Casino de Montreal for the next couple of days, security was there to meet us –  a very easy arrangement. After getting all set up and having had our dinner, we take a bike ride on one of the bridges connecting us to Montreal past the Biosphere and Habitat 67.  There is a very good view of Montreal. On our way back we check out the bike riders zooming around the F1 track next to the casino, as well as the rowers practicing on the Olympic course.

Our first night was a little rough as our RV was pelted with rain in the early morning from a thunderstorm, but fortunately, it did not last long. We make our way into Old Montreal on the subway located quite close to where we are staying, visiting City Hall, the BMO building which is a very opulent bank, and the beautiful Notre Dame,  before heading to “Un Po di Pui” to meet our nephew for lunch. After a fantastic lunch, we spend the rest of the afternoon walking around the port area, checking out all the shops and arcade rides as well as the man-made beach. Another enjoyable day.

On our second day in Montreal, we start off with Saint Joseph’s Oratory with its huge basilica of 97 meters. A stunning building on the outside, but not too opulent, inside offering an awesome view of Montreal from the top. From here we proceed on to Mount Royal (Montreal’s version of Central Park) passing by a huge cemetery containing over 900,000 graves. Mount Royal contains lots of trees and wide open grass areas, as well as a lake where you can rent a  rowboat. There are stunning views of Montreal.

We stop for lunch at Ma Poule Mouilee, a Portuguese restaurant known for its chicken poutine. Unfortunately, we ordered poutrine (which translates to chicken breast) not poutine.  Ah, the difference a letter can make!  Still, it was delicious and more than the two of us could eat. We will try and get it right in Quebec City. We spend the rest of the afternoon wandering thru some very quaint neighborhoods before heading back to the RV. We really have enjoyed our stay here at the casino and our quick tour of it was impressive even tho we didn’t actually do any gambling.