How time flies?!? As tomorrow dawns, my Canadian eastern adventure draws to a close, it seriously saddens me as this adventure has far exceeded my expectations... On Monday, after mailing yet another box of clothes, momentos, etc., back west to Judy, Nicole drove me back to Montreal... I know I am repeating, but so enjoyed my time with Nicole and Brent, a fabulous family, made me feel very much to home... I am happy in this hotel, Montreal Downtown Hotel Europa, very central to everything... The reason I am telling you the name, I know some of you are following the b & bs, hotels, etc... The day progressed to be a frustrating day, interesting people in Montreal, they, or some of them, are wound way too tight, don't even think it has to do w/language, enuf said... This city is very different from Quebec City even tho' both cities have "old town"... Very much cosmopolitan... Tuesday was a cold, crisp, sunny day, perfect for investigating old town, successfully trying the metro (sky train/Canada line)... It is pretty easy, straight forward... I love the cobble stones, narrow roads, winding their way thro' old town, lots of restaurants, souvenir shops, etc., all with the Christmas feel... I went in Notre Dame Basilica, fabulous, took 40 years to complete the interior, awesome! I even saw the odd flake of snow - super! After an afternoon of investigating, had worked up a thirst, ha! so went to a sports bar for some pre-game food, and wine, of course, before my 1st ever Montreal Canadiens game @ Bell Centre... The Wild (Minnesota) were in town... Even tho' this is not The Forum, they have tried their best to transfer all the nostalgia and history, they have succeeded, really enjoyed reading all the plaques, seeing all the pictures/momentos... The game was successful for The Habs, Go Habs Go... Habs 6, Wild 2... Everyone went home happy... That's it for today... Keep smiling'... h