Quoi de neuf? - Carolyn Wooddall

*I wrote this last night, but for reasons that will be explained below, I wasn’t able to post it until now= )

For those of you non-frenchies, that means “What’s up?!” My first half-day in Montreal was exciting, relaxing and just what I needed. I love my hostel and was incredibly pleased to find that it’s in the heart of Vieux Montreal (the “old city”), amidst cobbled streets and sidewalk cafes. I share a “room” (nothing more than 4 sheets pinned up around 2 bunk beds) with a guy who is yet to show up and 2 girls from Hong Kong who are sweet but don’t speak much English. After dumping my backpack I first set out to find an internet cafe so I could call Matt and my parents…here is how my inquiries went:

Me: Est-ce qu’il y’a un cafe avec un connexion sans fils pres d’ici? (I had just learned the phrase for wireless internet on my flight over…”connexion sans fils” and was excited to use it)

Vendor: Non

Me: (thinking that maybe I had used the phrase improperly) Il y’a un cafe avec l’internet pres d’ici?

Vendor: Non. Montreal doesn’t have anything like that.

He really did respond to me in English, and I decided that I really need to step it up on my french accent!

This same conversation was repeated with 2, 3, 6 more vendors and restauranters and I was shocked to find that the answer was always no! After giving up and deciding to eat the long distnace and call Matt on my cell phone, he summed it up by saying “And Canadians wonder why Americans think they’re so weird…”

But I’ll admit that while I was on my quest for the “cafe d’internet”, I came across some wonderful shops selling handmade wares, along with quite a few touristy ones with lots of maple candies and syrup. I walked up and down the cobbled stones and enjoyed listening to the snippets of French conversation (especially coming from the children…their little accents are just too cute!) Old Montreal is also located right on the water, so I took a walk along the harbor and sat in one of the many parks along the water and watched the myriad of people stroll by.

Eventually I made my way over to a little cafe with an outdoor terrace so I could sit out and enjoy more people watching and the warm night air. I had brought my book with me, “The Power of Myth” by Joseph Campbell, and sat on the terrace reading my book as I enjoyed carrot soup, quiche lorraine, salade and strawberries with creme fraiche, then a nice cup of tea.

Afterward I strolled about the streets some more, watching some street performances (I included my favorite “Stand By Me”) and eventually came back to my hostel where I sit now. I’m on the 3rd floor and there is a wrought iron spiral staircase at the back of the building that overlooks Artists’ Alley…an open air market filled with different art and jewelry and all sorts of treasures! I feel a bit sneaky for watching them sell their wares and bustle about…but it is a comforting scene as I sit here and write.

Me enjoying the park across the street from the canals
The beautiful building in the background is the Marche Bonsecours…this is the park along the water.
The old harbor at old montreal.
I thought these flowers were neat

In heaven…there’s a fantastic french restaurant on every corner!

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