by syaffolee

Christmas Day in Montreal

After a five hour trip on Air Canada where my sister ate one too many pineapple pastry buns that we had gotten from the grocery store the day before, we reached Montréal. We took a taxi to our hotel to drop off our stuff before heading out for dinner.

The Montreal Notebook had recommended Ristorante Otto as a place that was still open on Christmas Day. I think their website should have clued me in to what sort of place this was because I think my sister and I stuck out like sore thumbs when we got there. It’s a swanky chic place playing techno with waiters looking like Lotharios and waitresses in mini-skirts up to here. (You’d like this place if you’re a man with a leg fetish. Otherwise: “Ack, my eyes!”) My sister had cavatelli in a tomato and basil sauce (like “plump maggots” she whispered to me) and I had risotto with black truffles. Both dishes were on the salty side. Also, I think our waitress hated us for some reason because our check came back a bit damp.

We dawdled a bit while we walked back to the hotel. It seemed as if there was a lighted Christmas tree on every corner. There was a particularly impressive one on Place Ville Marie. We also passed by the Basilique-Cathedrale-Marie-Reine-du-Monde and the tourist office on Peel–which we will be visiting briefly tomorrow morning. Rue Sainte-Catherine is a bit interesting–ordinary shops and restaurants interspersed with more than one strip club. There was also a drunk guy blowing a horn at passing drivers.

From 20091225_Montreal_Downtown_Evening

From 20091225_Montreal_Downtown_Evening

My sister has things semi-planned out for tomorrow. Me? I think I’ll just go with the flow and not get stressed out about anything. If something crazy happens, it’ll just be another story to tell.