The weather was still rainy, but because of that we were treated to a rare sight: a triple rainbow over the St. The room decor was a bit strange, but the welcoming & helpful staff as well as the location more than made up for that. Upon arrival at the Hotel Sainte Anne, we were warmly greeted.
It's quite common to meet people who speak no English in this part of Canada. From there we drove northeast, & the closer we got to Quebec City, the more French it got. This is what the US might have become if the British had not taken Canada from the French. Even so, it was sad to leave this great city, which is a mixture of old & new, French & English. The weather was damp & chilly & we both came down with colds, but we still very much enjoyed our time in Montreal. We stared in amazement, as we shared 1 sandwich & were quite full. Her younger teenage brother could stand to lose some weight & get some exercise, yet he ordered the smoked meat platter, which is 24 ounces of meat.& he managed to eat the whole thing. Absolutely yummy, & definitely not suited to someone who is trying to limit calories, fat or salt, but hey, you only live once! The place was jammed so we shared a table with an Indianfamily (the daughter is apparently a college student there). They are famous for their smoked meat, a variation of pastrami, but with a different taste & texture. Speaking of filling food, we ate lunch at Schwartz's Chacuterie Hebraic. The breakfasts are absolutely delicious & filling.
The rooms are tastefully decorated & the staff most welcoming & accommodating. Wonderful location in the old city, in a building dating from 1712. It is not the least expensive place in Montreal, but it's definitely a favorite of ours. The hotel we stay in when we can get a reservation is the Auberge Les Passants du Sans Soucy. After a looooooong day of driving we arrived in Montreal around 8:30 in the evening, and felt, as always, immediately at home. It didn't seem so long when we were in California planning the trip, but in reality, we had to drive through Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, & the entire length of New York State to reach the Canadian border, & then drive some more. Anybody who is reading this would probably agree that Philadelphia (our previous stop) is a long way from Montreal.