After the alley tour, we rejoined the tour bus and travelled to Jean Talon public markets. It was a pleasant enough place, but markets don't do much for me, and in any event I was still concerned about the fate of family members in London. As with other members of the tour, I took this as an opportunity to have a cup of coffee, and enjoy a little "doing nothing" while watching the world pass by.
But then it was time to hit the trail again. Not very far, just a walk across the street to an Italian grocery store (well, this is the Italian section of Montreal - what would one expect?), where a wine and cheese tasting was set up for us.
Clearly this was the wine section of the shop. While I don't recall, I expect most of the wines were Canadian, more likely even Quebec.
Our tour guide, Lise, on the left, with the shop's guide on the right (dressed in black).
The Quebec tradition is smoked meat, in this case beef. The sandwiches were huge (as seems to be North American tradition), and that's not including the fries!
Yes, this is a delicatessen! It's in the basement, and there was a line of people waiting to get in. But we had reservations, and were not delayed, thus enjoying immediate seating, all in one section. It was a very filling lunch, as were most of the ones we enjoyed on this tour.
The view from my hotel window, overlooking the Place des Arts, with Avenue du President Kennedy in the middle of the photo. This view is looking roughly east.
A more detailed view of Place des Arts. The large building in the upper middle (white with greent trim around the roof) is Salle Wifrid-Pelletier. It seats 3,000 people and is home to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and also hosts ballet, opera and visiting troupes. And was the location for some of the major acts at this year's Jazz Festival. The building on the top right (with blue stripe) is the Maisonneuve Theatre, providing a more intimate space, and the location of several concerts we attended.
A more distant view of the same, showing the Jacques Cartier Bridge (I think this was the first bridge across the St. Lawrence River in Montreal intended for car use). The tallest, brownish sort of building in the middle belongs to the CBC, and the red brick building to it's right is a Moulson brewery.
Suburban Montreal Street Scenes