Mad As A Hornet

Finally, though it lasts all of an hour before the rain starts to fall. Drat ... foiled again. This dreary weather makes it hard to get excited to explore the city.

Now, what to do today? Our plan is crepes for breakfast, and then on to Notre Dame Cathedral. We've also been turned on to Rue Sainte Catherine, a great spot for shopping -- both above, and below ground. With extremely cold winters here in Montreal, the malls have gone under street level, connected by passageways that allow you to walk for blocks without subjecting yourself to sub-zero temperatures.

Or rain, as the case may be.

Our other host, Stephanie, got in late last night from a work trip to Las Vegas, so we met her this morning. With the elevator out when she arrived, she had to lug her suitcase up the stairs after midnight. Said she sent a picture to their Board with the "elevator out" sign and her bag in front of it. I like her immediately.

We start our day at a little creperie around the corner from the apartment -- La Crepe 2 Go. I suggest we order one sweet and one savory, but Gram looks at me like my head is on fire when I recommend chocolate for breakfast. If I'm going to eat the spinach she wants slandering my plain old ham and cheese standby, she can eat my hazelnut and strawberry. It's called compromise. But when I tell her this, she thinks I'm saying I'll eat all the spinach one and she can have the chocolate one. She starts arguing that she wants half. I'm so confused until I realize she hasn't heard me, just as she begins to say how important communication is.

So are hearing aids.

The crepes are good, but not as good as the ones in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Of course, that might have more to do with the adorable little Frenchies that make them there ...

You have to pay to park your bike here, which I find intriguing, and not necessarily conducive to less car traffic. We won't be touring the city by car today, however. And we won't be walking. Grandma says she plans to tell mom that some of the stairs in Italy made their way to Montreal. She has suggested we head for the metro, which will be her first experience on this method of public transit. 

We can't find an elevator into or out of the metro, so Gram hurtles herself up and down the stairs. I frankly have no idea how she is doing it. We get off a few blocks from Notre Dame, and while we walk, Grandma reaches into her pocket for something when I see a yellow jacket near her hand. Before I can do anything, it stings her on the thumb. She makes the most horrible sound, wincing. I know it hurts like hell, and there is just nothing to be done about it. Not a nice way to start the day.

Inside the cathedral, it is absolutely stunning. We sit down in some pews near the front to admire the view. I hear Gram praying, thanking God for all his glory. It makes me start to think, does a big ornate church honor God? I ask her, and she says that it honors man, but that when structures like this are created, the aim is to glorify God. It's not our place to judge. I can't help but think how many mouths this pomp and circumstance would feed. I like my theater church. Simple, with a big focus on helping others.

I saw a lot of churches in Italy, so I wasn't that excited about seeing this one. That said, this is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. It's just breathtaking, and I am dying to hear the 7,000+ pipe organ play.

The shopping is kind of anti-climactic, aside from a stop at Canada's equivalent to Marshall's ... called Winners. Shopping in a store called "Winners" is just funny. I find a great pair of black cords and a present for the boy. Because we're winners, damn it. After, it is back to the apartment for a siesta. Even I think I'll nap this time.

We head to the port and Old Montreal for dinner. The area is just darling, and if Gram's legs weren't mush, we might have done a little more walking around. I even try to convince her to do a horse drawn carriage ride with no success.

Speaking of no success ... dinner is a bust. After researching online, I've come up with Modavie, a well-reviewed place that isn't too pricey. That's not to say it's cheap. It is not. Most dinners start at about $30. The place is darling, the reception warm and the window table, marvelous. The service, however, left a lot to be desired. There are a few things I look for in a good dining experience.

1. You should be greeted quickly upon arrival.
2. Glasses should never sit empty, especially water.
3. Food should arrive promptly: 10-15 minutes for appetizers, 20-30 minutes for entrees.
4. The waiter should always check in within five minutes of patrons receiving food.
5. Plates should not be cleared until everyone has finished eating.

This place failed miserably on numbers 2, 3 and 4. When he finally did come back to inquire why I hadn't touched my food, Grandma was already done eating. By then, it was a little late to do anything about it. I sent it back.

In my opinion, a restaurant can dig there way out of this sort of thing. In New York, they forgot part of our meal. It was brought out promptly, they apologized profusely, and brought us all a small dessert. Here, he stumbled, then said I would not be charged, and offered to bring something else. When I explained that the timing was a bit off and asked how long it would be (considering it took more than 40 minutes to arrive in the first place), he said he could try and rush things.

Try.

If only he would have tried to make sure we had a good experience in the first place. Another glass of wine would have gone a long way. At least I could have drank my dinner.

I really wanted to like this place. C'est la vie.