MP3 track of the day: -
Forgotten - Linkin Park
Weather: Over cast, raining but quite warm
After my blog last night I was going to head out for a Chinese with Patrick (an American who's a realy nice guy) however he wasn't feeling great and so an Aussie called 'India' (she was prettty fit) invited me out with her party (6 Aussies, 1 American and I) to a steak resturant.
However things didn't got quite to plan; firstly we arrived at 7pm and it took them 40 mins to find us a table. Then India requested that we have another two tables as another group of friends were turning up (and they didn't). Finally we asked for the menu's. Once we had the menu's it dawned on the Aussies that the $9.00 meal they were going to order was the lunch menu that finished at 4pm; still the cheapest steak was $18.00 (£12.00) so that was pretty cheap, however they all looked a little sheapish and comments like (in an Aussie accent)...
"... We've dropped the ball here mate, we've dropped the ball big time..."
and
"... Do you think we could just ask for chips and gravy?..."
I have to say it was an education if nothing else; the Aussies we ready to leg it from the resturant (oh and worst still, they had drunk allot without ordering any food ... hence drunk) which, when suggested, I nearly died. However something had dawned on us, we had been in the resturant 1hr 30min and no one had surved us. I've got to hand it to the Aussies, they were very poliet and continually asked if someone would take our order and no one did. After 2hrs we got up and were ready to leave when a guy came over to ask what the problem was; we explained and he was very aplogetic and he said there had been a 'communication error'. This was odd to me as surley you have to communicate first to get the error. After further discussion it turns out the reason we didn't get surved was because we didn't speak French, or we weren't French - Canadian. Well, I was very annoyed and was about to explain, quite poliety, that the offical main language of Canada is English and that was because the British ANNIHILATED the French at the 'Plains of Abrahan' in 30 mins a couple of hundred years earlier (The French fired at the English when they were still out of range ... clever that).
Anyway after that it was 9pm and I talked to India abit; it was her idea to go to the resutrant and she looked a little upset. Digging a little futher I discovered that she was a little fed up with her Aussie mates because all they wanted to do was go to McDonalds and then drink all night (I spoke to one of the Aussies and there daily budget for food was $20.00 and beer was $30.00 ... go figure). India would have liked to have gone to a proper resturant, once in a while, spent a little more on food but less on beer (and effectively be out for the sametime). I did feel sorry for her but it did remind me why I travelled alone ... no arguements with myself (well maybe a couple but I always win).
Anyway India went off to find some other friends; I made sure she got there (as she ws a little drunk) and then I headed back to the hostel without tea (well, I had a couple of break rolls in the resturant ... which were lovely) and went to sleep.
Today I've had three site's that I've wanted to see:
- Montreal island with the Biosphere
- Mont Royal
- The Olympic Stadium
As all three of these were out of town I purchased a day metro ticket ($7/£4.66 so not bad value) and headed to the island with the Biosphere. The island is okay; straight out of the metrol I was bombarded with stalls trying to sell me something but I quickly moved away from them and walked around the island. The island was not a patch on the islands of Toronto.
After a couple of hours I left and went to 'Mont Royal'; it's actually a hill (233m high) in the middle of Montreal with good views. I walked along the top for a while; it was quite nice to be in a woodland, effectively, in the middle of a busy 'French' city (reminded me of Braslov ... but Braslov was way nicer).
My final stop was the Olympic Stadium. It was okay; I walked all around it and took some photos (on my Flickr account). The building was impressive but not amazing, still I can say I've been.
After than I headed back to the hostel; I've got to get packed for tomorrow (don't think I'll be blogging tomorrow as I'm travelling) as I leave Montreal and head to Quebec City (It cost me $50.00 for my ticket!). I'm glad to be leaving Montreal; it's been okay (pretty cheap) but there are other cities in Canada which do what Montreal does much better, and without the French Canadians.
Think I might have that Chinese now.
Toodle Pip!
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