Farewell montreal

Our last day in montreal and our main objective was to stay warm. Thermals, triple socks and double gloves meant it took almost a full hour to get dressed! We skipped breakfast at the Gaspar tavern as it wasn't very nice and we have eaten enough eggs to last us a while. Montreal is all about the food with the French European influence it's a foodie haven. We ventured to the fresh food markets and took a metro to jean talon. It's an enormous market that is indoor during winter and outdoor during the summer. We enjoyed the best crossaint and coffee at a pâtusserie and finished it off with brioche and spicy salami. We rode the metro to our next destination which was lunch. Schwartz deli reminds me very much of Kratzs deli in NYC. They smoke their own meat and give you at least 400g of small goods  on your rye bread. When we arrived it was before 12 and there was a queue down the street. Too stay warm while we waited we would visit the the local pharmacy 3 doors down and thaw out our toes and fingers and return to the queue. There was a bit of pushing in (not by us) and a bit of yelling from the cafe owner next door who was clearly sick and tired of people lining up outside his cafe and blocking his entrance. Once inside it was full of hustle and bustle and friendly waiters. We ate,  we drank, we got warm and we left happy. A bit more walking a quick metro ride to the hotel and we stayed in for the afternoon.  Z kept on threatening to take Lucy for a run but even he conceded it was too cold. For dinner I was keen to try the local Italian French bistro that we had tried to get into for the past 2 nights. I went in after lunch and admittedly I was in my track suit pants (which z said was controversial but I said I am going to stay warm and throw fashion out the window) of course they took one look at me and told me there were no tables available for dinner. Clearly bookings only for beautiful people. Undeterred I went back to the hotel and made a reservation online EASY. The food and wine made for a memorable evening.  Our overall experience in montreal has very much been all about the food. We stayed in the old town in a lovely boutique hotel. The highlight was definitely finding the Gaspar tarvern as our local restaurant. I know it's winter but unfortunately it's just been too cold to experience the city fully.  Next stop Quebec City.,