Montreal Day 5

I started the day in the hotel's gym. It was not nearly as impressive as it seemed in the picture, but it does have a few treadmills, some free weights, and a whole lot of mirrors. I've been walking so much that I skipped the treadmill and focused on arms and abs.

There are no Target stores here, but I did locate a Walmart that's right by a subway station. I spent the morning shopping at Walmart, then I spent the afternoon photographing and poking around the Latin Quarter. It was nice to be able to move at my own pace instead of rushing by in search of food that's agreeable for a large group. For a late lunch, I went back to my favorite pastry shop. This time I chose a cylindrical creation that was layered vanilla cake and hazelnut cream wrapped in dark chocolate and topped with meringue. Yum again!

Besides the funky shops, I really enjoyed the variation in architecture. I took a lot of pictures of houses and balconies and street scenes, then I returned to the hotel in time to meet the guys for dinner. My husband was tired of crowds and in the mood for pub grub. We saw an appealing yet quiet looking pub down a side street in the Latin Quarter, and it turned out the food was great. I’d been planning on a nice healthy salad, but couldn’t resist the Raclette d’Atlantique (smoked salmon covered in melted Raclette cheese) which luckily did come with a side salad. It was great, and I figured I’d abstain from dessert. Then the guys ordered coffee and chocolate mousse cake, and I just couldn’t resist. It turned out to be the best chocolate mousse cake I’ve ever had. It was so light and smooth and melted in my mouth. Pure chocolate paradise.