Since I arrived in Montreal, basically since I sat down with Brandon for a beer, 30 minutes after arriving, Montreal has been one big ride… beers, festivals, DJs, restaurants, friends, dinners, more music, road trips… I am a bit out of breath.

Lisa, Brian and Marisa left Sunday morning for NYC, and Renato, Dennis and Declan left Tuesday morning. Not without handing over the contents of their fridge, so at least the shopping is done for the week.

So I’m on my own again, and as much fun as it was, I needed that. I need to slow down, spend less money, and get to a normal rhythm of life in Montreal. Remember I wanted to go swimming every second day…?

I spent time cleaning the apartment, doing my laundry, getting a few things done like emails, sorting pics, doing my bank transfers, writing emails…

I had a coffee and a nice chat with Arié, a fellow traveller, from Montréal, and he showed me his favorite places in our corner, among them a great ice cream place, Léo, le Glacier. I had Citron Bleu (with Curaçao) and Ananas-Basilic. Revelation! I have to come back for Framboise Thym!

After that I watched the World cup match Germany vs. Brasil with a certain disbelief…

In the evening, as it started to rain, and cooled down a bit, Joel and I went for a quick drink in a neighborhood bar, L’Gros Luxe, just next to Park Lafontaine, for beers and some finger food.

They have great burgers, and fantastic avocado fries. It’s Avocado wedges in a spicy crust, fried, with a mayonnaise dip. Essentially the fattest vegetable around fried in fat and dipped in… fat. Yummy!

Next time I have to try their all-in-one drink and finger food… Meet the Caesar family: Billy the kid, El Kartel, Mr Miyagi, Walter Chell and The Foreman.

Add to that two local beers, Moosehead and Okanagan Spring Pale Ale, and you have the perfect end to a nice day.