La belle province

Things I learned in Montreal:

1. Carbs and caffeine do not a healthy breakfast make. Happy tourists require protein. (Our first morning we were careful to get plenty of protein to keep us going, our second breakfast we slipped a little, and our last breakfast was just croissants and cafe latte. We felt like crap and I got really cranky. Go figure!)

2. Live music makes a meal better than it is. (Our first evening the live jazz enhanced an already great meal - and great company - and the second night a fabulous piano player saved a mediocre meal by adding to the great ambiance.)

3. Splurging on a fancy hotel is totally worth it. (Between the excellent continental breakfast spread - including several protein options - and the complimentary wine and cheese every evening, we feel we definitely got our money's worth.)

4. I can still speak French. (I may not get to practice much, but I can still pull it out when I need it. The boyfriend was suitably impressed and some of the Francophones were kind enough not to switch to English the minute I opened my mouth.)

5. Cathedrals are magnificent enough on their own, so don't pay extra for the light show. (We went to see this "light show" at Notre Dame, which was mostly non-union actors doing stiff recreations in a low-budget film while wearing badly fitting costumes. We were embarrassed for everyone involved. But the cathedral itself was spectacular. I can't believe Celine got married there!)

6. Real penguins are even cuter than their animated brethren. Otters, too. (We LOVED our trip to the Biodome, with the penguins and otters topping my list of favourite attractions. I could have watched them all day.)

7. Curly-haired people should not attempt to straighten their hair if they are going to a recreation of the Amazon rainforest. (The only downfall of the Biodome. What was I thinking!?)

8. NASA is doing a lot of cool stuff that I have no idea about. (I learned a little about all the space exploration currently happening while at the Aliens exhibit at the Montreal Science Centre.)

9. I cannot let a single flowery tree or bed of tulips go unphotographed. (The Montreal Botanical Garden was soooo gorgeous. I took so many pictures that I burned out the digital batteries and had to resort to the Boyfriend's old film camera.)

10. Sometimes a little charity is better than looking at dead bugs. (We decided to skip the Insectarium and instead donated $10 to Unicef to buy a bed net for someone who needs one.)

All in all, a great trip. I truly do feel refreshed. I also feel like I need a nap, since we walked non-stop for 4 days. Flying Porter was an incredibly relaxing experience.

However, since this is a blog about my (rapidly shrinking) debt, I am happy to report that my vacation expenditure - not including airfare and hotel - was a mere $192.55. Leaving me almost $200 leftover to add to my loan!

My entire cost for the trip - all in - was just over $600. Not awful. Even better is the fact that it's entirely paid for already!! My credit card is empty and my heart full of happy vacation memories.

Here's how it panned out:

Spent Friday: $62.50 (The subway and shuttle bus on the Toronto end and a shuttle bus on the Montreal end. Plus a glossy mag for the plane. Then food.)

Spent Saturday: $51.67 (The Biodome and the Olympic Tower. Subway tokens. Then food, although the Boyfriend treated me to dinner that night. Merci mon amour!)

Spent Sunday: $27 (The Montreal Science Centre, including U23D at the Imax. Then food, although our gracious hostess provided a lovely dinner and dessert for us. Merci mon amie!)

Spent Monday: $51.38 (Cab to the airport. Montreal bagels, overpriced airport treats and assorted other food. Another glossy mag.)

And the best part of the blog:

Total debt: $7221 and a bit.