DAY 122: Driving in Montreal — GULP!

DAY 122: Sparky Can’t Speak French

I woke up this morning in the AirBnB in Montreal. Sparky had also slept for the night in a nice, cozy spot away from the street. Whether it was safer or not, he looked content.

Those hotels I stayed in prior to Chicago were such a blasted failure, that I was so relieved to be able to predict my destination dates for both Detroit and Montreal. I have to say that the difference of paying $130 CAD for those stinky hotel rooms, compared to the $35/night in this beautifully kept 70-year old Montreal home, it dawns on me why AirBnB is so successful. I never want to stay in a hotel again. I’m far too shy to speak my rusty French from school, but she is so accommodating, and we are making our conversation work! I didn’t need the breakfast this morning, but tomorrow morning, apparently she made me a cake, and cut up some fruits for me! I can’t decline. No matter what time I leave, I am going to have some proper breakfast!

So on the itinerary today:

1. Croissant and Coffee at Old Montreal
2. Parc du Mont Royal
3. Poutine at Orange Julep
4. Buy the best baklava in the country at Patisserie Mahrouse
5. (gulp) job interview via Skype

I headed out to Old Montreal at 8:00 in the morning. The drive there was just as bad as what I had experienced coming in the evening before. And so here it goes...

I recall in Tesla’s Autonomy Day, the question about self-driving in snow prompted a very interesting response about “drivable space.” This doesn’t seem significant, and to me, I am sometimes amazed when road line markings are not clear, how Sparky still seems to navigate his auto-steering without freaking out on me. But my perspective until now was that Teslas need to follow line markings to know where to drive. Identifying alternate spaces to drive (like the highway shoulder as opposed to a barrier) was really a secondary need.

But in Montreal, you might as well not have any line markings whatsoever... and in many places where there are none, cars make their own lanes despite the tight space provided — and honk at you when you don’t do the same. I asked myself “Is this what it will be like driving in a European city?” In places like this, drivable space is the ONLY way to make sense out of the chaos. This is in addition to roads rarely staying straight, multiple on-ramp and offramp options, and intersections with 5 or more turning options (as opposed to 2). So focusing on drivable space rather than lane markings is a brilliant move if you want worldwide adoption of full self-driving.

I thought I was grateful for not getting hit in Toronto... but Montreal is a whole new world of 
blessing counting.

Well, let me tell you that at the end of a long day of driving, I have developed driving gusto! Watch out Vancouver. I’ve changed!

*****

Almost immediately after I got into my Tesla in the morning, I hit the radio. Sparky had already selected a radio station for me, and it was AMAZING! I was totally immersed in French pop with a hint of can-can style. Now I had truly arrived! I don’t know the culture or the language, but I’ve had my official introduction!

Unfortunately, Old Montreal was not a roaring success in the morning. Every parking attempt seemed to result in a “transaction cancelled” and I couldn’t figure out why. I drove around and around, and started to get restless. I looked at parking lots, only to see that they freely double-park cars for people who pay a daily rate with the intention of staying that long. I, on the other hand, MUST leave because of my job interview and couldn’t afford to be trapped between cars with no way to get out. I started checking out parkades, only to find that the $22 fee wasn’t something I was willing to pay for a mere 1-2 hours there. As I became more dejected with every effort, I grew hungrier and started to get resentful. If I didn’t have that job interview, I could just stay here all day without recourse. 

I finally decided to leave... and maybe find a place in downtown Montreal. Again, round and round in circles I went... construction here, one-way streets there. I had wasted an hour and a half.

Then I saw Le Mont Royal to my left. I had briefly checked out some pamphlets at my AirBnB and saw there was a big park in the middle of the city. When I ran right into it, I knew this was going to be my refuge. I headed up the “hill” (Hey, I’m from the Rockies!) and aimed for Cafe des Amis. That’s where I decided I would have my first Montreal croissant and coffee. And yes, it worked! It costed me $3 in parking for my 1 hour, but it was enough to sip a strong cup of coffee, munch on an absolutely wonderful croissant, and walk the man-made pond before the weather warmed up too much and the crowds started showing. It was a moment of breath and calm.

Now what? I had about 3.5 hours before the job interview. It was hard to believe, but I was ready to try Old Montreal again. I took a deep breath and said “I’m going to make this happen!”

Before heading out, I fired up the web browser in my Tesla, and took a look at Parkopedia to find all of the parking spots in the area. To my surprise (and my worry), there were reviews for a couple of parkades that said their cars were broken into, and to be careful. I took a big gulp and started to reconsider how important Old Montreal was to me that I would leave Sparky unattended, open to be violated. I had checked out the Uber prices from my AirBnB, and it estimated $17-20 one way... way more expensive than parking!

I felt like I was in a conundrum. But somehow, I really wanted to do this. I wanted to get a croissant from L’Amour du Pain. I wanted to grab lunch at Olive + Gourmando. I wanted to visit the Notre Dame. Dang it, I’m going!!

So I will tell you ahead of time, that this story ends really well. And here’s an Old Montreal parking tip:

I decided to do street parking in a busy, busy area. Trusting that the cars are experienced enough to squeeze into corridors and not hit my precious Sparky, I figured as long as the surroundings were busy with people, there’s less chance of getting broken into. When I found a rare open parking spot, I saw this sign:

It was the same sign I saw this morning when I tried to pay for parking and wasn’t allowed to.

I quickly pulled out Google translate and it said “Deliveries Only”. Ah! That’s why! I looked at the clock and I was 40 minutes away from being able to properly pay for this rare parking spot. So I turned on climate control, cranked up the French radio station, and sat in my Tesla preparing for my job interview. Time ticks away quickly when there is so much entertainment and option in your Tesla! :)

When 12 noon rolled around, I was ready to go! Went to the parking meter this time, prepared for it to accept my payment instead of turn me away (like it had done twice in the morning). And it turns out, 2 hours of parking came out to $6 CAD!  *insert jaw drop here*

I put my parking voucher in my windshield and headed to Olive + Gourmando, on a lovely stretch of Old Montreal walking. Two short blocks later, I arrived. There was a lineup, and I hoped that maybe it would not eat into too much of my 2 hours of parking. It turns out, because I was by myself, they gave me a beautiful corner right by the window where I could people watch and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. SCORE!

If you want a breakfast/brunch/lunch suggestion, this place is great!!

Then just around another corner was L’Amour du Pain, the place I had been looking for in the morning for my croissant. I had to get one! I also got one for my AirBnB host who has never heard of this place!

Next up, Notre Dame!

When I had been sitting in my Tesla earlier, running down the clock for parking, several times, a horse and carriage passed me. To my good fortune, Notre Dame was just another two blocks away in a different direction. Another score for the parking spot!

I headed back to my AirBnB for my job interview, content and satisfied. 

Once the interview was over, I had two more things to check off my list.

Baklava is not something I normally like, but someone at work always brings this back with him after his recruiting stint in Montreal each year, and it’s to die for! I had to get some for myself! If you are ever in the area, a whole small box of bite-sized baklava (almond, pistachio and walnut are the three best!) costed me only $23 CAD. That’s ridiculously cheap, considering they are very rich and not easily consumed in a sitting... these are meant to be shared!

Then it was a last meal of Poutine. Not sure if I believe this to be the best in the city, but the atmosphere of being in Montreal eating poutine made it worth it. 

I should have also gotten an Orange Julep (like the name)... and this is like a fifties drive-in diner. Very cool! (Plus another Tesla also parked up front with a lot of onlookers. I think Sparky was jealous.)

I’m back to Kitchener tomorrow for two more nights before heading back out on the road down to the Grand Canyon.

Tomorrow will officially mark the halfway point in my road trip. It’s so much joy and adventure to treasure. Trip of a lifetime indeed!

*****

Today’s Odometre Reading: 19,567 kms

KMs traveled on this road trip so far: 6205 kms

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