Old Montreal

We spent the day in Old Montreal today, and I'm not sure I've ever seen a more attractive urban area. There are a few buildings that were strongly reminiscent of Paris, but the overall look and atmosphere still does not make me think of the French city. Rather, Old Montreal has a look and a feel all its own. The weather remains very cold and sometimes windy, and late this afternoon, it began raining again. We visited some churches, hung around the old port, and just enjoyed strolling through the colorful streets.

The street lights have already been decorated for Christmas, which is really jarring, and there are a few Christmas decorations on buildings. We did some Christmas shopping, which is a vacation tradition since we always travel in the fall. It is a bit awkward to be toting hats, gloves, scarves, extra layers, and raincoats, and we have heard more than one Montreal resident complain about the weather. My cold entered phase 2 today, which means that I am no longer totally miserable, but I know that the bitter cold and precipitation here isn't helping.