Nothing on the agenda today but the race and dinner. We get up a little later than I would have liked and leave for the race after breakfast. It's supposed to rain today so we wore our jackets and I put plastic raincoats in my purse. Decided to leave the umbrellas as it seemed rude to open one in the grandstand. Boy was I wrong about that.
We headed to the track around 10 AM and the traffic seemed light. I'm sure everyone is there already. When we finally make it to the track, the Ferrari Challenge is in full swing. Compared to F1 cars, these seem tame. No earplugs needed.
Two Tickets to Paradise
One Car Crashed Out
We watched the cars and particularly enjoyed the little boy sitting next to me who seemed to know all the drivers and was very excited. Next to Frank was another father and son at their first race. The son also knew all the F1 drivers and helped us keep track of who was who. If it's not Ferrari, I'm at a loss.
Since the cars weren't very loud, we could hear all the commentary from the giant TV screen. I was happy to hear the Ferrari of Houston was sponsoring quite a few cars.
Ferrari Challenge Podium
Before the Storm - A Happy Frank
It started to drizzle a bit. I left to find lunch. Today I'm getting Poutine for Frank. It was a long walk, but worth it. I wanted to try it myself, but stuck with plain fries. I then walked back way past our seats to get a fruit smoothie. People were amazed that I had poutine and asked me where I got it. "Long walk back that way", I said. Meanwhile I'm trying to keep the fries dry. Frank loved the poutine and I may forgo my gluten issue to try it myself next time we go.
Poutine
The race begins behind the saftey car. It's raining a little bit at first and then the downpour begins. Red Flag - race stops. The people in front of us showed up late without any rain gear and then left promptly. What a waste of money! Other people put up their umbrellas and huddled. A lot of people left. We stuck it out for an hour. To rub salt in the wound, the TV broadcasts fans sitting in the Paddock Club high and dry.
Why Didn't I Bring Our Umbrellas
Standing Water on the Track
Sue After An Hour in the Downpour
Enough is enough. We waited for an hour in the downpour and we are leaving with a lot of other people. As we walk out, I see people waiting it out undercover. We are drenched. We are not the only ones headed for the Metro. We finally make it back to the hotel and it's not raining anymore. No way. Back in the room I hear the cars. Damn. Luckily, the race is on FOX, so we get into our robes and watch the race on the sofa just like at home. Nice and dry. Too bad there is no minibar in the room.
Amazing finish to the race. Our guy didn't make it to the podium though. We rest up for our last night in Montreal. One last martini in the lobby bar listening to the Brazilian trio. Rain has finally stopped.
We head out for dinner, which turns out to be right next to the French Music Festival, which is still in full gear. Brasserie T looks like a cheesy diner, but turns out to be fantastic. Our waiter is quirky and so is the menu. Frank orders the veal liver special appetizer and I get the Duck Rillettes. The duck is amazing and would taste so good on that warm toast. I give in and try it. (Paid for it much later with massive heartburn.) For our entrees, Frank had Saucisse de Montreal + Quinoa and I had the quail special, which was two fried quail with scallops, fresh morels, and asparagus. I wasn't too thrilled with the foam.
Frank Enjoying his Veal Liver
Sue's Quail - Tasted Better Than It Looks
We end our meal with a cheese plate. The cheese is supposed to be amazing here, but so far we have not been impressed. Perhaps the restaurants are not willing to take a chance on interesting cheeses. Overall though, lovely meal and a great way to end our trip. We take a swing by the French Music Festival and then head on back to the hotel.
Montreal turned out to be an amazing city for an F1 race. We would definitely return and definitely try the poutine again.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Finally, we are headed to the track today for Qualifying. After breakfast at the hotel, we head for the track, passing by the St. James and the Bugatti is still there. It's Saturday, so the usual business traffic is gone, but you can tell something is happening because the Metro is very busy.
The closer we get, the more people we run into. Getting off the Metro, a mass of people are trying to get through the Metro exit. Out into the sunshine, and you hear the cars in Practice 3, disco music booming, and people selling souvenirs. Crossing the bridge heading to the track, we get more and more excited. When we get across the bridge, the track is about 25 feet away and I rush up to the fence take a peak. A car is just passing by and puts on the brakes for the hairpin. It's just right there on the other side of the fence. What a noise! I quickly fumble for my earplugs. Wow!
We make our way to our seats and Practice 3 comes to an end. There are two guys sitting on our numbers, so we park our seat pads next to them. When Practice 3 ends, they get up and leave, so we scoot our pads over and park it. So no one takes our seats, Frank goes out alone to find lunch. He comes back with hot dogs. I can't eat the bun, so it's a naked wienie for me. Blech. We still have some time, so I go out to forage and find a poutine stand. Poutine is a beloved dish in Montreal and consists of french fries, gravy, and cheese curds. I figured Frank was partially full from the hot dog, so I just get us some fries. Bless Montreal because they still fry their potatoes in lard. Boy were they yummy. Frank grabs a beer and then I remember that beer has gluten. Brother. Water for me.
Qualifying Begins!
Ferrari Flags Flying
Safety Car Takes a Lap
Here They Come!
Cover Your Ears!
Frank is a Happy Man
Here They Come Again!
Qualifying is over too soon. Vettel had the pole. Darn. We join the mass of people headed back to the Metro. This will be twice as bad on Sunday for the race. The Metro workers have this so well organized. They are passing out tickets and the turnstile is open. We all make it to the trains without any incidents.
Metro After Qualifying
As we approach our hotel, we notice that the street is blocked off with police cars. In front of the St. James is a clue.
I ask the doorman of our hotel if he knows what is going on. He told us they were going to unveil the new Ferrari at 6 pm and the drivers would be there. Holy Cow. We rest for awhile and then get gussied up for our evening out. At 5 pm, we head to the hotel lobby bar for a cocktail and to listen to the Brazilian trio playing there. My beloved martini is made by a different bartender who puts a lychee nut in it instead of my usual 3 olives. Nasty. The Brazilian trio is pretty good!
Sitting in the Bar
I keep running outside to look down the street to see what is happening. I cannot contain myself and we head down to the St. James, which is just a half a block away. There is press hanging around and we patiently wait, but we do not recognize anyone they are photographing. (We find out later that Bradley Cooper attended the party.)
Finally, a little after 6 the security team unveils the car. A four-seater Ferrari. Just what you need to drive the kiddies to school.
I want to get a picture of the car, but this couple is blocking my shot. They finally move aside and I snap away. Monday, I find out that this couple also blocked me from getting my full picture in the paper. Just the top of my head is showing.
We continue to wait around to see what is going on and snap some more photos. Every once in a while, the guards open the barrier and let a Ferrari in to park on the street. Other expensive cars pull up and drop off dressed up ladies, but they have to park elsewhere if they are not driving a Ferrari.
Frank and the Car
Sue and the Car
Lucky Ferrari Drivers Who Get To Park Near the Hotel
A gray Ferrari pulls up to the barrier and the guards let it through. Frank is caught off guard and the car almost runs over his foot. A guy next to us shouts "It's Massa!" Everyone rushes over to the car, which gets to park right near the tent. Massa gets out, signs some autographs, gets his backpack out of the trunk, and walks into the hotel.
Massa - As Close as I Could Get
Massa's Car
We continue to wait for Alonso, but he never shows. I record every red Ferrari the comes into the barrier and it's never him.
It started to rain a little bit and we waited long enough. Let's go eat. We head out to Bonaparte, which is another restaurant the Spanish bartender recommended. It's in Old Montreal and very quaint. We were seated in a cozy corner by the window. For starters, I had the Lobster bisque enhanced with ginger, which was very good and apropos considering it had started to rain. I had the very disappointing Scallop delight with truffle oil and mushroom fricassee, and Frank had Roasted rack of lamb with port wine jus and Niçoise style ratatouille. He won again. I'd had enough cheese, so we ordered the souffle!
My Grand Marnier Souffle
We old folk head back to our room to rest up for the race. Meanwhile, the rest of Montreal parties on. Rhianna was in concert at the Bell Center and then later went to a club. The festivals on Rue Crescent and Rue Peel were going and the clubs around town were packed. We read all about the parties in the paper on Monday while we waited for our flight and I found a lot of video on YouTube when we got home. Oh to be young again.
Friday, June 10, 2011
As much as we'd like to sleep in, the excitement of the trip gets us up bright an early. Today we are skipping Practices 1 and 2, and going shopping. It's supposed to be a gorgeous day.
After breakfast, we head out to the Metro. On our way, we again pass by the St. James. There has been a bugatti parked outside the hotel since we got here. Every time we pass by, there are scores of men stopping to take pictures. The hotel doormen hover nearby to shoo away anyone who gets too close.
Thanks to YouTube. I found the Bugatti.
What is the point of having a fancy race car if you can't even get down the street for the crowds?
We were heading to Le Centre Eaton and enjoying looking at the scenery along the way. We came across an old church that was completely surrounded by modern buildings. We didn't go in the church, but we later found Les Promenades de la Cathedrale, which is a mall under the church in the Underground City.
We finally found Eaton Centre. Not much in a shopping mood, but we just wander around and find ourselves back in the Underground City. The weather was absolutely beautiful, so I didn't want to spend the day wandering around 20 miles of tunnels.
Eaton Centre
Also, the stores we saw seemed to cater to the youthful and I wanted to see where we old people shopped. We headed for Les Cours Mont-Royal on rue Peel. Just as we turned the corner, another street festival appeared. This time Lamborghinis.
Sue's New Car
Since Practices 1 and 2 were happening, there weren't many people at this festival. We never made it back at night to see how it changed. After looking at all the cars we head inside Les Cours Mont-Royal, which was very upscale and gorgeous.
Les Cours Mont-Royal
Enough shopping. Let's eat. Frank wants to head over the Chinatown and look around. You can see the pagoda-style roofs as you walk around. Chinatown is just a few blocks, but you really enter another world as soon as you turn the corner.
Lots of restaurants to choose from and I have no research on which to rely, so we just go through a door. We end up at the Mongolian Hot Pot, which I later find out is a chain with shops in California. Basically, you pick out vegetables from a buffet and cook them in boiling broth along with the meat they bring to your table. It was fun, but a little messy.
Mongolian Hot Pot
My foot was completely trashed from walking in wet shoes the previous day, so we head back to the hotel to rest up for the evening. When we get back to the room, we could hear the cars in Practice 2. Our hotel is a good 2 or 3 miles from the track.
We had received an invitation to meet up with other Austin F1 fans at the W Hotel at 5 pm. We arrived a little early and waited in the lobby for a bit before wandering into the bar. (If you have ever been in a W Hotel, you know how hard it is to find things in the maze of hallways.) We had a great time talking to other F1 fans from all over the world. We were the only ones that were actually from Austin. We talke to a Brit who said, other than Monaco, the Montreal experience is the best. I hope Austin is up to the challenge, because I know we can do it.
W Hotel Bar
We were able to sneak out for dinner after a respectable time. Once again Frank had made me cancel our dinner reservations and we picked a place we'd passed on our morning walk, Beaver Hall. We get a table by the window and watch people stroll by. It's a very comfortable restaurant. I start with Salmon tartare, beet root carpaccio and aspergus salad, and Frank gets the foie gras of the day. This time he can actually taste the foie gras. I have struggled this whole trip with resisting the fabulous bread that is placed before us in each restaurant. For our entrees, I get Grilled flank steak with shallots, french fries and mesclun, and Frank gets Warm duck salad, leg, gizzards confit, smoked duck breast filet and poached egg. My steak is very chewy once again, so we finally decide that Canadians must like it this way. Frank wins the competition this night as his plate is gorgeous. Looking around the room, I see a lot of people getting the Mussels " À la marinière", with french fries, which I wish I would have ordered. A lot of other people are geting the Beef Tartare ( 200g, Mixted salad and french fries). For dessert, we share a chocolate mousse.
Our bellies are full and we head out for a walk around town. Frank read there was a French music festival around the Place des Arts. I am envisioning a guy with an accordian or some French folk music, so I'm not too enthusiastic. We start to see people streaming up the road and hear music in the distance. The music gets louder and louder the closer we get. Finally, the stage comes into view.
There were so many people and all the girls were screaming. I think we were watching the Canadian Katy Perry. Later we learned we were at the Les FrancoFolies de Montreal, which is the largest French music festival in the world and the singer was Marie-Mai, who is a major star.
We watched for a while and then walked around. We found a few other stages, one which had a French Rap group. Very interesting.
A Tie to the Race
I can't The Place des Artes is also where they have the Montreal Jazz Festival, which now I would like to attend. One building was lit up with photos of musicians, which must be a tie to the Jazz Festival.
Time to call it a day. We are off to the races tomorrow and we need our rest.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
We are up bright and early for the pit walk. The Canadian Grand Prix opens the pit walk to the city for free. Normally, you would to buy some high-end ticket to get a pit walk on Thursdays.
The hotel breakfast is included in the rate. There was a fine assortment of pastries, breads, cheeses, and fruits. It wasn't the best hotel buffet I've seen, but it wasn't the worst. The coffee was very good.
Breakfast Room
Off we go to the Metro along with all the other people headed to work. People in Montreal walk very fast. We find the entrance and ask the man in the booth for a ticket in broken French. He very kindly tells us in English to use the ticket machine. End of our French attempts. Frank has a bit of trouble with the machine and the man comes out to help us. We hate being lame tourists!! Press the English button!
The Montreal Metro is very nice and the ride to the track was very easy. Signs pointed the way. Actually, all you had to do was follow men in hats with backpacks.
Signs in the Metro Point the Way
Exiting the Metro, we were hit with loud music and souvenier booths. We just followed the masses and eventually saw the bridge to the track. We had to wait in line for quite a long time and it eventually began to rain. We had umbrellas that helped, but we still got wet. The bridge was lined with flags featuring all the F1 drivers. So many people! If it's this bad for the pit walk, what will it be like on Sunday?
Waiting on the Bridge
The Biosphere Dominated the View
View off the Other Side of the Bridge
Alonso's Flag
We finally make it to the track and discover that the line was for the buses, which are right on the track! Riding the bus on the track to the pits was pretty cool. We get off and immediately are hit with another line. We queue up without even asking. We wait quite a long time and I leave to ask someone what we are waiting for. "The Pilots," says one man. I also see a guy with a TV camera. OK, I figure it will be whomever they can get, which means the drivers lower down the ranking, so we bail. (I find out later that the Ferrari team showed up. Damn.)
Note to future attenedees of the Canadian Grand Prix Pit Walk:Buy a program on your way in, get in that line, and get the autographs of whomever shows up. The drivers arrived later, closer to the end of the morning. We were too early.
The Line to Meet The Drivers
The garages are next. I cannot believe we are so close. The first garages are for Red Bull as they were 1st in the Constructor points last year. Next is Ferrari, and then McClaren. There are so many people around the barrier that I can't get good pictures.
Me at the Exit From Pit Lane
Red Bull
Red Bull Command Center - smaller than I expected
Ferrari Hat Guy
Our Guy
Ferrari's Tires
Ferrari's Noses
Ferrari Command Center
View from the Pit Wall
As we stroll down pit lane, the crowds thin out as not so many people are interested in the other cars, so I get some good pictures. Suddenly, a car starts up and people just rush toward the sound thinking maybe a driver is there. No luck.
Love Rubens
No Crowds Here
No Crowds Here Either
Frank is getting anxious about picking up our tickets and wants to head back. The last photo op was of the safety car. We didn't realize at the time how much we would see this car on Sunday.
Safety Car
Safety Car
The bus picks us up at the entrance to pit lane and drives us around the hairpin so we get to see where we'll be sitting. Asked a few people where to pick up our tickets and it was pretty easy. We ordered the tickets through Formula 1 and it was the first time that we weren't mailed our tickets, so I was pretty anxious about it. They were gracious and let us pick up our tickets early and the packet contained lanyards, ticket wallets, and ear plugs. Very nice.
Leaving Pit Lane
Bus Waiting At the Entrance to Pit Lane
Turn at Entrance to the Pits
We saw this when we watched the replay of the race on TV
The plans for the afternoon were to stroll Old Montreal, but first we needed lunch. Jardin Nelson is supposed to have live jazz most evenings, so I wanted to check it out. We were seated on the front patio and had a nice lunch, but there was no music and few customers. I kept seeing people go by the reception desk and head into the back of the restaurant. Not sure why we were seated up front. The menu was mostly crepes, which I can't eat, so Frank had a crepe and I had a pork salad. Both dishes were very good, not great, but very good. I would come here again.
We Ate on the Front Patio
Frank is Happy to be Sitting
After lunch, while Frank visited les toilettes, I asked the hostess about the live jazz. "It's in the back." I walked down the pathway and there is another reception area. The place is packed and a trio is playing. I felt pretty stupid. for going to the wrong reception area.
Reception Desk We Should Have Stopped At
Back Patio Where We Didn't Eat
The restaurant is on Place Jacques-Cartier, which is a very busy street. Lots of restaurants and shops. I'm sure it's buzzing at night. We never made it back to see, but we will next time.
Place Jacques-Cartier
Even though we are tired and still a little wet from the morning rain, we stroll around the area, stopping for maple gelato on Rue de la Commune. The stree has a lot of restaurants and tacky souvenier shops.
Surprise Sculture on Rue de la Commune
We head toward the Old Port next, walking by the Science Center. Fatigue is setting in and we decide to head back to the hotel, stopping by Marche Bonsecours, which turns out to be very disappointing. We happen upon a secret garden behind the Musee du Chateau Ramezay. From the street all you see is a very high stone wall. When you go through the opening in the wall, you are hit with all this beauty.
Frank is Ready to Go
Turning on Rue Notre Dame, I spy the Hotel de Ville, which has a gorgeous copper roof. Next is the Vieux Palais de Justice, which as a lovely courtyard.
Hotel de Ville (City Hall)
Palais de Justice Courtyard
View From the Back of the Courtyard
A Really Old Building That Now Houses a Starbucks
We pass by the Basilque Notre-Dame de Montreal, but the street is completely torn up and we are too tired to pursue a visit. I did see a sign for a light show that looked pretty good. We finally stumbled back into our room to rest and get ready for the evening.
We decided to go to the Rue Crescent festival to see Petrov signing autographs. He held up Alonso last year and blew his chance for the Championship. I wanted to punch him, but I took a photo instead. I felt a little sorry for him because there was a soiree that the other drivers were going to and he wasn't. And, since the tickets cost $1000 per person, we weren't going either.
My feet were rubbed raw from walking in wet shoes all day, so I bandaged up and we headed out for a short Metro ride and walk to Rue Crescent..
Rue Cresent Festival
Petrov Signing Autographs
Ladies Were Passing Out Goodies
Guy Learning How to Change a Tire on an Indy Car
Not So Easy Is It?
More Race Cars
International Man of Mystery
You Could Sit In This Car For a Photo (Frank wouldn't do it)
At the end of Rue Crescent, a DJ is getting his gear together for the party. I'm sure the place will be nuts after dark. (I tried to find some video of the festival at night on YouTube, but in all the video that I found, the DJ music was so distorted that it rendered the videos unusuable.)
We decided to walk around a bit and found the Complexe Desjardins, which was still open. Not in a shopping mood, but we did discover the underground city and walked through the tunnels to the Metro. We got off at a different station and saw another F1 billboard.
Montreal Underground
F1 Billboard
Back to the hotel for our afternoon break. We can't do as much as we used to be able to do. After a sufficient rest, we headed out for our cocktail hour, but this time we decided to try some of the area hotels. The Intercontinental is one hotel that is frequently offered for group tours, so we stopped there. The hotel bar was full of people and they were playing Formula 1 stuff on the TV.
I had cancelled our reservations at DNA, and we decided to try Boris Bistro on the recommendation of the bartender. Because it felt like rain, we sat inside instead of on the patio. The ambiance was truly a bistro - very warm and friendly.
Boris Bistro Inside
I started with Salad of endives, beets, walnuts and blue cheese, which was just OK. Frank had Nem of foie gras with cider vinegar reduction, which was basically an egg roll. Not impressed. For our entrees, I had Braised rabbitt, creamy polenta with lardons, which was very good because I think they made the polenta with lard and the bacon didn't hurt. The rabbit was a bit plain, but when you mixed it with the polenta became quite good. Frank had the rack of veal with early greens. He won that night. We ended with a plate of local cheeses to finish our bottle of red wine.
What a full day! We walked back to our hotel, which takes us by the Hotel St. James. There is a Ferrari flag flying. I know the team is in there. Wow.
