RACE DAY!
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.
Some Eye Candy and a Preview of the Track
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.
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