Montreal, Quebec, Canada....

Today, I went out very early to catch some nighttime photos as we sailed into Montreal…  It was just lovely!  After docking, I was first off to do a self-directed walking tour of Old Montreal. In Old Montreal, history is present on every street corner. Cobblestone streets lined with historic buildings house art galleries, craft workshops, fashion boutiques, restaurants and cafés. I started along the waterfront, walking all the way down to the Clock Tower, catching photos along the way.  Last night, we found out that Quebec's biggest foot race, the Marathon Beneva de Montréal, is happening this weekend for its thirty-first edition.  Philippe Sabourin, spokesperson for the city of Montreal, said he was anticipating  a large turnout of people cheering — and competing — over the weekend. Something like 20,000 runners…  That meant there was going to be a lot of road closures.  That made the day very interesting.  From the Clock Tower, I decided to make my way to the famous Notre-Dame Basilica, at the southwest corner of the Place d'Armes.  That proved very challenging since at every turn I came across barriers and runners…  Runners everywhere, in the thousands…  Quite impressive.  I continued to meander around the city, making my way back to the waterfront and eventually back to the ship.  While waiting for Ann & Cathy to arrive, I pulled up a chair poolside and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine.  It was great seeing my friends again and our day in Montreal was fabulous…