Walking through the suburbs from Laval.

On Saturday I decided to walk to the city from the Laval campus. GoogleMaps told me that it would take 1 hour and 23 minutes going by the shortest route but I took some detours to visit the "suburbs". I also ended up reading and having a morning siesta out in the sun as there was a great park along the way.

( 7x2 more photos - new furry friends, museums and parks )

On a completely unrelated note I had a strange dream last night and all I can remember is that somehow my sister knew who Aiba from Arashi was. Who? What? Where? Why? How? I have no idea. But Kso knew who Aiba was.

L'Echaudé and more reasons to love Canada

As I previously mentioned there are a couple of famous good restaurants in Quebec City and after having tried two of them and listening to what the other patrons were saying, I can understand most online reviews. The other day I went for brunch at L'Echaudé which is by no means a very upscale restaurant but let's say that it's in the classier range of local bistros. For example you get a small mise-en-bouche (alas not pictured because I sometimes suck at taking photos, especially when I'm hungry) and other such things. The prices are pretty reasonable, the food is excellent and I had the loveliest waiter in the world who understood my love of desserts.

I even tried some local white wine and I must say it was rather good. I would love to bring some back for my dad but I doubt it'd survive very long in my backpack. Perhaps they'll be selling some at the airport! I had an egg roll with smoked mozzarella, the best thing in the world, served with baked potatoes and salad. And then I had some sorbet because I like dessert, I forgot to ask what brand of sorbet they serve but it wasn't sugary which is my main problem with most sorbets. (BTW, the whole thing wine + mise en bouche + main dish + dessert + tax + tips cost me less than 30 bucks again, not bad if you ask me.) Now on to the stories of the patrons. There were a lot of tourists and I was amazed by what they ordered! They ordered steak. No exception! The menu had such wonderful things and they ordered steak (and then complained that it wasn't properly done just as they liked)! Perhaps they didn't know what the things on the menu were but they could have asked. Then again maybe I have a different perception of these kinds of things because I don't really enjoy meat... but if you're a meat lover why go for steak when there is duck and other good meat on the menu? If you enjoy steak so much, why not go to a steak place where they'll know how to cook your steak just as you like it? I'm a huge egg lover so for me the egg dishes at these restaurants are pure bliss. In normal restaurants you just get eggs. Here you get extremely good eggs with amazing variations and flavours and everything goes together so well. Plus there are flowers in the salad. That gets 123987 extra points.

( 1x2 more photos - flowers and dessert )

Conclusion: if you're going to Quebec City, ask me about their restaurants! Also, ViaRail, you amazing company! You provide me with free interwebs in your train stations and it's rather good! And now if only you could upgrade your wifi on trains so that it would actually work, I'd love you forever and ever and ever. SNCF, please learn from these guys! Right. In an hour or so I'll be in the train back to Montreal... en attendant, I'm eating a bagel and it's the start to "Gali hunts down bagels in Canada". I have four and a half days for this mission.

Day 292

Day 292 - 23.08.10

Place des Arts, Montreal.