Onward to Montreal today.

It was easy to catch an Uber to Union Station and we were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a Business Lounge for VIA trains for us to wait in. Tea and coffee were on offer through machines and fridges were stocked with juices and a range of sodas. Fresh apples were also on the menu.

The lounge was outfitted with leather lounges and chairs with a lovely art deco design.

We boarded at 8:10am and once down the ramp of the lovely station we had priority boarding and sailed past the long queue to go to the Number 1 Carriage. Business class seats are very spacious with a 2 – 1 seat configuration. The attendants are very active with service, helping with luggage, safety briefs and then cake and coffee once we are on our way. The choice of cake (brekky) was cranberry or lemon and beverages included juice, soda or tea and coffee. The cake was too sweet and poor offering for this time of the morning.

At around 10:30, the drinks cart came out again and we noticed that there was Clamato juice and vodka on the trolley …. So Caesar’s were chosen and they were nice and spicy! 🌶️ A savoury snack was also provided.

You can follow the progress of the train through their app which shows you the speed and location and times for each stop. It was a lovely way to travel. The onboard wifi was exceptional!

Once we got to the half way mark at Kingston we were delayed by a police operation… someone was on the tracks and needed to be located. During this stop they served lunch- we chose meatloaf which came with a pickled vegetable salad and a berry crumble, a bun and your choice of beverage – wine for us!

There were more small delays so an announcement came over that half the cost will be credited for a future trip within 12 months.

The fields on each side of the train were very green with potatoes and corn being the dominant crops.

Once we crossed the border, the signage changed to French. It was less rural and the architecture and environment were different.

Apparently there were downpours in Toronto today that caused chaos with traffic, power outages and flooding which we missed due to catching this train.

Once we arrived in Montreal Central Station, it was easy to navigate up to the city and we decided to walk to our accommodation located on Rue Saint-Urbain opposite the university. On the way we found a SAQ store that sells spirits and wines in part of the underground shopping network.

Our Aparthotel is spacious with all the comforts of home plus our own bedroom and bathroom each. Once settled we were ready for the evening meal.

We made our way to the old town in an Uber because it started to rain.

We chose to eat at Gaspars, it had a lovely atmosphere, attentive staff and good quality food. We consumed Caesars, cod fish cakes, octopus with hummus and salsa, filet Mignon for Scott and Beef Cheeks with risotto for me. It was all delicious.

The rain had stopped so we walked the mostly flat 1.6 kilometres to our Aparthotel, collecting supplies from an IGA supermarket on the way. It was warm and humid so the air conditioning in our apartment was much appreciated.

Good night