It’s 10 am and I gather with my friends to have le petit déjeuner. Talk about trying to eat breakfast with Twenty two friends from high school, all I hear is words like bonjour, hello, S’il vous plaît madame, and on and on. These are special friends, we graduated from high school in Belgium and we have reunions very often, this time is Montreal, but it has been, Chicago, Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Houston, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Pioneer in California, Brussels twice, Seattle twice, two cruises, Baltimore, New Orleans and New York city twice, talk about people with no careers and no hope to retire.

Is sunny today, I’m not wearing my long Johns, I left my heavy jacket at the hotel but I’m layered well; heavy vest on top of a pullover on top of a turtleneck on top of a t-shirt. Time to go.

As we leave the restaurant and we stand outside, all I hear is

¡Call an Uber!

All phones come out of the holster, twenty some people needs to get to Mount Royal, it’s the race to grab the first car or station wagon that shows up, whoever is left behind will have to pay for his own Uber, some of us will share….. the ride, not the bill.

“I jump into a car, six of us ride confortable, some conversation starts going in the back, I’m not listening but my ear stands still when I hear Susan say” My boobs can meet my knees” I didn’t ask any questions, I’ll wait to get out… and verify.

Mont Royal is a high hill overlooking the city, tourist flock to this spot to catch a glimpse at the city landscape while they chant words like oh la la. I simply take some pictures and go on my way. My classmates continue to chant oh la la.

Time is running out, before dinner we Must see old Montréal and a display of lights at the Botanical Garden. Old Montreal didn’t seem as old as I thought and the lights didn’t glow, Claude forgot to buy tickets to the sold out show.

We rushed to the Metro station to catch a ride to some Heineken place in St Denis street, I swallow my beer in one gulp, Adriana took two sips and we left in a hurry, we only had one hour to make it back for dinner. Walk… Metro… Walk

Brush my hair… Adriana change clothes…. Put a jacket, walk… Metro…. Walk

Damm, my phone is going dead, is a good thing I have the restaurant ping on my phone.

Honey we are here, no we are not she says, this is the breakfast place, Damm again, so where is the restaurant I said, I only have 2% left on my phone, let me call Claude.

Claude, where is the restaurant…. Hellooo… Where is the restaurant…. it’s at 330 Marie Ann Street…. Hello…. hello… Phone shuts down… Honey did you get that? Yes, 33 Marie Jane Street

Escuse moi mecier, do you know where Mari Jane St is, oh oui 10 streets that way, merci… We start walking. 13 streets later, we back track 3 streets and by a miracle of who knows what we found the restaurant. We entered with a big applause, I was so happy to see my friends, right away I join the Canadian and Latin American wine society, Adriana just wanted to catch up on the wine drinking competition.