Finding the time or inspiration to write has been difficult this summer. Most of our travel has been to funerals or memorials it seems. But I think we made our last such trip, for a while I hope, this past weekend when we traveled to the Montreal, Quebec area.

We had to stay over one night so I looked for an inexpensive hotel near to our venues. Through Hotels.com I found a room at the Travelodge in the Dorval area. The reviews were mixed; some were awful, so we didn’t know what to expect. It was a pleasant surprise. The building is an older one, but seems to have been refurbished fairly recently. The reception area was large and had double winding staircases up to the second floor. I could imagine a photo of a bride with a long train descending them.

The halls were bright and clean; the room was more than adequate with a queen size bed, two night tables, a corner armoire with a large TV (not flat screen though), a sofa and a desk. A coffee maker, hair dryer and ironing board and iron were also supplied.

Jim found the bed comfy

I noticed no unpleasant smells that a few reviewers had mentioned. Other than a few paint nicks and some wrinkles in the drapes and bed skirt, I could see nothing to complain about. The dining room wasn’t open for dinner, but we enjoyed a good breakfast the next morning.

After getting lost in the construction on the way to our hotel, and driving through the Dorval Airport, we settled into the Travelodge Hotel on Chemin de la Cote-De-Liesse, before venturing across the highway in search of dinner. Getting there was a challenge. Montreal is known for its one-way streets and strange angled intersections. When we arrived at Le Bifthèque and entered the grand reception area where we were asked if we had reservations, we expected to see an expensive menu.

Le Biftheque Restaurant

We were directed up carpeted steps and into one of several dining rooms. The decor was elegant – dark stained woods, polished wooden table tops on black tables with black chairs or benches, dimmed lights and a glass-enclosed fireplace. But when we scanned the menu, we were pleasantly surprised to see that the prices were only the normal for most family restaurants. We chose the baby back ribs, which came with a choice of soup or salad, and potatoes or rice. Before our order was even taken, a bowl of tasty seasoned, crunchy croutons and a basket of freshly baked dinner rolls were placed on our table.

Yummy Croutons

Our Caesar Salads were ample, so when the plates of half racks of ribs and huge baked potatoes (sprinkled with salt and Parmesan cheese) were presented, we knew we were getting more than we could chew!

Where did they find those potatoes!?

And it was all very succulent. We enjoyed some of the leftovers for our bedtime snacks later that night.

Next week we are flying to BC for a real vacation spent with family. I hope to have many pictures and stories to share.