Leg 19 - Madawaska, ME to Montreal, QC

Left the motel in Madawaska, ME at 5:50 am and 58 degrees. Madawaska is less then a mile from the Canadian border.

I followed the waitress's advice from last night's dinner and crossed the border using the Madawaska border crossing. I got inspected. I had to unpack the bike and all of my bags were gone through. To be fair, it was a cursory look through my bags. It could have been much worse. The officer was serious but very polite. I took the following photo of the event:

Inspected at the Canadian Border Crossing Madawaska, ME

The ride from Madawaska to Quebec was absolutely gorgeous. I looked for moose in the forest that lined both sides of the highway. I didn't get to see any, but they are definitely in the area. Moose are frequently struck on the highways in Canada and the US. Weighing in at up to 1000 pounds, it would be unfortunate to hit one on a motorcycle. 

The ride from Quebec to Montreal was congested and full of 18 wheeler traffic. There were many sections of the Trans Canadian Highway that are under construction.

I arrived in Montreal around 2:30 in the afternoon. The temperature was in the low 80's. At gas stops and rest stops along the way I peeled off layers of clothing I put on in the morning. 

I immediately set my Google Maps to a 'duck deli' that I had seen featured on Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods, Canard du Lac Brome. A friendly salesperson, Pauline, helped me select a few items I could snack on in my hotel room. I am a big fan of duck.

I checked into a 'bare bones' hotel, Plateau Royale' on Ave du Parc in Montreal. My plan was to spend two nights in Montreal. The day I arrived was just before my birthday and I wanted to celebrate it with a day of site seeing in Montreal.

I went to the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal, a spectacular site. I took the following photo in the main part of the Basilica:

Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal

I also went to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The museum is huge, spanning four buildings connected through underground passageways. Each building has four floors of exhibits. They have old masters as well as modern art. The following caught my eye in the modern art section:

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

One thing that I found interesting about Montreal is that it is a French speaking city. The first words spoken no matter where I was, was in French. When I returned English, the person immediately switched to perfect English. Grocery store, restaurant, people on the street, all speaking French. But everyone I met also spoke perfect English. I read a fact about Montreal that it is the second largest French speaking population in the world.

Overall, 369 miles and 8 1/2 hours of riding.