#veganpoutine

Today we took another slow morning, I got up earliest to prepare pancakes for breakfast. They tasted a bit like baking soda, but it was easily masked by the maple butter and cream cheese. We still had about an hour before check out, so Kay and I did a short upper and core workout while Ben laughed and took photos of us. Well, we all laughed, especially trying to do back bows on the tiny living room floor. 

At noon, the cleaning lady promptly arrived; she was very friendly and kind and told us not to rush. We left soon after to get lunch from one of the many vegan places in the area. We hopped on a train to a place called “Antidote”, where we ordered tacos, mini poutine, and smoked ‘salmon’ salad, as well as a ginger pineapple lemonade. Unfortunately the lemonade just tasted like watery pineapple juice, and the ‘salmon’ was really not like salmon and overly salty, and much of the flavors were so mixed and layered that it was too intense. We all enjoyed the poutine though - the faux-fromage was like savory goey mochi, the gravy was creamy, and fries fresh. I debated asking for another drink, and we discussed the tacky DIY aesthetic of the interior. Overall, our rating was ~3 stars.

Since we had a few hours before our train to Quebec City, we considered getting ice cream, but chose to see the Barbie Expo at a mall in the Financial area. It was free, so we didn’t expect much, and we were pleasantly surprised. Along the walls in long glass displays were barbies in detailed costumes of all kinds - brides, celebrities, nationalities, seasons, eras, holidays, and more. It was quite hilarious how ridiculous many looked, with stiff wide smiles and perfectly visible irises. Our favorite part was a life-size barbie box which you could pose inside of. We each did - I definitely blended in the most, considering I’m Caucasian and wore a matching yellow shirt. Then we all squished in at once for a group photo.

We were possibly going to be late for the bus, so we rushed to the station, yet the train was late. We waited at a small station, with brilliant sunlight on the trees nearby. When we found our seats on the train, they were all facing around a small table - perfect for snacks and entertaining ourselves. We didn’t bring a proper dinner, so we ate out last orange, cereal & yogurt, bagels with the bit of cream cheese left, and I attempted to slice the mango. It was very squished and practically all pulp, so I had to scoop it into the yogurt, which tasted delicious together. We’d arrive in the city around 9pm, so we played several rounds of pictionary. I realized that winning was dependent on your own drawing speed and the ability of the other players to identify your scribbles with little information. After our game, I spaced out to some music for a bit, while admiring the pastel sunset and lush scenery passing by.

We originally booked the ticket to 2 stops previous, but the train lady let us stay on board. We called an Uber to take us the rest of the way - down a suburban street with short, simply shaped houses. Ours had a little attic window, and our room was in the basement. It felt like we’d entered a cabin; it had walls of wood panel, red and blue accents, a minimal but well crafted kitchen space, and wood furniture. It was definitely cozier than Montreal, yet we found them to be a close tie of quality. 

Before settling in, we ruched out to a nearby grocery store for breakfast items. Since it was about 9:20pm, the sun had set, but the air was not too cool and the neighborhood was peaceful.