Speed Kills

...or at least maims. My last night here in Montreal has been exciting to say the least. So there I am walking back to my hotel along Sherbrooke when I have to wait for a light (something that most people in Montreal don't bother with). As I'm waiting, a car comes careening down Sherbrooke, swerving through the intersection, nearly hitting a light standard. It then screeches, out of control, into a gas station hitting a mini-van taxi that is there refueling. After bouncing off the mini-van it finally comes to rest when it slams into a brick wall. One injury (the taxi driver) was taken to hospital in an ambulance. I hung around and gave my statement to the police in English and broken French (the officer listened in French and broken English) and was sent on my way. These Montrealers know how to show a guy a good time.

Last night I took in the Just for Laughs festival.

The festival consists of a street festival, taking up six or so blocks of the Boul. de Maisonneuve, as well as several shows about the city. I walked the street festival watching the various performances happening there. I then took in Stewart Lee, a British comedian famous (some might say infamous) for writing Jerry Springer – The Opera. The show was good, though his British sense of humour was lost a bit on the Montreal crowd. I enjoyed the show and headed back to my hotel. I arrived in my room just in time for a huge thundershower to hit the city. I called Mrs. Evil and then called it a night.

I awoke this morning dizzy. To be specific, I was dizzy every time I sat up or stood up. It took a good 4 hours for this to clear up. I suspect I simply over did it in the heat the day before, frying my poor brain as water and food seems to have cleared it up.

I again ventured out into the world this evening at around 7 p.m. first hitting a Dairy Queen (sometimes you just gotta have a Blizzard) then walking through the grounds of the Musee d'art contemporain and the Place des Arts, both wonderful modern buildings with fountains and a paved park between them. I walked through the Just for Laughs Festival one more time then headed to a supermarket I'd noticed yesterday on my walk to Schwartz's. I picked up some snacks for the train tomorrow and then headed back to the hotel, delayed only by the aforementioned accident.

Now as I type this I'm waiting for my laundry to dry in the hotel laundromat and then I'm going to call it a night. Tomorrow I'm going to check my bags at the train station and tour the downtown core while I wait for my 6:00 p.m. train to Halifax.