Homeward bound

I sleep pretty well and rise at 9:30. Breathing still isn't perfect. Better than yesterday, mind. I force myself to write as I didn’t yesterday.

The kids turn up at about 11:45. Checkout is noon here. Which is handy. It still leaves us with some time to kill before heading to the airport. Our flight is at 18:50. Alexei suggest Allô mon Coco, a sort of push diner we breakfasted in when we were first in Montreal.

 

We leave our roller bags at the hotel and set off. It’s only a few blocks. And all on the flat. The kids are soon miles in front of me. With me huffing and puffing along slowly behind.

The place is busier than on our last visit. With a couple of large parties. We get our arses parked and after a while a waiter drifts by to take our order. 

“Espresso martini, please.” I request.

“Aren’t you going to eat anything?” Alexei asks.

“No.” I’m not feeling great. And have no appetite.

Alexei orders a massive breakfast. And a chocolate milkshake. He has a very healthy appetite.

“Do you have beer?” Andrew asks the waiter.

“No.”

“I’ll have an Irish coffee, then. And a chocolate milkshake.”

Rather odd combination there.

“At least you’ll get some calories in you.” I remark.

“Unlike you, Dad.”

“There are calories in an espresso martini. At least, if they’ve put booze in it.”

“Alcohol calories, your favourite type.” Alexei quips.

Alexei takes his time over his breakfast. And we have another round of drinks. Not the chocolate milkshakes, obviously. That would be madness.

We leave at about 14:30, returning to the hotel for our bags. And order an Uber.

The first part of the journey goes pretty well. It doesn’t take long until the airport is in sight. And that’s exactly when the traffic crawls to a stop. The last kilometre takes us a good 20 minutes.

Checking in and security are about as pleasant as these things can be. And don’t take too long. We ditch the last of our Canadian dollars in the duty free, getting a couple of bottles of whisky. Canadian, of course.

Rather nicely, the lounge lets me bring in two guests. That’s a first.

“No need to get our money’s worth today, seeing as we didn’t have to pay.” I say cheerfully.

“Always the same jokes, eh, Dad?” Andrew replies cynically.

“At least I’m consistent.”

“Consistently telling the same bad jokes.”

“That’s what Dads are for.”

Neither me nor Andrew are very hungry. Despite the food looking pretty good. Alexei, however. is eating for all three of us. I get myself a whisky.

“I see that you haven’t lost your appetite for whisky.” Alexei quips.

“It’s purely medicinal.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true.”

“Right. Like your ‘reasons’.”

I do have a bit of food. Quiche, a wrap. And a few more whiskies. I need to get plenty of medicine down before the flight.

“Really, Dad?” Alexei says.

“Did I say that out loud?”

“Yes, you really did say that out loud. You really are going senile.”

We get to the gate just about as boarding is starting. Though there isn’t an air bridge. Just one of those weird bus things that can lift up to the height of the cabin doors.

The seat next to me is free. Which is great, leaving me more room to stretch out.

I sleep for most of the flight. Waking up with just about enough time to watch The Other Woman. Which is an OK aeroplane film. If you know what I mean. Not too demanding.

Alexei has to part from me and Andrew when we approach passport control. As he doesn’t have a Dutch passport yet. He’s using his ID card to enter and can’t use the electronic gates.

We’ve already retrieved our bags by the time Alexei appears. In minutes we’re bombing onto the motorway in a taxi.

Dolores is waiting for us at home. With tea, of course. There’s always tea.
 

Allô mon Coco
70 Rue Sainte-Catherine E,
Montréal, QC H2X 0C7.
https://allomoncoco.com/locations/allo-mon-coco-ste-catherine-e/