First, we got an unlikely $200 AC LAX-YUL RT ticket on Priceline. I was not counting on the miles but my UA MP account was just credited! That is a great deal for status miles! I had been skeptical about Priceline but they have a happy customer here.

We arrived early to have our seat assignments changed. Although this was a code-share flight, there was of course no way of upgrading using UA miles, so we were stuck in coach for this red-eye. We had dinner at the Daily Grill at the Bradley terminal, where I threw a fit for being served Argentinian Chandon instead of the advertised Domaine Chandon (already not great but the best they had). I dislike being lied to on a wine list and that's that. Lie to me about how many pieces of broccoli you put on my plate BUT DO NOT LIE TO ME ABOUT THE WINE.

That's just rude.

Bradley is such a great place to hang out. Very green Aer Lingus crews, very propres-sur-eux Swissair crews, the long lines of passengers pushing 6ft-tall carts of TV boxes in from of Philippines or Mexicana counters, the Frenchies going to Papeete, the AF crew smoking like chimneys outside the terminal waiting for their aircraft, the freeze-dried palm trees that look absolutely great.

We saw a new Delta 777 painted with the new Aeroflot paint job. I say that because it does look like the Aeroflot new paint scheme. I guess if the Russians are the next Skyteam members, it'll just make things easier. And why do Aeroflot planes still carry the hammer and sickle? But I digress.

We got back to Terminal 2 and went to the Maple Leaf lounge. I was under the impression that the Salon Feuille D'érable was not accessible to Star Gold members on US-Canada flights because they are not considered international. I was mistaken, we got in with my 1K card. Decent lounge, with computers for internet access, and a nice haven from the muggy insanity of a Terminal 2 evening (NZ flights and more flights to Papeete!).

The flight was a short 4.5 hours. We were served largely uninspired food on this A 320. The staff were courteous and French, which is not necessarily an oxymoron. I have to admit that I love that they speak French, and I LOVE the québecois accent (although I was told **I** was the one with the accent. The nerve: I speak perfect BBC French).

I thought that Dorval was supposed to be entirely devoted to domestic and US-Canada traffic. Can anyone tell me what happened? Is Mirabel just too far? The fact is that I spotted Aeroflot, Royal Air Maroc, CSA, Olympic, Swissair, Sabena, KLM aircraft there...

We took the comfy "La Québecoise" bus to downtown for 11 Piastres. Some obnoxious American woman was on her cell phone the entire way, being entirely too loud. She gave me a headache. We got off at the first stop, right in front of our hotel, the Hilton Bonaventure. This hotel is an interesting piece of work. Built in 67, it looks like a giant bunker from the outside. You need to take an elevator from the entrance up to the lobby, on some unknown floor ( I'd guess the 10th...?). Since it was so early, I was worried about getting a room but the staff was great and was able to find one. We were able to nap after this uncomfortable flight. We liked this hotel. We would hear the little ducklings in the morning, running around the fountain on the roof. Their restaurant was also excellent.

We spent the following few days running around and sleeping late blaming the 3 hour time difference (yeah right) instead of some unreasonable partying late at night. We saw the Renoir to Piccasso Exhibit at the Fine Arts Museum. Bought tons of books at the Librairie Champigny, ate Moules and Frites and saucisses de Toulouse on St Denis, French fries and poutine, saw some interesting shows on rue Ste Catherine ( that I will not describe here- don't worry it's nothing you'd see in the US anyway...) and generally enjoyed every interaction we had with the locals. They are so forward.....

Even if they told me I was the one with an accent.

On the way back, we went to the Maple Leaf lounge at Dorval. This is one superb lounge, in fact the best lounge I've been in. Computers, a freezer LOADED with ice creams of all kinds. I was impressed.

On the flight back, 5.5 hours on a A 319, the most obnoxious kid SCREAMED the entire way. I do not blame the 4-year-old kid who's just being a kid, but I do not understand parents who do not keep their kid under reasonable control in such a cramped space. He ground our last nerve but no one, not even I, said anything to the inconsiderate father. I vote in favor of licensing the right to have kids. I was busy scheming ways of dropping a Prozac in this kid's milk, since I had already seen Erin Brokovich.

They're called boobs, Ed...