Jon Crispin's Notebook

We were in Montreal for the Germany / France match on Friday.  It was fun being in the city again.

It was a bit odd walking back into the Olympic Stadium.  We had been there while the Expos were still playing, and Peter mentioned that the last time we saw a game there he was sure we would never set foot in the place again (The franchise moved to DC after the 2004 season).  It is a shame that they put a roof on it, as watching outdoor sporting events in a covered venue is a somewhat unnatural.  And the place still smells of garlic fries and burgers.  But it was a great match, with Germany winning on penalties 1-1 (5-4).  We were all rooting for France, but the atmosphere was fantastic, and it was great to see a World Cup match in person.

On Saturday morning we went to the Botanical Garden and hung out with Peggy Ross and her husband Peter.  Great little bonsai collection.

Peter has been following Formula One for a few years now, and we had heard that anyone could drive around on the actual circuit.  It is so cool, as it is divided so that one lane is for automobiles (max 30 kph) and the other is for bicycles, roller blades, other non-motorized conveyances and people who just want to walk.  And it shows up on the GPS.  Turn right in 0.6 miles!

Here’s the Element at the back of the starting grid.