Some short ponderings on a visit to Montreal

• The heart of Montreal is equal parts cheese and gravy. This is a good thing.

• The abundance of gargantuan cathedrals is mind-blowing but I can't help but feel sorry for the small chapels next door

• Canada has a television station for the blind. Think about that.

• It doesn't matter if they've been there for hundreds of years, cobblestones never get old.

• The argument for legalising unpasteurised cheese in Australia could be won if I was allowed to bring some back and provide tastings in Canberra, but I'm unwilling to share.

• Learning French with a smartphone app was not as effective as hoped, but roughly as effective as expected.