French soccer fans in Montreal prepare for ‘les Bleus’ World Cup match
MONTREAL — As she drank an apple-carrot smoothie on a patio in Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood, French tourist Josiane Vignolles said there is no doubt where she will be Friday morning for the World Cup quarter-final between France and Uruguay.
“I didn’t think France would make it this far — honestly, said Vignolles, 60, whose son recently moved to Montreal, just like the tens of thousands of other young French people who have come to the city — and especially the Plateau — in the past several years.
Vignolles will be among the throngs buzzing around L’Barouf bar, which has turned into a quasi-pilgrimage site for matches of “les Bleus.”
The establishment on St-Denis Street is usually closed in the morning, but owner Mehdi Bekri said doors will be open as early as 9 a.m. for the 10 o’clock kickoff.