Years ago, I thought I would move to Montreal. I had never been there but had always daydreamed of buying a one-way ticket to a new destination. After moving to Canada, I was able to go for a visit. This was a very special trip for me.
Pre conceived notions were that French Canadian people suck. I have heard it from just about everyone, they are constantly ripped on for feeling above other cultures. I went in with very low expectations. It turns out, I had the opposite experience. Maybe because I didn’t even try to speak French. I found them to be some of the nicest people. You know where you stand because they tell you what they think.
We (partner and I), were able to score flights for $260 return from Vancouver. We spent 3 days in the city, staying with our friend. This made it cheap. We flew in at night and left during the evening. One of my favourite things in the world is flying over a city at night. It puts my life in perspective, makes all my problems seem small and is just beautiful. So off to a good start.
When we arrived, our bus pulled by China Town. We had a pit stop for food because it was 10pm and I was starving. We grabbed tacos at La Capital Tacos. They were delicious! It was so much fun to hear the waitress switching between Spanish, French and English. From there we continued to our friends place near downtown.
Day One – Notre Dame & Wandering the City
Our first morning began at 8am with some of the best coffee I have had in a long time. We stopped at Café Nocturne for anyone wondering. I didn’t have a bad coffee in Montreal, but this was the best. Also, delicious croissants…
From here we walked into the more touristy areas and were able to visit the Notre Dame. This is worth the $10 entry fee. As an art and history lover I can say this is the most beautiful building I have ever been in. Everything was handmade, the stained glass was incredible. It is rare to be in a space with so many people and to have collective silence. There is something so special about it.
This afternoon we just relaxed and went out to dinner. We wandered along Avenue du Mont Royal. This is a street that is blocked off to cars, everyone can walk down the middle. It is full of thrift stores, cafes, restaurants and bars.
Day Two – Mount Royal, Waterfalls & A Peculiar Nightclub
The following day began with coffee (a recurring theme) and climbing Mount Royal. It takes roughly 30 minutes to walk up. I have a feeling that climbing up at sunrise or sunset would be surreal. The view is surreal, again I love looking at cities from above. We then took to the streets of Montreal, yet again. This time stopping at an Australian café, which was a nice reminder of home.
Eating Lamingtons & Meat Pies – If you know you know
In preparation for the rest of the day, we stopped at a food market for sandwich supplies. Something usually mundane was quite entertaining due to the mess of the store. This particular grocer gets discounted items and throws them into trolleys in all corners. There were all sorts of random things I had never seen before, and a pile of dry fish in buckets at the back. I was not game enough to try these. I also have no regrets. 🙂
Driving out of the city was beautiful, the city slowly transformed into rolling fields. The signs changed from English to French. We were on our way to a waterfall. It was called Parc des Chutes Dorwin and was worth the drive. We had planned on a lake day, although all the signs said not to touch the water. Kind of strange. We did push it a little but they had security. So don’t plan on a swim here.
Later on, after a day in the sun we decided to go out. The first thing I noticed about Mount Royal nightclubs is that they don’t kick off until after 11pm. Anything before this is considered early? How odd! In Australia, from 8pm onwards you can party somewhere. Usually you are in bed by 2am, Not Montreal.
We decided on the club SAT. Art gallery by day, nightclub by night. What made this place so special was that not only did they have DJ’s, they also had VJ’s (Video Jockey). Essentially, they were projecting art on the dome shaped room walls to the music. I felt like I was being swallowed by the room or had wandered onto a different planet. Not only that, but they had musicians to accompany the DJ. There were trumpets and saxophones, not to mention a rapper! It was incredible. Check out The Lyonz if you are looking for some different music. Can’t recommend this place enough! I stayed out until 4am…
Day 3 – Hangover, Bagels & Flying Home
My day started at 10am, violently hungover but happy because I had an amazing night. We decided on bagels from St-Viateur Bagels. This was a 40-minute walk, I needed the fresh air. I narrowly avoided puking in public and really enjoyed the bagels. This was the beginning of a slow last day.
We again wandered through thrift stores, my boyfriend contemplated river surfing. Unfortunately, we ran out of time. Although have heard that it is loads of fun if you are thinking of visiting. The place we called said that in order to rent a surfboard you had to take a lesson, up to you there. It could also be fun to just watch.
There was a cat café that we wandered to in the afternoon. This was a mix of cute and strange. If you love cats, maybe something worth checking out. My partner buzzed off his long hair which was fun to watch. I topped off the last day with some Lebanese food. Super delicious.
My boyfriend tried the Schwartz meat sandwich. He didn’t enjoy it; it was quite small. The locals said that over time the sandwiches have gotten smaller and not so tasty. In their words, it is overrated. I am a vegetarian, so I have no part in this.
Leaving was hard, I had such a good time. Montreal had so much to offer. There is something for everyone. I learned that not all French people suck, and their food is delicious. The art and music scene are unmatched. For a city, it still has so many friendly people wandering the streets. So many creatives seem to end up here. I am glad I went and saw Montreal for my past self who dreamed of moving there.
Song of the Trip: Push That Way – The Lyonz
