Montreal Musings

Last week I took a long-planned girls’ trip to Montreal. I visited the city once before, but I was about five and have no memories of it. So, it essentially was a new place to me, which was one of the goals for the trip. The other goals were to kick off a big birthday year and to get some much-needed time with a couple of dear friends.

I’m a big fan of goal setting. I'm an even bigger fan of travel, which I’ve been missing over the past few years. Perhaps you’ve been feeling the same. As we get back to something that feels like "normal," and as I enter this new decade and new season of my life, I’m making a commitment to myself: more travel. More day trips, weekend trips, and big adventure trips. More opportunities to expand my horizons and my perspective. If you're anything like me, you spend a lot of time thinking, "One day I'd like to..." Well, if I've learned anything from this pandemic time, one day is now. If you're able to, what are you waiting for?

I’m sharing some thoughts on Montreal below, should it be on your list (and I'd be happy to talk to you if you want to know more). Cheers to more travel in the year to come!

The Neighborhoods

We stayed on the edge of downtown, close to Mount Royal Park. If I were to return (which I would like to do), I’d stay somewhere around Mile End or Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, which are adorable neighborhoods filled with bars, cafes, and cute shops. But our location gave us easily walkable access to downtown, Old Montreal, the Park, and (for those willing to walk longer distances) Mile End, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, and Little Italy. Our AirBnB was above a convenience store, which was, in a word, convenient, and down the street from where the Montreal Grand Prix racers were staying at the Ritz Carlton, which added a little unexpected extra flavor.

The Sights

Old Montreal is great for soaking up history and seeing the Basilique Notre Dame (must be seen to be believed) and the Place d’Armes in front of it, and the actual location where Montreal was born in 1642. You can walk/bike/run along the waterfront (the Old Port) and find plenty of cafes for a bite as well as rooftop bars for a great view of the city. As mentioned above, Mount Royal Park is a great place for walking or running, and a short hike to the top provides another great view of the city and the river below. And, of course, you want to find the giant Leonard Cohen mural on Rue Crescent (another short walk from our apartment). Walk along Rue Sherbrooke and you’ll find McGill University; walk up and through the university grounds to reach the neighborhoods of Mile End, Little Italy, and more.

The Tours

We did a walking tour on day one, which I can’t recommend more for any trip to a new location. Over two hours we were given a crash course in Montreal history, a guided walk through the cobblestone streets of Old Montreal, and at the end, a listing of restaurants and other sights to visit. It was the perfect way to kick off our trip. We also did a day trip to Quebec City, a roughly 3-hour bus ride northeast of Montreal. It was a long day, and if we had to do it again, we would have built in several days in this quaint “village” of a million permanent residents. Once again, we had a fabulous walking tour of the historic section of the city, and it was a great introduction for a future return trip.

The Food

Our tour guide from the first day told us, “To get to know Montreal, you have to eat the food.” And I would say she is absolutely right. From the traditional bagels at St. Viateur, to a delicious meal in Little Italy, to two amazing dinners in Little Burgundy, and more, we ate WELL on this trip. The Marche Jean-Talon is one of North America’s largest open-air markets with stall upon stall of fresh produce, flowers, and more. You could make a whole day of just wandering through and grazing as you go. There were tons of festivals happening all over the city while we were there, each featuring plenty of food vendors representing a wide variety of nationalities and ethnicities. If anything, there were too many options to choose from!

This is just a small taste, if you will, of our trip. There were so many places we did not get to, so many neighborhoods yet to discover. As my dad likes to say, you always want to leave something for the next trip. I hope to go back someday. And I can’t wait for the next adventures in this new season of life.