Hello and welcome from my current city, Montreal, Canada.
It is Monday afternoon, so time to commit some thoughts to paper- well keyboard at least. I have been in the wonderful city of Montreal for nearly a week now. I guess I’m starting to get used to being here now. That said, a lot of the city is currently blanketed in a layer of construction work. There are three different projects going on just on the street outside the window where I write this. As the Canadian saying goes: there are two seasons, winter and construction!
Montreal has, as mentioned in the title, a more European feel to it than other Canadian cities I have visited. The city has a mix of a North American and European vibe. To that end, French is the main language here and its cultural influences are evident too. Yesterday saw some very joyous celebrations when France became the new holders of the World Cup! Unfortunately the spectacle of an England vs. France final were not to be, but well done to Croatia.
While I have been in Montreal I have been savouring the city and taking in some sights too. Old Montreal, Notre Dame Cathedral and Mount Royal are some of the must see and do things in the city. In this warm weather climbing the steps up to Mount Royal is somewhat more of a challenge than perhaps anticipated!
The view from Mount Royal in the daytime.
And in the dark too!
Whilst here it is definitely worth having a wander around Old Montreal and Old Port, not everywhere is towers of glass and steel. When in the old town getting ride in a horse drawn carriage is fun too: got to be a straight up tourist sometimes!
Many visitors to Montreal put Notre Dame Cathedral on their list of things to see. While it is definitely worth a trip when here, there are so many other churches to visit. If a place for thoughts and reflection is what you desire Notre Dame is not the place. All of the other churches in Montreal and the surrounding area are free to enter and usually there is nobody else in the building. They also have interesting histories and stories. Most have a classical exterior with often quite contemporary interiors, lots of smooth marble and high ceilings!
Another great activity in the city is to hire a bike and go for a cycle ride. There are plenty of cycle lanes here and also long stretches beside the canal to get more of a rhythm going before reaching another cross-walk. It seems that in-line skating is popular here too- I wasn’t quite that brave for now. Down at the Old Port on Wednesday and Saturday evening between April and October a fireworks display is held. I saw the display on Saturday evening which also happened to be Bastille Day too. Unfortunately my pictures and videos of the display turned out pretty poorly, so there aren’t any to display here :(.
During my time here I have also managed to sample some local delicacies. Apart from the necessary poutine, a Quebec invention, there is Schwartz’s deli. They sell a broad range of cooked and smoked meats, including sandwiches. My favourite was the smoked chicken, not something that I’ve had before. A great place to get some lunch to provide sustenance for exploring the city. There are also plenty of French bakeries selling great products, I shall be experiencing more of that when I head to my next destination further north tomorrow.
Today is a day of boring stuff, except writing a blog of course, preparing to head to Quebec City tomorrow morning. Laundry and packing up are some of the signs that the rucksack, and its owner, are heading off to pastures new. It has been wonderful to experience Montreal and I shall be heading further into Quebec province tomorrow. If you would like some more regular updates on what I’m up to, I have a Twitter account @mrlukeniktravel. If pictures are your thing, then I also have an Instagram account @mrlukeniktravels. I’m trying to post more regularly on Instagram, so likes would be appreciated- no pressure!
That is about it from the city of Montreal, so until next time stay safe and travel on!
The clock tower at Ponte Montreal commemorating lives lost in the World wars in the Canadian Navy and Merchant Navy.