On Thursday, August 17th, I embarked on my journey to Montreal. United Airlines had joined forces with Air Canada, allowing me to catch a direct flight to my destination. It was a winning start to the trip! Thanks to some YouTube research, I had prepared for the transportation from the airport to our hotel, Le Saint-Sulpice in Old Montreal. However, what I hadn't anticipated was the massive crowd of fellow travelers.
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| Many, many people in Montreal airport. |
The line for Customs seemed to stretch endlessly, making it difficult to discern where it began. My research had suggested I should get a ticket and board the 747 bus for the shuttle, but it turned out that most of the people in the Customs line had the same idea. Note to Canada: it's high time for a mobile app for these services!
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| Canada, it's time for an app! |
Eventually, a new line formed for the 747 buses, and I patiently waited my turn, watching as four buses came and went before I could board.
Some bus drivers were strict about not allowing standing passengers, while others encouraged passengers to squeeze in and use the hanging straps. As the bus left the airport, I was following my downloaded Google map, but I lost connectivity with my travel companions, Bill and Kathy. Kathy had decided to join us for the evening, driving up separately and waiting at our prearranged bus stop. Unfortunately, our lack of connectivity meant she and Bill waited quite a while before my bus finally arrived. It was a valuable lesson for future trips – we definitely want connectivity to avoid unnecessary waiting.
After dropping off my luggage at the hotel and enjoying a refreshing shower, we explored Old Montreal, had dinner at Les 3 Brasseurs, and took a leisurely stroll along the waterfront.
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Fast forward to Friday, August 18th. Kathy had an early departure back home, leaving just Bill and me to continue our adventure. We had been worried about the weather forecast, which had predicted rain and drizzle for the entire week. Fortunately, our luck changed, and we were greeted with mostly clear skies. However, the temperature soared into the upper 80s, making our walk towards Mount Royal via McGill University quite warm.
We had expected to encounter distinct ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little Italy, Old Greece, and a Jewish area, but these distinctions weren't as apparent as we'd hoped. The Red Light district, on the other hand, was noticeable but somewhat seedy. Despite this, our walk was enjoyable.
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| Obligatory pic of seedy Red Light district |
We explored McGill University during Parent's Weekend and even found the Dentistry building, which Bill photographed for his ex-work buddy Jordan, a graduate from there. For lunch, we opted for Nouilles Zhonghua, where we witnessed the fascinating process of a noodle-maker crafting noodles by hand right in front of the restaurant's window – no machines or pasta presses involved.
Continuing our uphill journey into Mount Royal, we decided to take the road cutbacks instead of the seemingly endless stairs. As the temperature rose even higher, we realized we had overdressed. Nevertheless, the lush greenery and scenic overlooks of Montreal and beyond made it worthwhile.
Reaching a plateau with manicured lawns and a large pond, we noticed dark clouds on the horizon and decided it was wise to start descending from Mount Royal to avoid getting caught in a heavy rainstorm at the peak. We used the steps on our descent and found ourselves deep in a beautiful, dark forest when the rain finally arrived. It was a brief but intense downpour that turned the steps into mini-rivers.
By the time we left Mount Royal, the rain had passed, leaving everything glistening and even more beautiful. That evening, we had plans to meet up with Rob, who had driven from his farmhouse in Ottawa to spend the evening with us in Montreal. We met at the rooftop bar of Hotel Nelligan, where Rob had secured a spot for us during happy hour. The bartenders' precision and coordination as they prepared drinks were truly impressive. We caught up over a few beers, with Bill and Rob realizing it had been about a decade since they had last seen each other. We also raised a toast to their friend Bert, who was not in the best of health.
Rob selected an excellent Italian restaurant, Salumi Vino, for dinner, where we enjoyed some fantastic gnocchi. Rob had a playful offer to cover the dinner bill if anyone mentioned airplanes, to which I promptly responded, "I flew on a plane to Montreal," turning it into a business dinner joke. Our conversation also touched on the possibility of a 2024 trip to Croatia. We teased Rob about it, even though we all understood it would be challenging for him to make it happen. After dinner, we took a stroll through Old Montreal and discovered Modavie Bistro Bar, which featured either jazz or blues music depending on the floor. Opting for the first-floor bar, we enjoyed the jazz music while continuing our conversation. This evening made all the flight and airport hassles well worth it, and we had a great time.
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| Good to catch up w/ Rob, even if I have to go to another country. |
On Saturday, August 19th, the three of us met for breakfast at Eggspectation, where I couldn't resist trying the Poutine Benedict – it was delicious. We bid farewell to Rob, with plans to meet again in Central America, and then Bill and I explored St. Laurent and the Mile End area. We passed by the iconic Schwartz's Deli and Fairmont Bagel, both with long lines, and wisely hopped on the Metro as rain clouds approached.
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| The line at Schwartz's Deli. Pass! |
For dinner, we dined at St-Paul Pub on the third floor, enjoying an open-window seat with a view of the waterfront. We split a smoked meat (don’t call it pastrami!) sandwich and poutine, which proved to be just the right portions.
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| Living well. |
We continued our walk, stopping for a nightcap at Verses Bistro, where we had street-view seats with open windows.
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| Spotted while walking... |
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| A rendition of Gustav Klimt's The Kiss. |
On Sunday, August 20th, we embarked on a slow drive to Ottawa. Sections of the main highway were closed for construction, diverting us onto a service road, which made for a seemingly endless stop-and-go journey with numerous merging side roads. Our adventure took an unexpected turn when we mistakenly entered the Alt Hotel, thinking it was our Arc Hotel ("down the street on the opposite side").
After parking under the hotel, we checked in and headed toward the waterfront. The slow drive had left us thirsty, so we stopped for a beer at another 3 Brasseurs. The Parliament was under reconstruction, so we explored the area around the beautiful building overlooking the Rideau River and Canal.
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| Rideau Canal locks, to get to the river. |
I noticed that the flags were at half-mast, prompting me to approach an officer near a Parliament checkpoint to inquire about the reason. As I headed toward the officers, one of them swiftly approached me, maintaining a respectful distance, and explained that the flags were lowered due to the recent passing of an elderly statesman.
Dinner that evening was at Bier Market, situated on an impressive pedestrian street. Rob had recommended that we watch a nightly show projected onto the Parliament building, which delved into Canadian history, including their recognition of past racist actions and their efforts towards reconciliation.
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| The final projection, as "Oh Canada" was played. |
After the show, we strolled to the Rideau Canal, where we found the Convention Centre hosting an event, with boats parked along the canal and restaurants and bars offering scenic views.
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| Beautiful Rideau Canal. |
On Monday, August 21st, after another walkabout, we began our journey home with a brief stop at the Duty Free store. As with all our Canadian purchases, the strong US dollar provided a favorable exchange rate, reducing costs by 25%.
Notable:
- Every service person was bilingual. A typical greeting was in French, and once they heard our Americano English they would flip over to English.
- Old Montreal reminded me of Paris but cleaner. There was very little graffiti or trash. And it was walkable.
- We didn’t get into Schwartz's Deli and Fairmont Bagel due to long lines but I did have a bagel at Eggspectation and it was underwhelming. I had read so much about Montreal bagels being better than New York City bagels but didn’t seem that way to me.
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| Like Paris, just cleaner. |
