The Lesson Learned When I Traveled to Montréal, Canada

Last year I was kickin’ it with this dude and we were casually talking about traveling. I had mentioned that the only time I went to Montréal was as a baby and I’d like to go in my adult life. He was like, “Let’s go!” I said, “Sure.” We went on to talk about possible dates that we could travel. Knowing good and well that most men have zero follow through. This was just small talk and I was calling his bluff. No sooner than 20 minutes after hanging up, there was a confirmation in my email box from Orbitz. He had bought a pair of plane tickets to Montréal. What?! He was really serious. I was just playing along. But I’m not one to turn down a travel excursion. So we flew to Montréal together.

I’m going to interject a PSA moment for travelers here. Be careful when you travel.  Choose your travel partners wisely. When we landed, my travel partner was detained by customs for hours.  Since I am a US citizen, I went through a separate custom’s line. I had no idea he was a Canadian resident until we went into separate lines at customs. I could see when he was detained and custom officers took him away. I waited for about an hour to see if he would resurface and when he didn’t, I just went to the hotel. I didn’t ask any questions about his whereabouts. I just left. I didn’t want anyone to know that I was associated with him just in case he was in some deep shit.  It ended up being a pretty minor infraction. It had something to do with residency and how long a person must reside in their declared resident country. He didn’t meet the requirements and therefore lost his residency.  Shame on him. But shame on me for traveling with someone I only knew a few minutes. I guess that’s the Pisces in me. You live and learn.

Stay

We stayed at Hotel Le Cantile. It was a pretty nice hotel. The front desk staff were great. The good part is that they let me check into the hotel even though I didn’t book the room. The hotel is centrally located, walking distance to the downtown area and many restaurants.

Despite the debacle, we ended up having a great time touring Montréal. I got to practice my French and see the beautiful architecture. There is so much to see and do in Montréal. A weekend was the perfect amount of time.

Below are some pictures from the trip.

See & Do

Notre-Dame Basilica – I’m in love with the architecture of old Catholic churches.  The basilica in the historic district of Old Montreal, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The church’s Gothic architecture is among the most dramatic in the world and a must see.

Old Montreal – It’s the oldest area in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with historic remains dating back to New France.

 

Rue Saint-Paul is Montréal’s oldest street, originally completed in March 1672. This is where you go to eat, drink and shop. The cobble stone streets make you feel like you are in Paris.

Terrasses Bonsecours is an open-air restaurant, a dance club & rooftop patio. Note that it’s only open during the warmer months.

 

Old Port of Montreal is the historic riverfront complex featuring stores & restaurants, plus art exhibits, events & activities. I have this attraction to water and literally sat on a bench just looking out at the water.

Mount Royal is a small mountain that offers stunning views of Montreal city. It’s a great place to run and walk the trails.

Below are some other pictures of my visit.

 

Eat & Drink

I am not a foodie at all. So I tend to stay away from restaurant reviews. I particularly didn’t care for any of the food. I think I struck out at every restaurant I visited. Womp! I tried Poutine for the first time. Let’s just say I will be leaving that dish in Canada. I did find a breakfast spot that had really tasty food. Eggspectation was delicious. I ate there twice during my visit.