Oh, Montréal! It was love at first sight!
I knew we would get along well – like ketchup and fries. I have seen photos, videos and even heard people talking about this city, but nothing compared to the real thing. Like Europe, Canada actually has some of the best sceneries I have seen in so long. There’s the ever famous Niagara Falls, flocked with tourists from all over the countries and of course there’s Banff, located in the province of Alberta. If you’re looking to get away from the city, then this one is for you. Dominating the Banff skyline are the Rocky Mountains. This city is great for relaxing, bonding with the family and to get some outdoor activities. I will end the Banff chatter for now, because this post is not about that. Let’s talk some more in the near future.
What drew me to this beautiful city are the landscapes, communities, architectures and food. If this is your first time going to Montréal, then let me tell you that you’ll need at least a week to experience this city to the fullest. I was there 4 days and 3 nights with my family. It was perfect timing because my parents came to visit from Indonesia for my graduation and my dad requested to go here since he has never been. Last few times they came, we always ended up going to Niagara Falls and after awhile it became quite boring.
It took us about 6 hours to get to Montréal from Richmond Hill (counting all the in between stops). We were pretty tired by the time we got there and because we wanted to rest early, we went to Hachoir, a restaurant located closed to our Airbnb accommodation. We ordered three burgers, duck poutiné, calamari, salmon dish and a couple of cocktails.
The next morning, it was raining so hard, so, we went to St. Viateur Bagels for breakfast. The menu was simple, but the food was super good. I had the classic, which came with eggs, ham, tomato and lettuce. The waiters were nice and very attentive, which made our morning that much more pleasant. After breakfast, we came home to rest a little bit and hoping that the rain would stop, so that we could go out and explore Montréal. For lunch, we went to a classic deli joint called Schwartz’s. This place already had a line when we got there so we waited at least 30 minutes before we were seated. We ordered some smoked meat sandwiches and of course a plate of poutine.
As luck would have it, the weather got better and we were able to carry one with the rest of our itinerary for that day, which was to visit Vieux-Montréal (English: Old Montréal). Despite all of the good food that I have had so far, all that I wanted was to visit this part of the city – and let me tell you I was not disappointed! As soon as I set foot in Old Montréal, I was immersed with what this part of the city has to offer – food, community, landscapes and the architectures. Needless to say, both my camera and I were ready to experience it. Spending a day in Old Montréal was not enough, because there was a lot to be seen and so many restaurants that were waiting to be tried.
Alas, all good things must come to an end. On our final full day, we decided to visit Saint Joseph’s Oratory Church. It was such a humbling experience visiting this church because I got to learn a little history of how this church came to be. It was also nice to see each person that was there having their own moment. I was blown away by how incredible the layout and architecture of this church. To cherish this moment, I took some photos around this church.
If you’re planning on going on a trip or vacation, I highly recommend that you add this beautiful city to your list. Whether you like food, or just simply looking for a little getaway, this is definitely the place for it. The people are nice, everyone is active and not to mention restaurants and shops are within a walking distance (I lived in an Airbnb apartment, located on Saint Denis Street). Like I said before, photos can only tell you so much, so make a trip yourself and experience what I’m talking about first-hand.
