Canadian Getaway ~ Montreal
Montreal City View from Le Grand Rouge
“Montreal is a very cosmopolitan, sophisticated, erudite, educated, glorious city today…” William Shatner
Thinking baby steps and easing into international travel I decided on Montreal Canada to get my feet wet. Since the planning was at the invitation of my son Sumit, I had a wandering companion as well for my grand Canadian adventure.
Good thing we’re both vaccinated. Pulling out our vaccination certificate and passport became second nature every where we went since Canada is very strict about these no matter where you go.
Montreal as we soon found is not only an eminently walkable city with a definite European vibe but as one of the oldest cities in Canada is also full of incredible things to see and do with amazing food to indulge in. Both French and English are spoken every where and our American dollars were accepted where we needed so we didn’t bother to change any money.
The bulk of our time was spent in what is known as the old town or Vieux Montreal and Montreal Centre Ville. Out of our short time we snuck away for one day to Quebec City as well, more on that in a later post.
Starting with our home away from home the beautiful boutique hotel Mount Stephen in downtown Montreal, a wonderful birthday treat.
Originally created as a home for Scottish born Lord George Stephen, the residence was converted into a private gentleman’s club in 1926. Converted to a hotel in 2006, the property embraces it’s past in the historic mansion at its forefront, and celebrates the present in a sleek contemporary tower where the guest rooms are located.
With its opulent interior and beautiful stained glass windows walking through the historic mansion daily was such a wonderful feast for the senses and set the tone for our wandering in the city.
Wandering began with the Place D’ Armes the very heart of Vieux Montreal along with the old port. In the middle of the square is the statue of Paul de Chomedey, founder of Montreal surrounded by the iconic Notre Dame Basilica, The Bank of Montreal and Saint Sulpice Seminary.
Starting from this central point we began our wandering through the narrow cobblestoned streets admiring Montreal’s historical landmarks. The streets are lined with tubs of beautiful colorful flowers which add a nice pop of color. I didn’t think we were too early but the streets were not crowded and what should have been the busy Place Jacques Cartier with its street vendors and restaurants was not super busy at all. We came back for a late lunch in this area after wandering around the port to enjoy a wonderful lunch amidst this beautiful ambiance.
Montreal is a patron city of the arts with its graffiti art making a statement in various neighborhoods and buskers entertaining people in busy squares with music and song. We definitely enjoyed performances both here in Montreal and in Quebec City.
Nothing is perfect and there is always a serpent in Eden and so it was as we witnessed a protest march along the Place D’Armes. I haven’t a clue what they were protesting and it was peaceful for sure but there’s always something people can be unhappy about.
What a tragedy it would have been if we had not been able to visit the inside of this beautiful 900 plus year old church. We had been looking at the wrong link to buy tickets but fortunately we were able to navigate the complex booking system and secure tickets for the last entry of the day.
Due to Covid regulations there is only a self guided visit of about an hour to goggle at the beauty. Built between 1824 and 1829, this masterpiece of gothic revival architecture stands as a testament to the importance of religion and art in the city. The basilica’s interior is a sight to behold, with its blue colors, shimmering gold-leaf ornamentation, intricate woodwork, religious paintings and colorful stained-glass windows designed by Québec artist, Jean-Baptiste Lagacé.
Looking upon the sights in Old Town from the vantage point of Le Grand Rouge the giant Ferris wheel at the port you might be fooled into believing that you’re in Europe.
As the afternoon wore on we could see more people but nothing close to what one might have expected pre-Covid.
The mighty St. Lawrence River spanned by the cantilevered streel Jacques Cartier bridge.
Friday night Ste Catherine Street is transformed into a pedestrian only street with street vendors doing brisk business and people partying on the street. There was a deejay playing salsa music and everyone who wasn’t actually dancing found their feet tapping to the beat.
Our cab driver told us that anything you want to see and experience in Montreal can be done by walking the 11+ kilometers of this street. We didn’t quite walk the entire length but we did walk a few blocks for sure both at night and during the day.
My son went gaga over this Ford GT that was parked outside our hotel as we returned from our wandering in Old Town for some rest and recuperation before heading out for dinner. I think this is the fun of having a wandering companion because without him this might not even have been something I took note of or took a picture of or talked about.
We definitely indulged in gastronomic delights in this foodie city, I think despite the walking I gained a few pounds this weekend.
With the number of people who thronged the lobby of our hotel waiting for a seat in The George a famous Montreal bar located in our hotel it would be foolish for us not to enjoy at least one meal in the very British forward restaurant and taste the amazing cocktails from the bar.
With limited time on Monday we decided to squeeze in a visit to the Mount Royal park and lookout and visit the iconic St. Joseph’s Oratory, the largest church in Canada with a domed roof reputed to be the largest dome in the world.
Founded in 1904 by Saint André Bessette in his patron saint, Saint Joseph's honor, the Oratory was brought alive through the work and ingenuity of numerous architects and thousands of workers in a process spanning six decades. With its monumental scale, Renaissance Revival façade and contrasting Art Deco interior, the Oratory is recognizable not just in Montreal but around the world, attracting more than 2 million visitors and pilgrims to its steps each year.
It was a toss up between the underground market and this but I’m glad that we made our way to Mount Royal.
Even though we didn’t make it to the underground mall we made a quick stop along Ste. Catherine Street at the Lululemon store before grabbing a bite to eat and grabbing our bags to head out to the airport.
That quickly the weekend passed. There are many things in Montreal still on my list that I’d like to see and do but will need to save them until my wandering can bring me back here.
Au Revoir for now Montreal.