This trip for me was on the way back from an Iceland trip- believe it or not, flights were cheaper into Montreal so I took a leap to see a new place, and meet up with New York friends on the journey home.
Day 1
Explore! If you’re anything like me and it’s your first trip to Canada, the English translation under French signs will leave you drooling and you’ll run around ecstatic that somewhere so close to home is so different. Enjoy this!
Jean Talon Market! Enjoy your frozen maple syrup on a stick- really, enjoy it! Tip- if it was just freshly made it’ll taste a lot like a blob of maple syrup but if frozen just slightly longer, a maple syrup pop.
Old Quarter- you’ve got to go! Like an old-century, small-town Europe. Yes please! If you’re me, you’ll be so excited about this because you thought you were going to Quebec City. What? Get a compass? (But for those of you in my situation, yes while Montreal and Quebec City share a province, they are indeed, two separate cities).
While I’m not a big drinker, there are lots of great happy hours around the city. It was a great spot to reconnect with friends and figure out our game plan for the rest of Montreal.
Day 2:
Take a free walking tour. We happened to have a mutual friend in Montreal who showed us the ropes, but I highly recommend a walking tour to get a bit of history, and to establish awareness of your surroundings. This is one of my favorite things to do in each city, especially when you only have a limited time.
Eat Putin! We went to Paul Patates Frites but I’ll bet there are many other tasty places.
In the evening the downtown Montreal night life has so much to offer! Of our favorite was the pinball bar.
