Into Quebec at last!

    I had anticipated Quebec for weeks to come and was thrilled when we finally passed the "Bienvenue a Quebec" sign. Not having practiced our french as much as we would of liked we were hoping for the best. We stayed at the M Montreal Hostel (yes that extra 'M' is there on purpose)  which was very nice. It felt more like a classy chic hotel than a youth hostel. I hate to say it but I think this was because they had just recently opened/renovated and the reality of how people treat a hostel hadn't fully been realized yet. I truly hope people clean up after themselves and treat this hostel with respect as it is really nice and I would hate to see it get destroyed. Anyways, for how it is now...it's a great hostel and I recommend staying there! You will get to use a top-notch kitchen, lounge on leather couches and enjoy free coffee all day for the affordable hostel price.

   The hostel was located near the Latin Quarter which is a lively neighbourhood dotted with Latin restaurants and European style houses. Walking through Montreal definitely reminded me of Parisian streets and it was wonderful to think this was right here in our own country. Rue Saint Catherine's is a lively street to wander down full of young, ultra hip people and more restaurants and bars than you can count. We managed to find an affordable $10.95 steak and frites meal, which turned out to be fantastic and one of the most tender steaks I've had! I loved the atmosphere of Montreal especially with the hum of French on the streets. I will warn all that travel to Montreal...brush up on your french! Very little English is spoken here (or is chosen not to be used) and you really should know some basics to make your visit enjoyable. We did not speak very much, but with a few key phrases people really seemed to appreciate the effort and for the most part are very accommodating. Do not feel offended if some people do get frustrated at your lack of french as I think the people are just very passionate about their culture and you are in Quebec after all!

    The following day we did the grand walk (and why didn't I wear a step counter??), starting in Old Montreal bright and early. We got there at 7:30am and the streets were empty and tourist free. We had a great time getting photos of the cobblestone streets and old buildings as well as window shopping (the best part is no matter how tempted we were to go buy something we couldn't at this time of morning, what a great way to budget!) If you do not have your heart set on actually shopping inside of the little shops I would recommend coming out early and enjoying the silent streets and experience Old Montreal like you're the only one there. This area of Montreal was truly magical and is definitely on my Top 3 places on our Canada road trip.

    Next, we ventured up to the more modern downtown core where there is endless shopping. This area is found around the upper portion of Rue Saint-Catherines. Here you will find everything from ultra expensive to ultra affordable with every style in mind. A favourite winter past time for locals and tourists alike is spending chilly days in the Underground City, which is a network of pedestrian walkways connecting more than 1,700 shops underground! Sounds like a shopaholics dream, doesn't it?
    Another must see is the McGill University Campus located in North downtown. It is a beautiful campus stretched out over 79 acres of land with Chateau-like buildings scattered across the campus. It was such a charming university in comparison to more modern universities I have seen back home, and I imagined that after a light dusting of snow it would be even more scenic. It would be a lovely school to attend.

     After hiking across the campus we had worked up an appetite and made the journey to find Shwartz deli!! A world famous hole-in-the wall deli serving 'the best' Montreal smoked meat. You can hardly notice it walking up the street but the line out the door gives it away. I could smell the spices from across the street and my mouth began to water...this was gonna be great! We avoided the long line by ordering at the take-out door and sitting in the small seating area rather than waiting to sit at a proper table and being served. Unhealthy portions of succulent smoked meat were piled high between two slices of rye bread and every last bite was to die for! Perfectly spiced and that balance between moist and dry and the pickle you can purchase to go along with it provided that zesty bite. GO TO SHWARTZ DELI WHEN IN MONTREAL! 

 

    After the meat sweats kicked in we waddled down the street across town back to our hostel stopping for a quick refreshment break mid-way where we found a $2.25 Pint of beer. I must add, Montreal seems to have some affordable beer and wine prices.  After the much needed walk across town we made it to our hostel and freshened up before heading back out again up Rue Saint Catherine to check out the free Montreal comedy street festival. Admission into the gated area was free and here you had a choice of many street vendor stands offering small meals for $5-$10 (not the best values), and a stage you could sit and watch. There were also various comedy shows happening in different venues (at an additional charge) but we decided to stick with the free outdoor stage as our french was very minimal. The show however was very entertaining with magic tricks, dancing and a very odd performance by a band dressed up in elaborate Alien outfits. We laughed and were entertained for hours that evening free of charge.

    Montreal was a fantastic city to visit full of old charm and modern flair. A city that maintained its culture over the years and is very proud of it. It was neat to visit a city within Canada that had that European feel and where cafe/bar culture is so popular. A must-see in Canada and a city my fiance and I are already discussing going back to.