Everyone talks about how wonderful Montreal is, so I was curious for a long time. Amongst Canadians, there is a Toronto vs Montreal banter that people love to get into. I often found myself smiling awkwardly as they went back and forth because while I had been to Toronto, I had not yet been to Montreal. I finally decided to change that. I took a few days off work, booked my VIA Rail train ticket and packed a small bag for my very short trip.
I booked to stay at Hotel Chrome- a choice that turned out to be a mistake. When I was searching online for a place to stay, I wanted to be as close as possible to all the fun things to do – the Notre Dame basilica, Le Jardin Botannique de Montreal, the Old Port… so I booked Hotel Chrome. Online, the pictures looked great with a modern red and white theme running through the hotel, but when I arrived, I was surprised to find an almost run-down facility with a bed that felt like a stack of cardboards. It is located close to a lot of the fun touristy stuff, and you might not mind it much if you are not precious about the look and feel of a hotel. For me, it just did not match the image that was shared online.
I had a list of things I wanted to tackle:
- To see the Notre Dame Basilica (which interestingly is the name of the Cathedral in downtown Ottawa)
- To visit the Montreal Botanical garden and see the biodome
- To try a smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz Deli (because everyone said going there and not trying it was as good as not visiting Montreal.
- To visit at least one museum
- To visit the Old Port of Montreal
- To walk around the city, breathe the air and feel the vibe (this is important for any city I visit).
On day one, armed with the French I had been learning for almost eighteen months, I made my way to a nearby restaurant for breakfast. My trip to Montreal was not only about visiting Montreal, it was also an opportunity to practice my French.
“Bonjour! Je voudrais une table s’il vous plait!” I said enthusiastically to the server who met me at the door.
“A table? Right here please.”
I quickly learned that in Montreal, if your French does not sound French enough, they will respond in English. Clearly, it’s not a city where people suffer bad French accents gladly. Anyway, after swallowing the rest of the French I had lined up, I dug into a delicious breakfast of French toast and spicy apple. After breakfast, I made my way to my first stop – the Notre Dame Basilica.
The Le St Martin Hotel Particulier in downtown Montreal is less than 15 minutes walk from the VIA Rail station
The Basilica is in downtown Montreal and does not look like much from the outside, especially if you have seen many other cathedrals. However, on the inside, it is absolutely breathtaking. It is so beautiful, I found myself wanting to sit there the whole day. You can walk around the cathedral, see the different prayer rooms and learn about the history of the building. I probably spent two hours there, just walking around, reading and at some point, sitting in a quiet corner to reflect. It had been a long year!
Afterwards, still feeling full from breakfast, I headed to the train station to find my way to the Botanical Garden. One thing that still surprises me here in Canada is how you can’t get an inter-city or inter-provincial train card that allows you travel with ease. I had to buy a separate train card, load it with some money because my credit card just was not working, before I could take the train. Same thing happened to me when I once took the bus from Ottawa to Gatineau with my Ottawa bus card, only to be told when I tried to board the bus back with the same card that the card could not be accepted.
I made my way to the Montreal Botanic Gardens and and spent the rest of my day there. The garden is beautiful, with themed sections that will transport you to different parts of the world. There are greenhouses you can walk into and there is a restaurant onsite where you can enjoy some fresh and delicious food.
On day two, after a call with a guy I met on Bumble who told me he was learning how to care for Afro kinky hair because of me, I walked to the famous Schwartz Deli. It became very clear as I approached the deli that I was not the only person who had been told it was the place to be. The queue was so long, it spilled to the sidewalk. I expected it to take a while, but it felt like I only spent 20 minutes on the queue. I took my sandwich to go as there were no seats and made my way to the Old Port. I ate my sandwich by the water, using one hand to fend off birds who were very interested in having a bite. The sandwich was OK. I was not swept off my feet or transported to a gastronomy heaven. I am just not a sandwich girl, I guess.
The Old Port was not busy the day I went. There were a few open food stalls and trucks around, and some tourists like myself. The Ferris wheel was not operational so the only thing I could do was walk around and take in the peace. I enjoyed it. After an hour of walking and sitting, I went to an ice cream stall and tried to order in French. They responded in English. Oh well!
From there, I went to the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History to spend the rest some time. I loved the museum. I met a woman who was visiting from Brazil and spoke some French. Finally, I got the opportunity to string five sentences together and left over conversation feeling really proud of myself.
The rest of my time in Montreal was spent exploring. I visited China Town, went to an event about African hair, met up with a couple of friends and tried some highly-recommended restaurants. Overall, it was a relaxing and enjoyable trip. I found Montrealers to be friendlier and more curious than people in some of the other cities I’ve visited in Canada. I enjoyed my trip but I would not go alone again. As with all cities, Montreal is likely a lot more fun when you know people in the city who can show you the less-touristy things to do. Nonetheless, it is a great city for a solo trip!
