Travel Journal #2 : Montreal - Canadian Heart and Eurpoean Soul
Photo by Walid Amghar on Unsplash
The alarm clock started beeping at 5 in the morning. The night before I slept quiet late and I was aware of it that I will have to get some sleep on my way to Montreal. I took a TTC bus and reached 610, Bay Street. It's a coach terminal in Toronto and all the bus operators such as MegaBus and GreyHound start from there.
I took a Megabus for 6:30 am, which I got booked 2 weeks in advance for $45 (inclusive of taxes), with a stop at Kingston. In my travel to Montreal, I enjoyed watching the green fields on the way. Just as I started seeing creeks, I understood that Montreal was not far away. In about hour and a half I was at the Montreal Coach Terminal at Bonaventure.
Bonaventure happens to be in the downtown of Montreal and once in Montreal, I was very clear to explore the entire city through public transit and get a better idea of the city. I headed to Métro Bonaventure, which happens to be the Metro station of Bonaventure.
Transit Fact #1: STM operates the public transit, that is Metro and Buses, in Montreal
I was curious to know about the prices of travel tickets and passes of STM and luckily found a 3 day unlimited travel pass for $30. In hindsight, I feel I had one less thing to care about because of this unlimited pass
Transit Fact #2: STM ticket fare is $3.25 and daily unlimited pass is for $10
I had booked an Airbnb, which was almost 20-25 minutes from downtown Montreal, in the area of Verdun. Verdun is an amazing place to take an evening walk, with cafes extended on the street and many shops near De L'Église Metro Station in Verdun Area.
Travel Tip: You can also check rooms at LateRooms, Kayak, Trivago and TripAdvisor.
After putting my stuff over there, I took metro from Lasalle and headed towards the most sought after city attraction of Montreal, Mount-Royal. I came across this fact that Mount-Royal was the reason the city got it's name. Montreal has a fantastic metro transit system and using it, I reached Mont-Royal station.
As I headed out towards the Mount, I saw one of the famous terrasse set up quite close the metro station. Looks like a perfect place to have a great time with friends
A terrasse close to Mont-Royal Station
I then followed my way to reach the Mount Royal. It was through the downtown Montreal and the final 300 - 400 meters was a steep walk. As I reached the starting staircases of the Mount, I was happy to find that today is going to be that one good trek-style-walk which I was wanting for days
Stairs leading to the top of Mount-Royal
On reaching the top of Mount-Royal, I couldn't stop myself from admiring the view which the visitors so much love. I was happy to have chosen it as the first visit point of my travel. It was as if the city is presenting itself as a whole to you and you have nothing else but admiration for it.
Panoramic view of Montreal from the top of Mount-Royal
After having stayed there for almost half an hour, I moved to Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. It's a place filled with casual cafes, laid-back eateries, busy bars, and contemporary galleries and theatres. The intersection of Avenue du Mont-Royal and Rue Saint-Denis is the main intersection in this area.
After having spend more than an hour, it was time for me to visit the old city of Montreal. It was getting dark and was a perfect time for me to see the beauty of Place d'Armes and Notre Dame Basilica. I took metro from Mont-Royal station and headed towards Place d'Armes Metro Station. Within a walk of 3-5 minutes, I knew I am very close to Notre-Dame when I started seeing the famous cobbled streets of the old city.
The cobbled streets of Old City - Montreal
Standing in front of Notre-Dame Basilica at Place d'Armes square, I was just mesmerized seeing how it was all lit up with lights of various colours. Notre-Dame is one of the most beautiful part of Montreal and definitely one of the most beautiful places I would visit in my travel to this city. It has been a part of the history of this city since 1829.
Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal
As I was in Old Montreal, not visiting a restaurant from here which has been loved by many would have left me without fulfilling my travel plans fully. Thus, I headed to Restaurant Papillon and had amazing pasta and soup over there.
As I was concluding my evening and walking towards the metro station of Champs-De-Mars, I heard a sound coming from not very far. As I approached that place, I found it to be a park elevated from the ground and as I climbed the stairs to see the reason for that sound and music, I saw images and videos projected on a building tall as a 10-storeyed one. Here's the snippet of what I saw:
Video projected depicting the history of Canada and Montreal
I was in complete awe of it, watching how beautifully the history of Canada and Montreal was put in that video. Having enjoyed it, I came back to my Airbnb through Lasalles station, excited for the next day.
The first stop for my second day in Montreal was Notre-Dame Basilica. I was there a day before in the night, so I couldn't see it from inside. I only admired the lighting from outside but it was the time to find out the reason why 11 million people were coming to this city every year.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
This was the first view of this beautiful church, decorated in blues, azures, reds, purples, silver, and gold. It's a masterpiece of Gothic Revival architecture with vaults colored deep blue and decorated with golden stars. It is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and several religious statues. The church also has stained glass windows along the walls with scenes from the religious history of Montreal.
Wooden Carvings and Stained Glass at Notre-Dame Basilica
As I was about to leave, I saw the church's Pipe Organ, dating back to 1829 and which was aptly complementing the magnificence of the church itself.
After spending quality time at the church, I headed towards the Old Port of Montreal. It is 10-15 minutes by walk and as you start reaching the Old Port, you start getting the vibes that your day is only going to get better from here. The first thing that came in my view over there was a huge and beautiful Ferris Wheel over there. You can pay $25 (or $20, i am not very sure) at it and have a ride lasting 15-20 minutes.
Ferris Wheel at Old Port, Montreal
To come to Old Port from Notre Dame, you have to cross Bonsecours, yet another place in Old City which people love visiting for it's food, drinks and a great feeling of having great time with friends in open-air restaurants. I had an amazing time at the Old Port and found it to be a place where you can have your calm. After this, my next stop was Botanical Gardens. I took metro from Champs-De-Mars to Pie-IX. You can also take a 10-15 minutes walk to Botanical Garden or a STM Bus, which brings you close to Olympic Stadium.
Olympic Stadium at Montreal
Just a 2 minute walk from Olympic Stadium and I was at the gates of Botanical Gardens. 75 hectares of thematic gardens and greenhouses makes it one promising place for spending another 2 to 3 hours.
Botanical Gardens at Montreal
It is very beautifully laid out, with some of the most beautiful plants and flowers you will see. Plus, the restaurant just outside the garden is also great. Once inside, you have the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden, the First Nations Gardens and the Alpine Garden.
The Chinese Garden and the Japanese Garden at Botanical Gardens, Montreal
Th experience you find at Botanical Gardens is full of serenity and calm. You can take an easy stroll or a fast walk, however I would suggest to stroll through the garden, enjoying the beauty nature brings to you. There are a few seating areas as well and also few benches in the way. I enjoyed walking in the Garden as much as sitting at a bench and feeling all the colors, the breeze and the sun.
From the Botanical Gardens I went to have poutine (when in Quebec, poutine should be in your itinerary). I went to a highly recommended restaurant called La Banquise, which has been in business since 1968 and serves really amazing poutine. I waited outside the restaurant for around 40 minutes, even though I was early by a hour for the dinner. Once inside the place, you could feel it bustling with lively discussions and filled with happy faces.
I ended my day at the Old Port, enjoying the great weather and reminiscing the awesome moments of my day. I would suggest to everyone that when in Montreal, you should spend atleast one evening at Bonsecours.
At the third day of my travel, I went in the morning to the Terminal Station of Via Rail to use their baggage checking services, so that I could move freely throughout the day, without carrying my luggage everywhere. Next stop, it's St. Joseph's Oratory through Snowdon Metro station. I was glad I kept my luggage with Via Rail, looking at the number of stairs at the oratory.
St. Joseph's Oratory at Montreal
The oratory is as beautiful from inside as it is from outside. Being at a level quiet high than the ground, it helps in getting a very good view as well, as you climb to the top of the oratory. From inside, it is very calm and pristine with stained glasses and beautiful wooden carvings. Besides being so beautiful, it is also believed to be having one of the largest dome in the world.
St Joseph's Oratory : The Basilica, The Pipe Organ and The Stained Glasses
The last leg of my travel to Montreal ended at my most favorite spot...you are right, it's the Old Port. I reached Champ-De-Mars and walked to Bonsecours and further to Old Port. It was a bright day and added to the delight I was getting visiting this city.
Old Port pulls you towards itself with a charm that only a few places can have. It's full of people on the weekend, and yet you could manage a bench where you could sit for a while and enjoy all that Montreal gives you. I must add that it's not just the places, but the people as well. They are so warm at heart and are so welcoming when you talk to them. I guess the people of Montreal made my travel even better.
Finally I wrapped up my travel and rushed back to the Via Rail Terminal at Bonaventure. I could manage to find a cheaper Via Rail ticket from Montreal to Toronto and traveling through Via Rail was highly recommended, which basically sums up why I chose Via Rail and not the Bus. Also, I would want to add that it's really an awesome experience and if you get a chance, you should also experience travelling through Via Rail.
Thanks for reading this blog post. I will be more than happy if my blog helps you with your travel plans.
You might also want to check these blogs:
1. Please visit AK's travel blog for interesting travel ideas and travel experiences. For someone who has traveled to 20 countries and lived in 4 of them, AK's surely going to give you great travel tips:
2. Lion has a great passion for traveling and has a new travel goal - He plans to travel upto 100 countries by the time he is 30. This blog will be a sea of great tips about exciting places around the world:
3. If you like to explore new places and also get tips about the food, lifestyle and culture of these places, Maxine's blog is where you should go for great insights:
4. I have yet to find someone who enjoys travel and not music. If you are also a music lover and want to know more information on the latest in music, please visit this blog for more fun:
5. Indeed, travel and food go hand in hand. And , following blog from Anuja will give you details of mouth-watering recipes. I am sure you will enjoy it:
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