It's been a month since I left sunny Brisbane. I'm currently in the trés cool city of Montréal.
I wasn't sure if I liked it on my first day but I blame that on being tired and visiting the touristy area of Vieux-Montréal. I did however nearly got scooped up by a snow plower while trying to take the obligatory tourist photo of the Basilica Notre Dame.
Yesterday, I started liking Montréal. I put on my hiking boots and ventured on my two feet. I covered chic areas like Plateau and Mile End, saw some Hassidic Jews in Outremont and climbed Mont Royal. Inca trail training with good eats and pretty shops as breaks :) At night, I re-visited some of the areas and experienced a very varied good night out in Montréal including ending with a poutine at La Banquise to vanquish any pangs of hunger before heading to bed.
What I like about Montréal is its vibe. It's very cool and stylish, yet not contrived. Getting out of the touristy Montréal, you meet the "real" people. Not people jaded with the influx of tourists requiring them to speak English. But just people and they are lovely.
Today, I'm heading over to the famous Jean Talon market and hoping to visit Schwartz, a Montréal institution. I've had the bagels but apparently, I can't leave until I have the Schwartz smoked meat sandwich and cherry cola from Schwartz.
