Montreal - Mountain Royal

Why is Imran visiting Montreal?

Being in the predicament i was in with my US Visa situation, i had not much to do but stay close to Toronto. Hence i had to come up with things to do over the weekend and be in Toronto Monday through Friday, which sucked as Canada has a lot of good places to visit, just not a whole lot doable over the weekend and close to Toronto.  One Friday night after not hearing anything from the US Consulate i decided i would go to Montreal, i bought my train tickets and made my hotel reservations at 9:00 p.m. on Friday to go to Montreal the next day.  

A little background information on Montreal

Montreal means Mountain Royal in French, that's the second thing i learned in the French language after the term "Voulez vous coucher avec moi - Giuchie Giuchie Ya Ya da da".  Montreal is about a 5- 6 hour train ride or the same time by car from Toronto.  Since taking the train was cheaper for me then renting a car, going to Montreal by train was a wise decision as Montreal is an extremely pedestrian and biker friendly city.  The parking fee like in Toronto is pretty expensive and i am glad i didn't drive.  Montreal was a French Colony till around the mid 1700 and there is a lot of French influence you still find today with majority of the people talking French and switching to English if you ask a question in English.  Due to the heavy French and English influence parts of the city are very European and it has one of the best preserved European feeling and looking towns outside of Europe referred to as Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal).

What i did?

I was in Montreal for a little less than 32 hours as i reached Saturday evening and had my train back to Toronto Monday noon. which gave me a full day and 1 night to explore the city as much as i could.  I had looked up some information on Montreal and tried to hit up the major tourist attractions to take in as much of the city i could within 32 hours.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal

Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal or Notre-Dame Bacilica of Montreal as it is called in English is a Roman Catholic Church located in the historic district of Old Montreal.  I got to Montreal Saturday night and wanted to visit the church first thing at night, since i heard they had a light show which is a must see, unfortunately i was kind of tired and hungry when i got in and went straight for dinner. I wasn't able to see the light show as there is none on Sunday nights :(.  The church is well preserved and was built in the 1800's i don't remember much of the history because i was too busy clicking pictures and admiring the architecture during the 20 minute guided tour which is included with your CAN$5 admission, the money goes towards the restoration efforts.  

Where is Waldo?

In the picture below you can't see the gold stars in the ceiling. There are 1400 real gold stars which were painstakingly stuck by hand individually, no cheap Home Depot wallpaper was used in this place.

The Altar.

The Chapel.

Montreal - Mount Royal

Mount Royal, the mountain after which the city was named.  Mount Royal is easily accessible by public transit, you take the train to Mount Royal and then from the subway station there is a bus which will take you up the mountain and drop you off 3 kilometers (1.5ish Miles) from the top, which you need to walk as that is as far the bus takes you.  There are also trails which can be used to climb the mountain and it doesn't take more than 45 minutes to walk up the mountain. I would have trekked the mountain if i wasn't so pressed for time and wasn't being lazy.  Going to the top of Montreal will give you a 180 degree panoramic view of the city, from the Chalet Du Mont Royal.  (TT: When you get to the mountain make your way towards the Chalet Du Mont Royal, which gives you a panoramic view of the city.  There is also a Cruix Du Mont Royal (Cross on Mont Royal)  which is further up and a good 15-20 minute walk from the Chalet. The visibility from the Cross is not as good as from the Chalet, so you can skip out on the Cruix Du Mont Royal if you are tired and are pressed for time). 

Sunset.

Walk up to the Chalet.

Follow the signs for the Chalet Du Mont-Royal.

The viewing gallery.

There is also a Mountain on the Other Side. 

Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal)

Old Montreal is where you will find the majority of the locals and tourists mingle.  The streets and structures in Old Montreal are very European. The streets are cobbled and all the structures are made of stone.  There are a variety of museums and galleries in Old Montreal but perhaps the most famous tourist attraction is the Basilique Notre-Dame de Montreal.  As i mentioned earlier, Montreal is an extremely pedestrian and biker friendly city, with Bixi bike stands located near every major tourist attraction (TT: Old Montreal has some slopes so if you do want to bike in Old Montreal, i suggest renting a bike from the uptown locations and then making your way downhill to Old Montreal, instead of doing the opposite.  Trust me it's no fun biking uphill - I should know).  Old Montreal is a great place to walk around, to people watch and buy local produce.  There are vendors on the street selling all sorts of produce, including Maple Syrup in maple leaf shaped bottles.  

Cobbled streets.

People in Montreal don't drive a lot and lack parallel parking skills.  That space was big enough for 3 cars.

Occupy Montreal protest at Victoria Square.

Miscellaneous Stuff

People I Met

I met Tatiana on the train and we both were going to the same train station. Fortunately her hotel was across the street from mine, so we could meet up for dinner.

Dinner with fellow traveler.

Saint Dennis Street


Saint Dennis Street is located very close to University De Quebec a Montreal (UQAM) and is the place where all the college kids go to get drunk and party.  The street has a lot of nice cheap bars and hotels for the budget conscious traveler.  The street reminded me of Adams Morgan back in Washington D.C., only thing missing was a Jumbo Slice Pizza shop.  

Doesn't this look like Adams Morgan?

Paranormal Activity in French.

There was a Montreal Canadiens Hockey game going on the night i got to Montreal.  There was a light show next to the stadium which was pretty cool.  Some of the lights have their controller open to the public, so you can walk up there and direct the light yourself.

If this was Gotham City, Batman would be crazy confused.

French Rapper Le Emineme.

What I ate?


My hotel was pretty close to Saint Dennis street so i walked around the street and found this crowded Mexican place called 3 Amigo's.  All restaurants that night were pretty packed due to the home team hockey game.  I ordered the Mexican Flag which were 3 different (Spinach, Chicken & Cheese) Enchiladas with Hot Sauce, Sour Cream & Guacamole representing the Mexican Flag colors, although my dish could also be mistaken for the Italian flag as the emblem from the Mexican flag on the sour cream enchilada was missing.

Mexican Flag Enchiladas.

Poutine originated in Quebec and is considered Canadian comfort food and the hallmark dish of Canadian Cuisine.  It is basically french fries, with cheese curds and brown gravy with additional toppings that can be included at the discretion of the eater.  It was the most expensive french fries i ever ate costing me $13.  In my opinion french fries and gravy don't go good together.

Chicken Poutine.

I was walking around on the streets of Old Montreal and came across a shop where the air smelled like tasty Nutella and fried stuff.  I immediately took a detour and entered the shop and stood in line, not knowing what the place was selling with only the smell of Nutella to guide my senses.  I walked up to the counter and told the French dude while pointing to the picture "One" i paid him the money and within a minute another French dude handed me what i had ordered.  I got the deep fried dough with Nutella on top of it and I just inhaled it.  I have no idea what the thing i ate is called and it was perhaps the most tastiest thing i ate in Montreal.  If you know the name of the tasty fried Nutella goodness i ate, please let me know.

UFO (Unidentified Fried Object).

Conclusion:  Mont Royal, Montreal, Ville Marie (City of Mary) as it was originally called or whatever name you want to call this wonderful city by.  The city with its 18th century old school charm will make you forget that you are actually in Canada and on the North American continent and will have you transcended to Europe.  There will be instances where you will have to remind yourself you are west of the Atlantic Ocean.  If you want a European experience without actually going to Europe and being on a Transatlantic flight, Montreal is definitely a good city to visit.