Montreal. Aug, 2021

Montreal is the largest city in Canada's French-speaking province. We had visited the city several times with our children, and each visit brought something new and interesting. This time, however, it was just the two of us — and we had a very special reason for the trip... 

In August, we celebrated our anniversary. We always try to plan an interesting trip around that time.

Day 1

We left Toronto in the morning, and after about a six-hour drive, we arrived in Montreal. We checked into the lovely, modern Hôtel Alt Montréal, located not far from the Old Port. We then headed out for a walk and stopped by a metal sculpture of a human figure made up of letters from different languages

We headed for dinner at a restaurant with the fitting name, LOV. It was the first vegan restaurant we had ever visited. The décor was lovely, and the food was delicious. One interesting observation—all the restaurant's guests were slim. Does that mean meat, fish, eggs, and dairy really are the villains? ))

After dinner, we continued strolling through the city streets, exploring its charming little alleyways

We then arrived at Place d'Armes, home to the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal, a historic church in the heart of Old Montreal. The basilica is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Canada. We would soon step inside and once again see why.

In the square, the statues of a man with an English pug and a woman with a French poodle symbolize the English- and French-speaking communities of Canada. While the man turns away toward the French basilica and the woman looks in the opposite direction toward the historic Bank of Montreal building, their dogs, having spotted each other, are already eager to become friends.

The square in front of the basilica was so charming that we decided to move from our original hotel to another one located right across from it — Hotel Place d'Armes

Every evening, we went out to sit, relax, and listen to the music 

And for 45 minutes, it would transform into a fairy tale, with changing light effects accompanied by the sounds of classical music 

Day 2

Good morning from Montreal. We walked around the city centre, admiring the architecture

We headed for breakfast at a very unique place. The archway is the entrance to a historic bank building that now houses  Crew Collectife & Cafe 

We then returned to the city centre, to the Old Port, where we had a bicycle tour planned. For three hours, we rode around the city with a guide, discovering many interesting places and learning fascinating facts about Montreal’s history.

We stopped in the city’s Gay Village, a neighbourhood known for its vibrant LGBTQ+ community. Houses like these are quite affordable because they occupy very little land, and to reach the second floor, residents have to use these outdoor spiral staircases. It’s hard not to wonder how someone could avoid slipping on them in winter.

We then rode past the park at the foot of Mount Royal, where we heard loud drumming music and saw people dancing. It turned out that for many years, since 1974—long before the legalization of marijuana in Canada — every Sunday, people have gathered under the monument to smoke cannabis and relax. The police simply turn a blind eye to it, as long as nobody is causing any trouble

We stopped by the famous St-Viateur bakery, where they have been making the most delicious Montreal bagels since 1957 

We returned to the hotel to rest, and in the evening we went for dinner at Les Enfants Terribles restaurant. Once it got dark, we stepped out onto the restaurant’s large terrace to admire the city from the 44th floor.

We had more exciting plans for the next day, so it was time to head back to the hotel. On the way, we saw the building that houses the Olympic Committee. In 1976, Montreal hosted the Olympic Games

Day 3

In the morning, we walked around the city centre and visited the small historic museum Château Ramezay

We stopped by several little shops. One of our favourite places was a Christmas ornament store 

We walked through the historic Place Jacques-Cartier in Old Montreal. The square is home to many charming restaurants. We stopped at one of them — Chez Suzette.

I was craving French crêpes, while my husband wanted French onion soup and a classic quiche Lorraine

We walked around the Old Port and bought some new hats :) 

We entered the historic Bonsecours Market building. In one of the shops, I fell in love with these climbing figurines 

Then we headed to the place that became the highlight of our entire trip — Bota Bota Spa, located in the Old Port on a converted ship.

Photography was not allowed inside the spa, so unfortunately I can’t show you the full beauty of this place. But I can confidently recommend that everyone visit it! There are different types of saunas, massage treatments, comfortable relaxation rooms, pools with different water temperatures, and hot tubs — both indoors and outdoors.

We spent half a day at the spa, and it was absolutely amazing!

Day 4

The next morning, it was time for us to head back home. On the way, we stopped at the huge Marché Atwater to bring the kids some delicious treats