On to Montreal. During the train ride, we wondered how Montreal would compare with Quêbec City. Or if it could compare. We used some hotel points at the Hyatt, our digs for three days. Not sure how the location would fare, we were happy to find it a central locale steps from the metro in the center of the arts district and the Place des Festivals. Out the door of the hotel and we were in the midst of activity.
Gardens of Light at Biodome, until November 2, Montreal
When we arrived, the 24th annual First Peoples' Festival was underway at the Place des Festivals. With more than 100 annual such gatherings, you'll likely find one no matter when you visit. Even without a festival in full swing, it's a fun place to people watch and take in adjacent light exhibits. The hotel is also on the underground network of thousands of shops and hundreds of restaurants and only "a 15-minute walk" every time we questioned the concierge.
In one day, those 15-minute walks added up to 23,000 steps on my daily step tracker and set my all time record. Not a single complaint from the 16-year-old except when I asked him to carry my flowery tote towards the end of an uphill jaunt. It was me or the bag, I threatened and he complied.
With all that walking, our daily routine became heading out around 9 a.m. and returning about 5 p.m. for a brief respite before the evening meal and activity. There are lists of scheduled tours in the official tourist guide; ours included a glimpse and information about the 1976 Olympics sites with its tower and athletic facility still intact, the logistics of McGill University, McCord Museum and the riverfront with its farmers' market, art market and cruise options.
We walked about Mount Royal, a wonderful park created by Frederick Law Olmsted who designed New York City’s Central Park and then stopped nearby to sample bagels. In case it's new to you, Joey discovered that Montreal bagels are as special as New York bagels and at the top of his gastronomic list. We stopped at St. Viateur Bagel, a famous place open 24-hours a day where you can watch production while waiting. We grabbed some to go for breakfast and received a handful of jelly packets and plastic knives from our server.
Later, our guide dropped us at a French bistro and gave us walking directions to the nearby Old Montreal Pier. After lunch we enjoyed an informative guided cruise along the St. Lawrence River.
Both tours enabled us to easily plan the following day. Joey took the helm (not literally) and decided we would start our next day with a metro ride to the Botanical Gardens, where we stopped only briefly with our guide.
After spending several hours wending through the delightful scenery, we lunched al fresco in the Garden's restaurant and stopped at the Insectarium where some 160,000 specimens you would not like to find in your bed are displayed. It’s right on the path to the Biodôme, which was better than a zoo, Joey said, because each spherical exhibit was a separate eco-system. There were five in all and we were both impressed and intrigued here. We stopped at the Planetarium, the last component of the Space for Life enclave only to learn we had missed the last show in English, but we did obtain metro directions to our next stop: Schwartz's for a famous smoked meat sandwich (overstuffed corned beef on rye to me). It was a subway ride, bus trip, and a line out the door, but it was worth it. Joey’s plans worked out perfectly.
Our evening included one of those 15-minute walks to McGill University for a leisurely stroll around the prestigious campus and then in the opposite direction to Old Montreal cobblestoned streets, outdoor cafes and shops, similar to streets we liked in Quebec City. And there was a creperie for one more decadent dessert.
We took time the next morning to seek out Café Parvis on a small rue called Mayor Street just minutes from the hotel, but one we might have overlooked on our own. Bonjour! Quebec, the regional tourism center that makes visiting Quebec so user friendly, recommended its fresh croissants, lattes and blends of freshly squeezed fruit juices.
There's a lot to discover on a walking vacation in Quebec, especially one shared between grandmother and grandson. We can't wait for the next opportunity. And I'll be buying more passports for younger grandsons in the future.
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