Before this year I hadn’t been to Montreal once, and in April I went twice for two different dance competitions. I can’t believe I never visited before! It’s such a pretty city even early in April when the snow had just melted and the months of accumulated dirt and debris start to show.
On my first trip I stayed mostly downtown and got to see some of the European architecture. My friends took me to a coffee shop that is inside an old bank. So cool inside! It reminded me of the Tzar’s palaces in St. Petersburg. Not nearly as glamorous though.
That time, I stayed in Shaughnessy Village in a very old building. I forget how spacious those older apartments are! I am too used to being in modern tiny apartments. I made a bit of conversation with my AirBnb host. One is a photographer on the side and came all the way from Slovakia. The other host came from BC but wanted something different. He travelled through India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Australia. It’s so inspiring to meet people who have moved around and travelled.
The second trip I had more time in Mile End and Little Italy. I was high on sugar from all the Jewish bakes, donuts, but I had to go to the famous coffee shop Cafe Olympico. It was a sunny Friday afternoon and it was nice to sit down with a book I got from bookshop nearby.
Later that day I walked towards the Biodome, where my dance competition was held. It wasn’t too hard to get lost because you can see the building from far away and I just kept walking closer to it.
I stayed in Hochelaga and got to see a few quiet local streets and alleys.
The building styles are so different from Vancouver, and there’s different styles on one block too. It’s nice to just walk around and look like a tourist even in a quiet neighbourhood.
I also got to talk a bit with some of the people in the same AirBnb as me. One person was so impressed with my dance competition hair and makeup so he made friends with me. As an exchange student from HongKong, he was also taking every chance possible to travel.
Travel bug is back in me!