Montréal is a city that, for whatever the reason, I began not to go to so much in recent trips up to Québec province. It used to be a must, and a trip there would hardly seem complete without visiting the largest city of the province, and the second biggest city in Canada.
However, I do like the smaller, more charming feel of Québec City quite a bit. it is just far more distinctive, aesthetically, than not only Montréal, but pretty much any other city in North America, really.
However, Montréal still retains some of that Old World charm itself, although not quite as much as it's sister city of Québec further up north. Still, though, Vieux Montréal (the old, historic district) retains much of this charm, and is rich in history. Montréal also enjoys the beautiful botanical gardens, right next to the still modern looking (at least from the outside) Stade Olympique.
It also has the Parc Mont Royal, from which the city get it's name, right in the middle of the city. One of the most attractive parts of Mont-Royal would be the l'Oratoire St. Joseph du Mont-Royal/St. Joseph's Oratory. This is a beautiful church that always reminded me a bit of the Sacré-Cœur of Paris. Perhaps it is because the church is round, like the more famous church all in white in Paris, by Montmartre. Or, perhaps it is because it is perched atop a grassy hill, much like the Sacré-Cœur is, as well.
Whatever it is, this has always been one of my favorite spots in Montréal. And on our recent trip (of only one day) to the city, we visited the church once again, and fairly thoroughly!
We wrapped up our evening by visiting a friend of my brother's who lives in the city, and who cooked us a wonderful meal!
Here are some pictures of our trip on that day, including the church:
Posing by Québec tourisme sign after crossing the border minutes earlier at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, QC.
Montreal
I'll eventually have to try some of that "hydromel liquoreux" ("sweet mead" in English). My former roommate in Cliffside Park had some (not necessarily that same brand), and from what I gather it's supposed to be the modern day version of a beverage that was extremely popular centuries ago. Aside from that, nice shots of the Oratoire Saint-Joseph, and I like the shot of Sébastien and I in front of the Tourisme Québec sign.
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