Tag 7 and 8 Montreal

Montreal is amazing - I should actually express this in French because it is clearly the first language here. But we are managing well in the English-French mix. There is so much to see. Our first day is a Sunday and we head towards Mont Royal, equipped with a sweater and a jacket because it has cooled down. Since it worked so well in Toronto, we decide to use the BIXI bike-sharing system. However, it is quite uphill towards Mont Royal and we could have left the sweater behind 😄. We park the bikes and continue on foot up the last (many) steps. Now the jacket is definitely too much. Once we reach the top, we are rewarded for the effort! What a view - all the way to the mountains! And the sun is shining. It's wonderful. We stroll through the building and its history, buy a drink in the uninspired "cafeteria" and watch the people while enjoying the view: runners, cyclists, families, dog walkers, selfie takers, ice cream sellers, police on bikes,... But at some point, we have to go back down - not as bad as going up 😄. We ride the bike towards the Old Town and the port. It seems like the rest of the residents and tourists who are not on Mont Royal are here. But it's interesting here too. Then we grab another bike and relax a bit in the hotel. And where to eat? Not too far - my calves are made of concrete! So we head to a sports brasserie - no need to explain anything, various sports events are happening all around us 😳. Rain is actually forecasted for Monday, but the weather is good and holds off until the evening. Today we are trying out the metro. Super easy - 3 lines are manageable. A one-day ticket for $10, that's okay. First, we go to the Botanical Garden. We expected a bit more for the $20.50 entrance fee. The illumination in the evening would probably be nice, but we are already busy. Our highlight! The Aura Basilica! That's a real experience. We booked our tickets online as soon as we arrived (Saturday was already sold out and there are no shows on Sundays). We arrive on time. First, we have about 30 minutes to explore the basilica and admire the light installations in the side aisles (and also take photos), then the visitors take a seat in the pews and experience a wonderful music-accompanied light show (photos and filming are prohibited). Impressed, we take in the Old Town a bit more, have a delicious meal at Kyo Japanese restaurant. And then it's enough for today, especially since it's starting to rain lightly now.