A Day in Montreal

After a slightly delayed start to the day, we began our sightseeing tour in Basilica Notre-Dame de Montréal. The church, dating back to the early 19th century, is really worth a visit. Comparatively unassuming and unimpressive from the outside, it reveals itself to be very opulent on the inside.

After a walk through the Old Town, we went to the Pointe-à-Callière Archaeology and History Complex. It was very interesting, especially to hear the early history of Canada from the perspective of the colonial powers, after experiencing the other side in Quebec.

Since we had bright sunshine, we decided to go for a little 'hike' on Mount Royal. First, we went through the city (which is not really beautiful here, everything looks a bit run-down), before going about 100 meters up to have a nice view of the city at sunset. On the way there, we made a stop in Chinatown. Here, we treated ourselves to some sweets. This one ball - something with coconut and black sesame paste - was really odd in terms of texture. Henni couldn't even touch it, but I found it quite tasty. The 'famous' Dragon's Beard Candy in Chinatown, on the other hand, was really delicious. It's supposed to be available only in Hong Kong.

Finally, we went to Mile End. A trendy little neighborhood with lots of boutiques and restaurants. However, it must be mentioned that the sidewalks are rolled up here on Mondays and Tuesdays at 6 PM - so it was quite deserted. For dinner, we found a fancy French restaurant. The food here is really top-notch.

Overall, Montreal has some really beautiful spots, but 2 days were enough. It's a real shame that the Biodome is currently under renovation, as it is said to be really worth a visit.

Now it's time for the last stop on the tour: Ottawa.

We have almost 2 days here. Most of that time will probably be spent in the national museums. Since there doesn't seem to be much else to do and it's supposed to rain. So, I will summarize these two days in one post!