Whereas Toronto’s British heritage was at its most visible in the Royal Mail signs in the restored post office, Montréal’s French heritage is unmistakable – not only do the grand stone churches, picturesque cobbled streets and numerous street cafés make you think that you’ve wandered into Paris, but the language you hear on every street corner is no longer English, but Québécoise French (which we learned is similar to Old French, sprinkled liberally with bits of English).
Montréal – the home of
Cirque de Soleil,
Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, William Shatner and
Godspeed! You Black Emperor, amongst other famous names – is one of Canada’s most beautiful cities.
The heart of the historic quarter (which reaches from the edge of Chinatown down to the quays) is the Rue Saint-Paul, running as it does through the districts of Vieux-Montréal and Vieux-Port. On it sit the glittering and intricately decorated interior of the Notre-Dame Basilica as well as the old city hall (now home to a collection of upmarket boutiques).
Within a few streets, can be found the wonderfully informative and well-designed historical/archaeological museum (which takes you through the history of the city from pre-colonial times to the present) and the old Clock-tower, from which you can get magnificent views over the city and Saint-Lawrence river. Keeping the old-world feel amidst the newer part of town is McGill University, with its open, green campus and grand neo-classical buildings.
St. Joseph Oratory, on the other hand, is a gigantic concrete and granite structure built in the early 20th century (including a dome exceeded in size only by that at the Vatican) which mixes a very traditional exterior with a modern minimalist interior – quite the contrast to Notre-Dame! Even more modern again, and strikingly similar to Tokyo, is Montréal’s ‘underground city’ – the sprawling complex of shopping malls, cafés and subways which connects most of the hotels, office blocks and public spaces.
Today we leave Montréal, and Canada, for Boston – the last place on our itinerary! We’ve very much enjoyed our many stops and experiences here, and expect our brief return to America will be just as memorable.
Whereas Toronto’s British heritage was at its most visible in the Royal Mail signs in the restored post office, Montréal’s French heritage is unmistakable – not only do the grand stone churches, picturesque cobbled streets and numerous street cafés make you think that you’ve wandered into Paris, but the language you hear on every street corner is no longer English, but Québécoise French (which we learned is similar to Old French, sprinkled liberally with bits of English).
Montréal – the home of Cirque de Soleil, Arcade Fire, Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright, William Shatner and Godspeed! You Black Emperor, amongst other famous names – is one of Canada’s most beautiful cities.
The heart of the historic quarter (which reaches from the edge of Chinatown down to the quays) is the Rue Saint-Paul, running as it does through the districts of Vieux-Montréal and Vieux-Port. On it sit the glittering and intricately decorated interior of the Notre-Dame Basilica as well as the old city hall (now home to a collection of upmarket boutiques). 
Within a few streets, can be found the wonderfully informative and well-designed historical/archaeological museum (which takes you through the history of the city from pre-colonial times to the present) and the old Clock-tower, from which you can get magnificent views over the city and Saint-Lawrence river. Keeping the old-world feel amidst the newer part of town is McGill University, with its open, green campus and grand neo-classical buildings.
St. Joseph Oratory, on the other hand, is a gigantic concrete and granite structure built in the early 20th century (including a dome exceeded in size only by that at the Vatican) which mixes a very traditional exterior with a modern minimalist interior – quite the contrast to Notre-Dame! Even more modern again, and strikingly similar to Tokyo, is Montréal’s ‘underground city’ – the sprawling complex of shopping malls, cafés and subways which connects most of the hotels, office blocks and public spaces.
Today we leave Montréal, and Canada, for Boston – the last place on our itinerary! We’ve very much enjoyed our many stops and experiences here, and expect our brief return to America will be just as memorable.
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