Magnifique Montreal

We just got back from a most wonderful holiday in Montreal! We were invited to a wedding there (the couple met at McGill University) and decided to make a short trip out it. We stayed five nights in the most charming apartment in the Mont Royal-Plateau neighbourhood (Airbnb). The photo above is hubby and baby walking down our street, just a few doors away from ours. How amazing it was to "live" like this for awhile! We were so close to restaurants, shopping, parks and places for good old people watching.

The Plateau area in Montreal is well known for being a hip and trendy neighbourhood. It definitely had that vibe, with street art murals covering most walls, beautiful old rowhouses, charming gardens, and the eclectic mix of people to match.

We indulged in poutine, smoked meat sandwiches, bagels, crepes and ice cream. We made up for all of this gluttony by walking and cycling around with some bike rentals.

We had our bikes for two days, which was an awesome way for getting from the Plateau area to Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) quickly. In Old Montreal we stopped to admire the Notre Dame Basilica, meander down the famed Rue St. Paul and its cobblestones, and walked down to check out the Old Port. It really feels like you are in an old city in Europe when in this part of Montreal...it is one of the oldest settlements in Canada and some of the buildings date to the 1600's!

We found the city to be very family friendly. Ari loved taking in the sights and sounds of a new city. We enjoyed the spray fountains at Place des Arts on Rue St. Catherine, the entertainment on Rue St. Paul, ICE CREAM, bike rides, and, most importantly, the many excellent playgrounds scattered around the neighbourhood.

We would typically go out for lunch with Ari, and then grab some takeaway to eat in the apartment for dinner. He loved tasting the food from our plates!