In many ways, Canada is very similar to the US. We speak the same language, eat lots of the same food, listen to similar music. Canadians may be slightly more enthusiastic about hockey, but aside from that, you could cross the border at many locations and not even notice you had entered a different country. The province of Quebec is the one big exception, with French as their official language, and many buildings and neighborhoods more reminiscent of Europe than anywhere else. For our last family trip before I start working full time, we decided to do a train tour through Quebec, starting with a few days in Montreal, followed by a stay in Quebec City, and ending in Halifax (which is English speaking and not in Quebec).
Poutine for dinner in Quartier Latin
Montreal is the largest city in Quebec, and unofficially known as the food capital of Canada. It has all the conveniences of a big city, like subways that take you everywhere you want to go and multiple cafes on every block. But it also retains the atmosphere of a smaller city through its unique neighborhoods. One could spend a few hours just walking around, looking at the interesting buildings, and marveling at how different things look from one area to the next. One of the more colorful neighborhoods we visited was the Quartier Latin, just outside the main subway hub, Berri-UQAM. As soon as you exit the subway station, you see the University of Quebec at Montreal on one side with its towering gothic style architecture, and on the other side you see the bright storefronts of Rue St Denis painted every color of the rainbow. This is a great place to take a walk and have a meal at one of the many restaurants.
Farmers market
For more food options, a good place to go is Marche Jean-Talon in Little Italy. This is basically what you would get if you combine a farmers market with one of those gourmet food markets. In the main central area there are many large stalls selling fresh fruits and vegetables, many of which offer free samples. Surrounding them are dozens of stores and vendors, selling all manner of food, drink, and souvenirs. There was one crepe stand right next to the main sitting area that we especially enjoyed.
Traditional Inuit art
As a city that values art and culture, Montreal houses over 30 different museums. We had the opportunity to visit one of them, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal). This is the largest art museum in the city, and well known throughout the country. It also used to be completely free of charge; it’s still free for those under 30, but for those older than 30 there is now a $12 admission fee. Though considering the amount of content you get - there are three different large buildings housing exhibits - it’s still well worth the price. The museum has art pieces from all over the world and every era, but I would recommend the Canadian/Quebecois art wing in particular. You can see some unique local styles that probably aren’t featured much elsewhere.
Biodome animal sighting
The city of Montreal has been on the international stage multiple times, at various points in the past hosting both the Olympic games and the World Expo. You can still go and see the impressive looking Olympic stadium, and many of the other buildings in the Olympic Park have been converted to tourist attractions, including a planetarium and a botanical garden. We didn’t have time to visit all of them, but we did go to the Biodome, a small zoo that was quite enjoyable despite the hordes of screaming schoolchildren. A few of the World Expo pavilions can still be seen in Parc Jean-Drupeau, a couple of islands located just south of the main city and easily accessible through the subway. The park itself contains many nice paths and an abundance of plant life, making it a great place to go jogging, biking, or in our case for a leisurely walk to aid in digestion after a large meal.
The old US pavilion from Montreal's World Expo
Montreal was a nice place to spend a few days, and definitely recommended to all those foodies out there (though you would probably want to visit in the summer as opposed to winter). We are now on a train taking us to Quebec City, another place of historical significance and food.
- MC 6/23
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