My next leg of the journey takes me through Quebec, the French-speaking province of Canada. While Ottawa had bilingual signs and services in both English and French, the Quebec cities of Montreal and Quebec City have everything primarily in French. From the province's centuries of history spanning well before the Canadian Dominion, Quebec culture is a refreshing change from the rest of English Canada.

Also, I'm aware that I'm not using the accented letters for French words. I'm barely keeping up with writing these blogs as I'm still traveling.

Montreal

Day 0 - New Orleans

Simply an excellent ride from Ottawa to Montreal. While slightly more expensive than Flixbus, New Orleans buses have comfier seats, nicer interiors, and more legroom (enough for a footrest). The bus wasn't even fully booked so I didn't need to squeeze next to someone else. Plus, I managed to find the coupon code: ECONO50, for a casual 50% off my tickets lol. It doesn't give me their reward points when applied, but I wasn't planning to bus frequently anyway. My only complaint was the slow and inconsistent wifi, which couldn't watch Youtube like with Flixbus, but it is what it is.

Arriving at Montreal's bus terminal was the biggest cultural shock I've experienced on this trip. In my mind, I kinda just brushed past the French-speaking province fact, so walking along a street with French advertisements, signposts, and people was like cold water to the face. If anything, that feeling probably indicates good travels by experiencing the unfamiliar. Although Montreal also has a large English-speaking population, I managed to get by with just a cursory basics of French. I had about a week to learn French, and I'm too embarrassed to try speaking any of it in public.

Traffic was bad in Montreal's downtown, but still better than Toronto's. There were long lines of cars in the lane and parked on the street, and aggressive drivers trying to get ahead of the lights. Pedestrians and bikers were even bolder, where at least 75% of the people there were jumping red lights, edging the traffic before it was clear, and even racing past other cars every chance they got. All this made for a chaotic city environment, which I imagine is what New York on a smaller scale feels like. You'll see it in future pictures.

It was a slow walk until I reached the Saintlo hostel in Montreal, a well-sized and more modern building with an interior structured like a motel. My visit was great, and for a reasonable price, I got to stay in the downtown area near some major bike paths. A good location is honestly a subtle but important benefit of hostels, as often they are always in or near popular areas and near transit for most travelers who are probably not driving. This Saintlo location is definitely also nicer and busier than the Ottawa location, with free guided tours, a spacious lobby and kitchen area, and a cleaner feel to the whole building.

STM, the Montreal transit agency, just so happened to start striking the entire week I was visiting, so all my plans revolving around the comprehensive metro system were thrown out the window. Thankfully, Montreal is also known for its comprehensive biking network, and with their BIXI monthly pass only costing $23 dollars, I actually saved some money and got a good workout that didn't strain my lower leg. The day I landed was the last day of a Japanese-themed festival near the canal, and so the perfect opportunity came to try city biking.

I have mixed feelings, which I'll cover in the next section, but my first time biking on a street with cars racing past me was definitely not a good start. Turns out many streets don't have bike paths, so starting without planning my route caused me a long detour as I was too scared to ride on normal streets.

The festival itself was fine. It was fascinating to see the Japanese culture and weebs in a French setting, which I thought was more normal and less bizarre than English weeb culture. The traditional performances were great, the atmosphere was bustling, the crowds overwhelming. Food lines were about 20 minutes, and it took me a while to realize I could have just paid at the booth and started lining up immediately, instead of paying online and then wandering around confused.

Day 1 - Central Montreal

After developing a fear of biking into an average Montreal street, I decided to start easy and take an express route (REV route) to Old Montreal. They are wide, dedicated lanes marked in blue, like a highway for cyclists. Conveniently there happens to be one behind my hostel, just under the train overpass and across a 4 lane giant fucking highway entrance. I end up walking my bike to the starting point.

When I arrived at Old Montreal, the Basilique Notre-Dame had just opened for visiting. Many of the major attractions offer student discounts just by showing IF, so my ticket was just $14. Another fact is that the Basilique is giant (yet not the biggest in Montreal), with an intricate interior that I can only demonstrate with my high-res images.

I'm going to skip most of today's pictures as I came back on a better day with more activity. Visiting on a Monday with rainstorms really hampers the good vibes. Take these pictures as Montreal's slowest days.

The Basilique sits in the center of Old Montreal, which was barren at 10AM on a Monday. Honestly, only a couple of streets were worth checking out, as most places just felt empty or even abandoned. It occasionally borders depressing, knowing that the historic architecture is just that, historic and bulldozed everywhere else. There were some nice streets lined with shops and checkered flags, the photo-worthy section of Old Montreal.

Nearby is the old harbor, a nice walking and biking area with famous landmarks like the La Grande Roue (Ferris Wheel) de Montréal, the harbor zip line, and Cirque du Soleil. The coastal breeze and bustling activities make this a popular place to visit.

If the Japanese festival (and a future Korean festival), didn't already indicate, there is a sizable Asian population in Montreal. Just past the 8-lane highway cutting through the city center is the small Chinatown with an area of about 10 blocks. Getting off the congested main street and onto the smaller side paths are lines of Chinese and Asian shops. Sammi Soup Dumplings is a famous chain of xiaolongbao restaurants in Montreal, and yummy for the price too.

This was when the hour-long rainstorm hit, and I hid in a boba shop trying to order in broken French. Afterward, I made my way to Saint-Laurent Boulevard to check out an ongoing mural festival. It was nice that the area was closed off to cars, so we could walk wherever on the street, which I do appreciate with Montreal's festivals. Any street event will reroute traffic so the streets are cleared for people, creating a better experience for attendees. This also gives space for more patio seating and small booths for shops and exhibits. Once again though, rain on a Monday meant today was real empty, so I'll come back to this place later.

I've always been a Canadian, so I've already had poutine in my hometown. Costco, McDonalds, overpriced chain restaurants: mid at best, but slop being the norm. So from my lack of fine poutine experience, I always saw the dish as heavy gravy and mushy cheese tailored to make me sick. My previous favorite poutine came out of a shipping container in Radium, BC, and even then I felt sick after eating half the box. BUT! The poutine at La Banquise was just c'est excellent! Like holy, I can't think of another dish where after getting full I wanted to order even more! The gravy was deliciously savory with just a hint of sweetness, and the cheese curds simply delightful. With a restaurant with such prestige, I had to order a deluxe poutine. Mine came with smoked meat, bacon, sausages, and pepperoni, all of it prepared excellently.

La Banquise is such an easy recommendation. Great food, reasonable price, and next to the popular Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. If you plan to try it yourself just be prepared for long lines. Even on a rainy Monday, the place was almost full. Busy days could have you waiting hours for a spot.

Man biking in Montreal is such a bipolar experience. My ride from La Banquise back to the hostel happened to be along a protected bike lane, and it was just plain fun. Haven't seen another North American city with bike traffic so long and intense as here, with the satisfying feeling of straight, uninterrupted routes like no other. Didn't even feel my leg injury, as the Achilles tendonitis only affected the lower leg/ankle, and not the hamstring/calf actually used in biking.

But there are always caveats. The latter half of this video from Not Just Bikes summarizes my feelings as well (the metro/buses were on strike so I didn't ride them), that being

1. The moment you deviate from the designated bike route, you're often thrown onto a car-filled street and have to fend for yourself. As expansive as Montreal's bike network is, a closer look reveals many stranded blocks and disjoint networks stitched together confusingly. Multiple construction projects covering the bike lane either divert to a makeshift bike/pedestrian lane or just have us going down the street with the cars.
2. Downtown is chaotic for both bikers and drivers. I saw people jumping the red lights, bikers edging incoming cars trying to cross sooner, and cars inching towards columns of people on turns trying to cut through the crowds. It's a disaster waiting to happen, and I wish I bought a helmet in case I became said disaster.
3. Like seriously, just watch videos of bikers during rush hour

Day 2 - Canal and Mount-Royal

My hostel offered a walking tour of the nearby Canal and Atwater Market but in the afternoon. With nothing else to do, I pretended to be a white-collar worker and joined the flow of commuters. I got to see a couple more landmarks like these churches, this giant ring, and an entire underground city connecting multiple metro stations. Not thinking about how big the ring really was, this underground city was a series of long hallways lined with restaurants, and clearly meant for business folks as most places were closed preparing box lunches for the lunch rush.

Later during the tour, I got to meet some fellow travelers from the US and England and took a stroll down the canal to the Atwater Market. About the size of a medium warehouse, the interior is one long hallway lined with stores selling all sorts of groceries and produce. The food court is on the end and offers pastries, desserts, sandwiches, salads, and pastas. The grilled cheese was fairly solid for what I got, and this strawberry sweet was delicious.

Honestly, my next decision to visit Mount Royal came on a whim, otherwise, I would have prepared another water bottle. This is a massive hill in the center of Montreal, with about 100 meters of incline just to climb from downtown to the base. A tough but rewarding biking trail, with beautiful park areas, natural trails, and an iconic view of the city from the Charlet de Mount-Royal.

Because I came on a whim, I also hadn't finalized my hiking route and I ended up circling around the entire area. It all worked out anyway, as I wandered to the nearby Oratoire Saint-Joseph. If you thought the previous Notre-Dame was grand, St-Joseph is the biggest cathedral in Canada, and 30th in the world. These images fail to capture the sheer scale of this structure, but needless to say, just looking out from the base was intimidating enough. They offer free entry and operate on donations, and I got to sit through some traditional sermons (still don't know what it was about, but the lute and singing were holy), and a museum dedicated to the saint and founder of the church.

Now with me having wandered so far away, I sorta gave up suppressing my hunger and jumped a nearby authentic French bistro. They were very authentic to partisan France cuisine, as in $40 for a high-class chicken type eatery.

By the time I was walking back to the hostel, night had begun to roll over. Montreal is one of the party cities of Canada, which can be seen with how nonchalant and normal the nightlife streets are. It was a nice, casual walk, with a stunning sunset to boot.

Day 3 - Little Italy and Botanical Garden

For my third day, I wanted to hit the distant attractions of Little Italy in the west, and the Botanical Garden in the north. Now with my left calf starting to cramp, and since the metro is still on strike, I make use of my monthly Bixi pass to bike for 2+ hours all across Montreal. I'd clearly never experienced real city biking until now, because the commitment, thrill, and human spirit it takes to travel 30+ km by sheer muscle power is insurmountable to the average car driver, nevertheless the daily commute by bike gigachads.

Starting with a brisk 44-minute ride to Little Italy, I arrive around 10am in a quiet neighborhood, with most places other than the Jean-Talon Market still preparing to open shop. Speaking of the market, Jean-Talon is a semi-open venue filled with produce, flowers, and food stands. It's a lovely place to get lost among the shops, especially so early when the crowds are still small.

On the way out, I tagged along with some other travelers trying the local oysters. There are probably three main dishes to try in Quebec: poutine, duck, and oysters, and this oyster stands selling every variety of Canadian oysters for ~$2.50 each is worth the great snack! I didn't even know oysters could have such different flavors depending on the location they originated. From salty to creamy and everything else in between.

Montreal's Little Italy was by far the nicest out of Toronto's and Ottawa's in both size, beauty, and variety of shops. There are quite a lot of extra luxurious dining spots, but some hidden gems around the market and off the main streets. My only real complaint was the main road cutting through the neighborhood gets really busy and annoyingly loud, so sitting on a street patio became somewhat uncomfortable. At least I got some good Ravioli.

Next up was the Botanical Garden, about 30 minutes away by bike. There are many themed sub-sections within the area, each with a unique setting of greenery to check out. Pictures can't exhibit the beauty and serenity of actually being present among nature, only visiting in person will do the place justice, but I'll post my images anyways.

Coming from the remote side of the park is a large forest of unique trees, with species from across the world.

Next was the Leslie Hancock and Flower Brook gardens, full of beautiful and colorful flowers. A common theme among all exhibits is the quantity and variety of plant species which anyone can read on the plaques.

The First Nations garden was particularly well designed, cultivating a dense environment of North American plants. There are also exhibits telling the history of First Nation's relationship to nature and its integration into their culture.

Next door was the Alpine garden, showcasing the foliage and plants that grow high up on mountains and cliffsides.

And many smaller exhibition exhibits, each with a particular theming. Shrubs, toxic, medicinal, agriculture, etc.

But the biggest exhibit has to be the Chinese garden, an authentic replica of an Imperial Ming Dynasty garden built in Shanghai and shipped to Montreal. Much of the foliage there is native to China, there are even turtles in the water!

The Japanese garden is right next to the Chinese garden, a much more modest replica of a remote village with its native foliage. There are Koi fish in the pond and cheery blossoms that bloom in the springtime.

Right across the garden is the Biodome, a massive zoo within The Olympic Park. However, what makes the Biodome unique is how each of the 5 exhibits had replicated the original environment they are based on. So for the tropical rainforest, you walk into a sealed dome where the temperate and humidity are artificially pumped up to match the real rainforest. This means the animal enclosures aren't sealed away, and you can see birds flying above your head and animals up close.

For yet another biking adventure, I peddled for 40 minutes all the way to the Old Harbor. It's much livelier around 7pm, the shops and food trucks are actually open, and crowds of people wander the many nice pathways along the water. It's where I'm writing today's blog right now.

Which leads me to finally ride the big wheel right at the center of Old Harbour. Thanks to the rain (and it being a weekday), there were no lines and I got to ride by myself which is how I got these great shots of the city.

Day 4 - F1 Festivals

The Thursday before the official start of the F1 weekend, is also the start of many F1 festivals throughout the city. Usually starting around noon and into the night, I encountered at least 3 separate events on my morning walk to Old Montreal. F1 merch shops materializing downtown, free handouts of energy drinks that'll probably kill me with how many I collected

Since I had some time to kill before the fun really kicked in, I used my MTL Passport to ride the Bateau-Mouche cruise. This was a 90-minute tour around the St. Lawrence Canal, where I got to see many interesting landmarks around the coast and islands. I even got to eat my lunch poutine on the boat!

Now the busier afternoon, I go revisit the mural festival to see a livelier street filled with more people and actual murals this time. Lots of shops and food on the street of other businesses make for an enjoyable walk across Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Some artist were still making progress on their murals, so try and visit as late as possible or just multiple times to see the art progress.

At the end of the pedestrianized street is Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, which was even busier than when I last visited. While there weren't any festivals on the street, the neighborhood itself was still as interesting as ever to explore. Had to watch out for cars on the intersection, and bikers pedaling alongside the pedestrians. Also, it borders on insane with how many restaurants line the main street, it makes me wonder how any of them even stay in business.

Finally, I biked back downtown early to grab dinner at Reuben's Deli & Steaks, fairly pricy for well... deli and steaks.

There apparently is no place more synonymous with Montreal F1 than the festival on Crescent Road. Even on the day before the racing, an entire 3-block radius was electrified with energy. Droves of people crossing through the worst traffic jam, pop-up merch shops everywhere I went, and that's not even me on the main street yet. Know that this was around 6pm, well before the peaks of the festival, and it was still this chaotic.

I'm now also 90% certain that Montreal's entire festival industry is held up by gambling and energy drinks lol. I can guarantee that the majority of the ads and sponsors are one of the two.

Day 5 - Race Day and Off to Quebec City

Today marks the start of the F1 weekend, and the day I decided to leave Montreal because my room would have been more expensive. Maybe I'll attend the race another year, but I never did nightlife parties to begin with, plus I had no friends on this trip. Even without a (ridiculously expensive) ticket, I decided to visit the Sainte-Helene Island to see how close I could get to Notre-Dame island where the racetrack is.

STM transit paused the strike because of how important F1 was, so I got to ride the metro from the hostel and across the channel. There are some interesting quirks about the system, from the transfer system to the fare zones, and the subway itself based on France's metro using rubber wheels. Anyone visiting out of Quebec needs to research the STM and these differences ahead of time. The Chronos app at least lets me skip the long lines at the ticket booths, so try and have your OPUS card prefilled ahead of time.

Normally, Sainte-Helene is a large green space, with an amusement park, bike paths, and the Biosphere. Today I got swept up in the mobs of people shuffling their way through the maze of chained fencing and security to cross the bridge into Notre-Dame. Well, I wasn't planning to watch legit anyway, so I tried walking around the edge of the island to see if I could watch from across the channel. There actually was a vantage point at the southern end of Sainte-Helene with a clear view of Notre-Dame, but deviously the race track is blocked by trees.

There was definitely no way to see anything but the briefest of flashing lights, so I kept walking along the Eastern coast before I encountered a lot of security. The funny thing was that they didn't really mind me being far from where actual visitors should be, and I ended up on an hour-long quest to get back to the metro station. It took a lot of asking around and wandering behind locked-off areas, but I eventually made it back to the central plaza and back to the metro.

Oh, and I may or may not have discovered some unguarded point where I could have jumped onto and across the bridge~. If I wasn't carrying around my luggage and had a bus to catch that afternoon, who knows? Maybe I would have videos of sleek cars going really fast.

I'm now back on the main island and at the bus terminal at 11am. With 5 hours to kill, I visited the national library just across the street. A massive and modern 5 story library spanning multiple sections, with a comfortable interior and a great place to brush off my writing. Just don't look out onto the main street.

With one ticket left on my MTL Passport, I visited Le Saint-Bock Brasseria Artisanale just next door. Cool staff, plus I got some above-average poutine and great beers!

And that's the end of Montreal, but not Quebec, as no visit is complete without also seeing Quebec City. Compared to the Ontario cities, Montreal felt the most alive, witnessing the most real people going about their day. So much activity on the streets and places to see, this was definitely the most lively city I've visited yet.