First days in Montreal

To Montreal!

Since we were flying within Canada entry into the domestic terminal was simply a pass through the security lines. Thankfully, if you are a Trusted Traveller then you have a dedicated security screening lane at YVR, which both Gimpy and I were. With security a breeze we had an hour and a bit to kill before our flight was to board. So we spent it in the YVR Domestic Plaza Premium lounge.

The lounge had both hot and cold breakfast offerings so we got in a few cups of coffee and juice along with a good breakfast in advance of our 5 hour flight out east.

Air Transat to Montreal

After breakfast we headed to our gate where boarding had begun. I’ve never flown Air Transat before, and I’ve heard mixed reviews from different people about them. So I was very curious what sort of experience I would have. Thankfully, our flight was very pleasant. I was surprised at how much space each seat in economy actually gets. Both Gimpy and I were pleasantly surprised how roomy we felt.

I did make one newbie mistake on this flight. I knew going in, that there wouldn’t be individualized entertainment systems for each passenger, so I had proactively loaded a few Netflix shows on my IPad to pass the time in the air. What I failed to do though, was bring headphones! As I got the IPad out to start watching, that dread of leaving my bluetooth head phones charging at home hit me. So, with a bit of shame, I ended up watching a few episodes of The Punisher with only sub titles, which is an experience in itself!

Montreal

Once we arrived in Montreal, we hopped on the 747 Airport shuttle into downtown. This shuttle is part of the public transit system, so if you buy certain fares, you’ll not only have the option to ride the airport shuttle into town, but you’ll also have access to a pretty decent bus and metro system to get around the city.  It took us around 40 minutes to get to the Lionel-Groulx Metro station, from there we trained to the Laurier metro station which was a very short walk to our AirBnB.

Pizzaiolle

Once we got settled into our AirBnB, our next order of business was to get some food. We found a neat little pizza place called Pizziolle near our place and popped over. We weren’t super picky since we were a bit hungry after the long flight. The pizza was good and hit the spot! It wasn’t super fancy and wasn’t out of this world, but certainly satisfied two hungry travellers!

La Banquise

From Pizza, we were still up for some more exploration and decided to walk to a poutine restaurant that we had on our list. It came highly recommended and we were excited to try. Instead of training two stops to where La Banquise is, we decided to walk.

Prior to visiting Montreal we were slightly concerned about the cold, since we’ve heard so many stories about how different East and West coast cold is. But as we strolled through the neighbourhood, we didn’t find it that chilly. We were appropriately dressed for the weather, but it wasn’t as brutal as some had made it out to be!

When we arrived, the place was BUSY and we had to wait in line a little before we were seated. There were all kinds of Poutine on the menu and even though we were excited to try them all, having just ate, we decided to get a basic poutine between the two of us.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t all that impressed. While it was tasty, I was hoping for knock your socks off amazing, given Quebec is the birthplace of Poutine. Both Gimpy and I were a little disappointed. Nonetheless, we planned to get a few more poutines over the course of the trip so we weren’t too worried!

St-Viateur Bagel

The next morning, Gimpy and I were up fairly early (still being in a time zone 3 hours ahead). We got ready and set out for our first stop of the day, St-Viateur Bagel. Bagels were another thing high on our list of things to eat. We arrived and ordered some breakfast for ourselves. I had a smoked meat bagel and it was delicious! I’m not sure what it is but they seem to taste better in Montreal!

Jean Talon Market

Our next stop after breakfast was to head to Jean Talon Market. It is one of the oldest public markets in Montreal and sells a lot of different food items, from fruit and produce, to meat and cheese. Its always super fun to stroll through markets like these. There’s the usual market fare that locals would browse and shop. But there’s also a lot of artisan items which are pretty unique and cool to check out!

While we weren’t hungry when we first arrived, walking through the halls that had different food offerings it wasn’t long before we started feeling nibbly again! I passed by a small bakery/deli and was excited to see them with Tourtieres for sale (Another guilty indulgence!). I ordered one for Gimpy and I to share, how can you really go wrong with meat in a pie! It was a bit greasy but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Downtown

After exploring the market a little more, we decided to train downtown and explore there. We didn’t have any specific destination in mind, and really just decided to wander the streets! “Wandering” is something I really like doing in different places and Montreal is no different. With the snow, its such a different experience. Being a resident of Vancouver we rarely get this much snow, so it was a bit of a treat to see so much of it in such a dense urban area!

Notre Dame

While we didn’t intend it, our wandering eventually led us to the famous Notre Dame Basilica. Since we were here, we decided to go in and check it out. The inside is quite beautiful and very ornately constructed! Its been the place of many famous weddings and concerts and I can totally understand why. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit some world famous places of worship around the world, and I’m happy to see that Canada has such a place as well!

Old Port of Montreal

From Notre Dame we made our way towards the water. Eventually arriving at the Old Port of Montreal.

Ice Cream?

Gimpy being Gimpy was feeling like some Ice Cream and had mapped out a few in the area to satisfy that craving. Our first attempt was to a shop called La Diperie. Unfortunately, they were closed and a bit more research on social media concluded that they were closed for the winter season. Our next attempt was to Mlle Catherine. But, like La Diperie, was also closed for the season!

At this point we were a little surprised that a place so used to cold winters wouldn’t have any ice cream available for a ice cream craving Gimpy! There were also nearby Dairy Queens and Ben and Jerry’s which were also closed. Sufficed to say, Gimpy was a little disappointed! What made matters worse was there was some construction near by our last ice cream strike out.  And lining the safety fences were images of dresses and (you guessed it) Ice Cream. It was the final salt int he wound for Gimpy.

The Port

With our Ice cream mission a failure, we continued walking along the water to explore the port. I really enjoyed this portion of the day. It wasn’t too cold and  while it was cloudy the area was clear and relatively peaceful. We walked along some of the giant berths for ships. Being from Vancouver, the concept of frozen over lakes and rivers isn’t something that is super familiar. So when you see full berths completely frozen over, its pretty cool. We spent some time at the waters edge watching the ice break up and even a freighter sailing through.

Au Pied de Cochon

After walking around the port for an hour or so, we returned to our AirBnB to chill before heading out for our dinner reservations at Au Pied de Cochon. This restaurant was high on our list and we were excited to visit. They do some cool things with Foie Gras, pork and maple syrup, so we were eager to try!

Gimpy and I ordered a Foi Gras appetizer, Duck in a Can and Hog from the Shack to share. EVERYTHING was very good. Although we likely ordered WAY too much, we were happy to nibble away and just as happy to bring some home to eat later as leftovers! Overall we had an amazing time at Au Pied de Cochon and would highly recommend it!

With our first full day in the books, Gimpy and I headed back to our AirBnB to turn in. We’d be meeting up with a friend who moved out to Montreal for school tomorrow and exploring more of this lovely city!